The New Eclectic History of the United States (1890) was a standard popular history book, laid out in tiny, punchy stories – not unlike Twitter / X in our era. All of this stuff was once well-known – so much of today is a Nehemiah-like rebuilding of the walls which interim generations have shamefully neglected and allowed to crumble.
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141. Monmouth's Rebels —The Duke of Monmouth rebelled against King James II, and tried to seize the crown. The movement was put down and its leader beheaded, but a cruel vengeance was taken upon all who were suspected of having part in it. Hundreds were sold as servants to work in the tobacco fields of Virginia, and their wealth, with the price paid for them, went to enrich the king's courtiers. But Virginia was more merciful than her sovereign. In 1689 these exiles were set free, and many of them became honored citizens of the colony.
142. Covenanters in New Jersey — King James's persecution of the Covenanters in Scotland led thousands of worthy people to emigrate to New Jersey. Here, instead of being hunted among dens and caves of the mountains, they went to work in peace and security upon fertile fields; schools and churches multiplied, and it was soon said, "There is not a poor body, nor one that wants, in all the colony."'
145 Revolution in England — James II had been King of England only three years when the Whig or liberal party called his son-in-law and daughter, the Prince and Princess of Orange, to take his place on the throne. The accession of William and Mary was hailed with great joy by the people of New England, who hastened to throw off the hated government of Andros and resume all their chartered rights. A new charter, in 1690, made the "Old Colony " of Plymouth a part of Massachusetts, and added to the latter all the country between the eastern boundary of New Hampshire and the St. Lawrence.
149 The English Revolution established the principle that governments exist for the benefit of the people, and not for the selfish advantage of their rulers. It was a long step toward that greater revolution which made the United States independent of Great Britain; but for a time the colonies were subject to a worse despotism than before, namely, that of the English Parliament.
171 King William III was the sworn foe of Louis XIV of France, and their wars were fought out even more fiercely in American forests than on battle-fields in Europe. For here the French had savage* allies, who, falling upon the inland settlements of the English, murdered women, children, and defenseless men, with cruelties which civilized people can hardly imagine.
172. Four distinct wars between the French and English colonies are commonly named as:
King William's War: AD 1689-1697
Queen's Anne's War: AD 1702-1713
King George's War: AD 1744-1748
The Old French and Indian War: 1754-1763
These wars were ended in Europe by treaties of peace, but fighting hardly ceased on this continent at any time within the seventy-four years.
• Available here on Archive.org
* this would of course be expressed very differently today, and this specific term would not be used.
I had the immense privilege of an almost front row seat at this event in Belfast just over a week ago. A glimpse of transatlantic liberty delivered impeccably by Daniel Hannan, now Lord Kingslere.