The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1904-05-28

lhatE something or unusual merit In tho /
way Of "a history was in the course Of
ton. So we published portion Of
The advance notice. -Four volumes Of the
twenty which are to make up the com
pleted history are in -Four hands Ever the /
capttous reader, we believe from an ex-
Of these would find it difficult |
to pick flaws in this history. They come |
up to the promises of the publishers, and
give promise that the completed work will |
merit the title The History of North |
America, with emphasis upon the "The''
In breadth Of scope method of treatment, |
contents, literary qualities and as ex-
amples of the art of bookmaking, they
certainly leave little or nothing to be de- |
sired
A "De.nItIve" History.
The editor, accepting the responsibility
OF directing the great work of making
definitive history Of North America was
left untrammeled in the selection of his
advisers, editors and authors, and of illus
trattve material, and was allowed absolute
freedom in literary and historical mat
tiers. 1t had been decided to follow the
recommendations of distinguished COM
mittee Of the American Historical assoc
citation for plan for comprehensive his
tory of the United States. These recona-
mendations We're that the history should
be ID cooperative, (2) under the direc-
ton of an editor chief, co published in
small volumes each complete in itself. In
stead of limiting the history to the United
States, however, it was decided to include
the whole Of North America. The scope
of the work may be seen from the fol-
lowing titles Of the several volumes:
= l. Discovery and Exploration H. The Indians
States. V. The Colonization of New England.
vi. The Revolution VII The Growth Of the
Constitution. VIII. The Louisiana Purchase and
the Westward Movement. TX. Mexico, Central
and Alaska. XII. Canada and British North
America. XII The Growth Of the Country from
1903 to 1889. XIII. The Growth Of the Nation
!. from a Southern Standpoint). XIV. The Civil
War Cart II. From Northern Standpoint).
XVI The Reconstruction Period. XVII. The
Rise Of the New South. XVIII. The Develop
ment of the North. XIX. Prehistoric North
America. Xxx. Insular Possessions.
List Of the Authors.
Some idea Of the extent Of the scholar
ship from which the work has been pro-
duced may be gathered from the list of
authors whose respective! positions in his
torical research: is here only meagerly in
dicated: s't#7 s1 ts.4i Xt%.;@.
W. j. MCGEE, IL. D., chief OF depar tnent Of
anthropology, Louisiana Purchase exposition st.
Louis. tls s1@5 @@5i
Cyrus Thomas Phi. D., archaeologist to the
United States bureau of ethnology since 1882
George Wells Knight, PHI. D., professor of
American history and political science, Ohio state
university
:, Peter Joseph Hamilton, author Of "Rambles in
Historic Lands,' Colonial Mobile,'' "Mobile, .
in Historic Towns of the South series.
Thomas Francis Moran. Phi. D., professor of
history and economics, Purdue university, In
diana.
William Robertson Garrett, Phi. D.. professor
of American history, Peabody normal college;
dean Of the college; member Tennessee Hstori-
cal society: and of committee of history.
Richard Heath Dabney, Phi. D., professor Of
historical and economical science, University Of
Virginia.
professor of psychology in Western Maryland
college: member American Historical association
Charles c. swisher, Phi. D., professor Of history
Frederick Robertson Jones, Phi. D., professor Of
economics Bryn Mawr college.
Joseph schafer, NJ. T., B. L., University Of
Wisconsin, 1894; professor of history. in the
University of Oregon. ~
Charles William Augustus Veditz, Phi. D..
professor Of economics and history, Bates colleges
member American Economical, association, Ameri-
can Academy Of Political and Social Science.
Alfred Britain. author Of ''The Spanish Con-
quest of Mexico "Ooean Voyages in the Fiji
teenth Century, "The Exploration, of North
America" Transportation in the Civil WAR"
w. Bennett Munro, A. NJ, PHI D., Instructor in
history in Williams college. Massachusetts.
Of History in Ohio Wesleyan university emSer
American Academy of Social Political Sci
enca, pn1lQQelpn1a. :
Philip Alexander Bruce, Phi. D.. late CORE
spending secretary of the Virginia Historical
society.
: Burr = Ramage, RI: r. professor Of history in
Historical society. American Bar association,
American Economic association, South Carolina
Historical society.
Curtis N; Geer, Phi. D., sometime professor Of
history in Bates colleges professor Of history in
Hartford Theological seminary.
| w. n. Webbe, A. NJ, B. D., Of Hobart college,
John R, Larus, lecturer on political history in
Western Mnrylend college.
High Art illustrations.
The publishers may Justly feel proud
OF the illustrations The frontispieces are
water-color facsimiles.S Other illustra-
tions are of the same kind. All plates
are new and Of the. best work known
to the printers art. None is inserted
for ornamentation. They are there to
illuminate the text, and have been Sc
lected with excellent Judgment. 1t is
needless to say that letter press, paper
and binding are Of a quality to make
them an ornament to any library
- ttistory at First Hand.
1 Volume l.. Discovery and Explora.
tion, for which we have space here fol
only very brief mention, Is based upor
the variations of the explorers them.
selves, or Of contemporaries having &C.
! cess TO the original records of the voyages
1t presents for the first time In a gen.
4 eral history, not only the entire text O,
the journal of the first voyage Of Colum.
bus, as edited by the celebrated mission.
airy Las Casas, but also the original ac.
counts of the expeditions Of Vespucci
De Soto, Cortes. Ponce de Leon, Vera
zano, Joliet, Cartier, Champlain, ETC.. ant
LOT the voyages Of the Cabots, Gilbert
i Hudson, Baffin, Hawkins, Drake. Smith
j Amidas, Barlow, etc.
4 The author is Alfred Britain, in con
4 ference with DR.. George Edward Reed o
Dickinson college, Pennsylvania. TIL
plan of the volume at once arouses specia
4 interest from the extended use the autho
has made Of contemporary documents
descriptive OF the discoveries and explora
itfons narrated-a departure from the gen
i eral method pursued that invests tn,
study with a freshness and naturalnes
that command attention and confidence
In defense Of this plan If indeed, |;
4 needs defense) the author says:
4 We believe that the most useful manner i,
/ which to present the history of the discover,
i and exploration Of North America is that whic;
translates and brings together in exact and com
i plete form all the most important OF the ori.
1 inal sources. ~
What Vol. 1. Contains.
Here, then, is what this volume Of 500 page
tells Of. RI
! Pre-columbian discoveries; Europe and Ash