HALF-CENTURY OF
CONFLICT.
FRANCE AND ENGLAND IN
NORTH AMERICA.
Part Sixth.
BY
FRANCIS PARKMAN.
IN TWO VOLUMES.
Vol. I.
BOSTON:
LITTLE, BROWN, AND COMPANY.
1898.
Copyright, 1892,
By Francis Parkman
Copyright, 1897,
By Little, Brown, and Company
University Press:
John Wilson and Son, Cambridge, U.S.A.
PREFACE.
[Pg v]This book, forming Part VI. of the series called France and England inNorth America, fills the gap between Part V., "Count Frontenac," andPart VII., "Montcalm and Wolfe;" so that the series now forms acontinuous history of the efforts of France to occupy and control thiscontinent.
In the present volumes the nature of the subject does not permit anunbroken thread of narrative, and the unity of the book lies in itsbeing throughout, in one form or another, an illustration of thesingularly contrasted characters and methods of the rival claimants toNorth America.
Like the rest of the series, this work is founded on original documents.The statements of secondary writers have been accepted only when foundto conform to the evidence of contemporaries, whose writings have beensifted and collated with the greatest care. As extremists[Pg vi] on each sidehave charged me with favoring the other, I hope I have been unfair toneither.
The manuscript material collected for the preparation of the series nowcomplete forms about seventy volumes, most of them folios. These havebeen given by me from time to time to the Massachusetts HistoricalSociety, in whose library they now are, open to the examination of thoseinterested in the subjects of which they treat. The collection was begunforty-five years ago, and its formation has been exceedingly slow,having been retarded by difficulties which seemed insurmountable, andfor years were so in fact. Hence the completion of the series hasrequired twice the time that would have sufficed under less unfavorableconditions.
Boston, March 26, 1892.
CONTENTS.
Page
CHAPTER I.
1700-1713.
EVE OF WAR.
The Spanish Succession.—Influence of Louis XIV. on History.—FrenchSchemes of Conquest in America.—New York.—Unfitnessof the Colonies for War.—The Five Nations.—Doubtand Vacillation.—The Western Indians.—Trade andPolitics3
CHAPTER II.
1694-1704.
DETROIT.
Michilimackinac.—La Mothe-Cadillac: his Disputes with theJesuits.—Opposing Views.—Plans of Cadillac: his Memorialto the Court; his Opponents.—Detroit founded.—TheNew Company.—Detroit changes Hands.—StrangeAct of the Five Nations17
CHAPTER III.
1703-1713.
QUEEN ANNE'S WAR.
The Forest of Maine.—A Treacherous Peace.—A Frontier Village.—Wellsand its People.—Attack upon it.—BorderRavages.—Beaubassin's War-party.—The "Woful Decade."—AWedding Feast.—A Captive Bridegroom34
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