Front Matter

Preface

THIS book is intended to be a supplementary reader on American history, for use in the fourth and fifth grades of our public schools, and for boys and girls from ten to fifteen years of age. It is also intended for collateral reading in connection with one or more of the elementary textbooks on American history, and may be used with the three other books of similar grade in this series, namely, "The American History Story-book," "The Childs' Book of American History," and "Heroic Deeds of American Sailors."

It is a good thing for American boys and girls, and for all Americans, to keep in mind the daring deeds, acts of heroism, and thrilling adventures of the pioneers of America. To this intent the authors have rewritten or adapted from trustworthy sources a few of the. more dramatic and picturesque events in the winning of the West. As in other books of this series, they have used freely such personal anecdotes and incidents as thrill the reader because of their human interest and their portrayal of the dramatic and picturesque life of our forefathers.

It is the hope and expectation of the authors that this book may serve as one of the smaller foundation stones on which young people may build in due time a more extended and formal course in American history.