Bradford opinion. [volume] (Bradford, Vt.) 1874-1881, 1875-09-04
The History of Our Country.

The History of Our Country,
from its Discovery by Columbus
to the Celebration of its Centen
NAL Anniversary Of it's Declare
ton of Independence. Embrac
ing An Account of its Discovery,
Narratives of the struggles Of its
| Early Settlers, Sketches of its He.
rOes, the History of the War Of
Independence, and the War fOl
Nationality, it's Industrial Victo'
ries, and Record of it's whole
Progress as a Nation. BY ABBY
SAGE RICHARDSON. Illustrated
by over two hundred and forty
engravings on wood of portraits Of
distinguished discoveries, states
men, generals, and heroes; pic
lures Of public buildings, maps,
and plans, and large engravings
from original designs by Granville
Perkins, Q. G. Bush, and i. o. G.
barley.
There has been wanted u good,
readable history of the United
States, long enough to contain all
the interesting facts, short enough
to be read through without weari.
ness and without leaving in the
mind a confused medley of details.
This book is found in Mrs. Richard.
sons History, just published. It's
not a book made to order and mere
ly made to sell. The skillful author
has been at work on it for years.
She has read it in her own family
and to others, has ransacked libra
aies, and above all, out of her eXpe.
rience as a writer and public reader,
she has been enabled to write u
bright, animated narrative which
does not flag from first to last.
The book is divided into two parts.
Part l. is "The Story of the Colon
les; from Infancy to Independence"
She begins at the beginning with
the Discovery of America; tells how
the Mortimer came and went, leav.
ing no trace behind the wonderful
story, ever fresh, ever new, Of Chris.
topher Columbus; and then in
quick, clear succession, all the chief
voyages Of discovery and the dar-
ing Adventures. She describes the
alighting on our shore of those
birds of passage, the early colOnists,
and little by little we see the dot.
ted line of plantations all along the
coast. All this is illustrated by
quaint maps, portraits of discover.
ers, costumes, buildings, and ships.
Then she stops u moment to give
some chapters to the Indians, dc.
scribes their manners and customs,
and shows just what sort of people
were living in America when it was
discovered by Europeans. She tells
the wars that tho Colonists had
with them, and so brings the read.
er down by degrees to the Revolu-
tionary War.
But just before entering on an ac-
count of that war she imagines her.
self and the reader taking a tour in
America, and in a striking chapter
she lifts the curtain and shows sue
cessiveIy Boston. New York, Alba
ny, Philadelphia, Virginia, how the
people live, what they wear, and
what they eat, gives peep into
their houses, in fact; and this part
is beautifully illustrated by pictures
of the John Hancock House in Bos-
ton, a spinning-wheel, such as our
great.grandmothers used, large
picture Of a Dutch Household, and
other excellent engravings.
Then comes the Revolutionary
War. The author tells the story Of
this war briefly and eloquently, sets
before us the characters and deeds
OF the generals and statesmen, fol-
lows the varying course of the coun-
try's struggle, and let's us know
what it cost our fathers to give us a
nation. This portion is profusely
illustrated with portraits, celebrated
buildings, like Faneuil Hall and In
dependence Hall, plans of battle
grounds, naval engagements. This
closes the first part.
Part II. is entitled ''The Story of
the Nation: its Birth, Conflicts, and
Triumphs." Mrs. Richardson re.
members that history is something
else than a record of battles and pc.
litical contests. She repeats the
of the Constitution, then
she tells us of the wonderful discOv-
cries and inventions which gave us
the steamboat, the steam railway,
and the magnetic telegraph !; she re.
minds us too, of the half.fOrgo item
horrors of the Algerine pirates, and
she gives the defeats and the bril-.
liant naval victories of the war of
She continues the peace.
full record to the time of the war
with Mexico, but hints now and
then at the conflict going on politi-
cally and morally oyer slavery. She
tells the brilliant story of California
that followed hard on the Mexican
war.
Then she gives careful chap ter
Oh Slavery in the United States;
we hear the rumble of cannon in
The distance; she paints the bitter
conflict in Kansas, the John Brown
raid, and at length comes full upon
he great war through which we
AVE just passed. The story of this
she tells in clear, picturesque Ian
,uage, impartially, but with strong
ceiling, and the pages are filed with
licfuraS cpnrASAntinU nrOnlnAntl