The leading facts of American history

It's Indigenous Peoples' Day (that's what I celebrate when other people are celebrating Columbus Day), and I thought I'd share a bit of history.

The Leading Facts of American History by D. H. Montgomery (1890) was a school book published just 25 years after the Civil War.  You can buy a reprint on Abebooks, a site for old and rare books.  The paper copy I had was falling apart, with pages missing, pictures removed, no title page, and lots of scribbles, probably put there by bored pupils.  

The last page, however, was intact.  It was a summary, and I'll quote a paragraph.  Keep in mind that this was written in the “gilded age” when “breaker boys” were picking slate out of the coal, there was no minimum wage, no unemployment insurance, racist violence in the South, and anti-Chinese riots.  1890 was the year of the massacre of Indians at Wounded Knee.  Nonetheless, the portion on the military seems to be accurate.

Here every advantage is open.  Education is absolutely free; millions of acres of Western land are free.  Here, and here only, among the leading civilized nations, no immense standing-army eats up the daily earnings of the people.  Here every law springs directly from the will of the majority.

These facts prove the truth of the motto chosen for this book.  They show that America means Opportunity.  

The bold font was in the original.  In the last 127 years some things have definitely improved.  Unfortunately, some have gotten worse.