QQig BUS THE HARVARD CLASSICS The Five-Foot Shelf of Books 1 THE HARVARD CLASSICS EDITED BY CHARLES W. ELIOT, LL.D. American Historical Documents 1000-1904 "^ith Introductions and Notes Yolume 43 P. F. Collier & Son Corporation NEW YORK Copyright, ipro By p. F. Collier & Son manufactured in u. s. a. CONTENTS PAGE The Voyages to Vinland (c. iogo) 5 The Letter of Columbus to Luis de Sant Angel Announcing His Discovery (1493) 21 Amerigo Vespucci's Account of His First Voyage (1497) . 28 John Cabot's Discovery of North America (1497) 45 First Charter of Virginia (1606) 49 The Mayflower Compact (1620) 59 The Fundamental Orders of Connecticut (1639) 60 The Massachusetts Body of Liberties (1641) 66 Arbitrary Government Described and the Government of the . Massachusetts Vindicated from that Aspersion, by John Winthrop (1644) 85 The Instrument of Government (1653) 106 A Healing Question, by Sir Henry Vane (1656) 118 John Eliot's Brief Narrative (1670) 138 Declaration OF Rights (1765) 147 The Declaration of Independence (1776) 150 The Mecklenburg Declaration OF Independence (1775) . 156 Articles of Confederation (1777) 158 Articles of Capitulation, Yorktown (1781) 169 Treaty with Great Britain (1783) 174 Constitution of the United States (1787) 180 The Federalist, Nos. i and 2 (1787) . 199 Opinion of Chief Justice Marshall, in the Case of McCulloch vs. THE State OF Maryland (1819) 208 Washington's First Inaugural Address (1789) 225 Treaty with the Six Nations (1794) 229 Washington's Farewell Address (1796) 233 Treaty with France (Louisiana Purchase) (1803) 250 Treaty with Great Britain (End of War ofi8i2)(i8i4) . 255 I 2 CONTENTS PAGE Arrangement as to the Naval Force to be Respectively Main- tained ON THE American Lakes (1817) 265 Treaty with Spain (Acquisition of Florida) (1819) 268 The Monroe Doctrine (1823) 277 Webster-AsHBURTON Treaty with Great Britain (1842) . 280 Treaty with Mexico (1848) 289 Fugitive Slave Act (1850) 306 Lincoln's First Inaugural Address (1861) . ^. 313 Emancipation Proclamation (1863) 323 Haskell's Account of the Battle of Gettysburg 326 Lincoln's Gettysburg Address (1863) 415 Proclamation of Amnesty (1863) 416 Lincoln's Letter to Mrs. Bixby (1864) 420 Terms of Lee's Surrender at Appomattox (1865) 421 Lee's Farewell to his Army (1865) 423 Lincoln's Second Inaugural Address (1865) 424 Proclamation Declaring the Insurrection at an End (1866) . 426 Treaty with Russia (Alaska Purchase) (1867) 432 Annexation of the Hawaiian Islands (1898) 437 Recognition of the Independence of Cuba (1898) 440 Treaty with Spain (Cession of Porto Rico and the Philippines) (1898) 442 Convention Between the United States and the Republic of Panama (1904) ; . 450 INTRODUCTORY NOTE No final history of the United States of America has been written, or is Hkely to be written. Research is constantly bringing to light new facts that correct details or modify the traditional view of larger ques- tions; and the most impartial historian is subject to personal or sec- tional bias which leads to his works being regarded as imperfect by another generation, or as unfair by the people of parts of the country other than his own. In such a series as the present, then, it is unwise to represent the story of the growth of this nation by the summary of any one scholar. The alternative has been to place before the reader a selection of the most important documents which record in contemporary terms the great events in the history of the country. Beginning with the personal records of the earliest discoverers of the continent, the selection goes on to present the first attempts at organizing a machinery of government made by the first settlers of the New England colonies; proceeds to the landmarks of the struggle for independence and the formation of the Constitution; shows the laying of the foundation of national policies and of the interpretation of the Constitution; indicates by the texts of the treaties themselves the acquisition of each successive increase of terri- tory; and reveals by the original state papers the main causes and effects of the wars in which the country has from time to time been engaged. Read in succession, these documents afford a condensed view of the political progress of the American people; freed from any prejudice save that which swayed the makers of the history themselves. AMERICAN HISTORICAL DOCUMENTS THE VOYAGES TO VINLAND (c. looo) [The following account of the discovery of North America by Leif Ericsson is con- tained in the "Saga of Eric the Red"; and the present translation is that made by A. M. Reeves from the version of the Saga in the Flateyar-hok,, compiled by Jon Thordharson about 1387. The part of the coast where Leif landed is much in dis- pute, the most recent investigations tending to the southern part of the coast of Labrador, though many scholars believe Vinland to have been on the New England shore.] Leif the Lucky Baptized A FTER that sixteen winters had lapsed, from the time when iL^ Eric the Red went to colonize Greenland, Leif, Eric's son, A. A-sailed out from Greenland to Norway. He arrived in Dron- theim in the autumn, when King Olaf Tryggvason was come down from the North, out of Halagoland. Leif put into Nidaros with his ship, and set out at once to visit the king. King Olaf expounded the faith to him, as he did to other heathen men who came to visit him. It proved easy for the king to persuade Leif, and he was accordingly baptized, together with all of his shipmates. Leif remained through- out the winter with the king, by whom he was well entertained. BiARNi Goes in Quest of Greenland Heriulf was a son of Bard Heriulfsson. He was a kinsman of Ingolf, the first colonist. Ingolf allotted land to Heriulf between Vag and Reykianess, and he dwelt at first at Drepstokk. Heriulf's wife's name was Thorgerd, and their son, whose name was Biarni, was a most promising man. He formed an inclination for voyaging while he was still young, and he prospered both in property and public esteem. It was his custom to pass his winters alternately abroad and with his father. Biarni soon became the owner of a trading-ship; 5 6 AMERICAN HISTORICAL DOCUMENTS and during the last winter that he spent in Norway [his father] Heriulf determined to accompany Eric on his voyage to Greenland, and made his preparations to give up his farm. Upon the ship with Heriulf was a Christian man from the Hebrides, he it was who com- posed the Sea-Roller's Song, which contains this stave: "Mine adventure to the Meek One, Monk-heart-searcher, I commit now; He, who heaven's halls doth govern. Hold the hawk's-seat ever o'er me!" Heriulf settled at Heriulfsness, and was a most distinguished man. Eric the Red dwelt at Brattahlid, where he was held in the highest esteem, and all men paid him homage. These were Eric's children: Leif, Thorvald, and Thorstein, and a daughter whose name was Freydis; she was wedded to a man named Thorvard, and they dwelt at Gardar, where the episcopal seat now is. She was a very haughty woman, while Thorvard was a man of little force of character, and Freydis had been wedded to him chiefly because of his wealth. At that time the people of Greenland were heathen. Biarni arrived with his ship at Eyrar [in Iceland] in the summer of the same year, in the spring of which his father had sailed away. Biarni was much surprised when he heard this news, and would not discharge his cargo. His shipmates inquired of him what he intended to do, and he replied that it was his purpose to keep to his custom, and make his home for the winter with his father; "and I will take the ship to Greenland, if you will bear me company." They all replied that they would abide by his decision. Then said Biarni, "Our voyage must be regarded as foolhardy, seeing that no one of us has ever been in the Greenland Sea." Nevertheless, they put out to sea when they were equipped for the voyage, and sailed for three days, until the land was hidden by the water, and then the fair wind died out, and north winds arose, and fogs, and they knew not whither they were drifting, and thus it lasted for many "doegr." Then they saw the sun again, and were able to determine the quarters of the heavens; they hoisted sail, and sailed that "doegr" through before they saw land. They discussed among themselves what land it could be, and Biarni said that he did not believe that it could be Greenland. AMERICAN HISTORICAL DOCUMENTS 7 They asked whether he wished to sail to this land or not. "It is my counsel" [said he] "to sail close to the land." They did so, and soon saw that the land was level, and covered with woods, and that there were small hillocks upon it. They left the land on their larboard, and let the sheet turn toward the land. They sailed for two "dcEgr" before they saw another land. They asked whether Biarni thought this was Greenland yet. He replied that he did not think this any more like Greenland than the former, "because in Greenland there are said to be many great ice mountains." They soon approached this land, and saw that it was a flat and wooded country. The fair wind failed them then, and the crew took counsel together, and concluded that it would be wise to land there, but Biarni would not consent to this.