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Good Stories for Great Birthdays

by Frances Jenkins Olcott

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  1. 1Epigraph
  2. 2Dedication
  3. 3Foreword
  4. 4Acknowledgments
  5. 5October 12 Columbus and Discoverer’s Day — Columbus
  6. 6The Sea of Darkness
  7. 7The Fortunate Isles
  8. 8The Absurd Truth
  9. 9Cathay the Golden
  10. 10The Emerald Islands — Columbus’s Day, October 12, 1492
  11. 11The Magnificent Return
  12. 12The Fatal Pearls
  13. 13Queen Isabella’s Page
  14. 14The Twin Cities
  15. 15The Pearls Again
  16. 16October 14 — William Penn the Founder of Pennsylvania
  17. 17The Boy of Great Tower Hill
  18. 18He Wore It as Long as He Could
  19. 19The Peacemaker
  20. 20Westward Ho, and Away!
  21. 21The City of Brotherly Love
  22. 22The Place of Kings
  23. 23Onas
  24. 24October 27 — Theodore Roosevelt America’s Hero
  25. 25The Square Deal
  26. 26The Boy Who Grew Strong
  27. 27Sagamore Hill — His Home at Oyster Bay From Roosevelt’s Autobiography
  28. 28The Children of Sagamore Hill
  29. 29Off With John Burroughs — From Roosevelt’s Autobiography
  30. 30The Big Stick
  31. 31A-Hunting Trees With John Muir — From Roosevelt’s Autobiography
  32. 32The Bear Hunters’ Dinner — From Roosevelt’s Autobiography
  33. 33Hunting in Africa — From Roosevelt’s Autobiography
  34. 34The Ever Faithful Island
  35. 35The Colonel of the Rough Riders
  36. 36The River of Doubt
  37. 37Theodore Roosevelt
  38. 38October 30 — John Adams — The Son of Liberty — Second President of…
  39. 39Independence Day
  40. 40A Son of Liberty
  41. 41The Adams Family
  42. 42Aid to the Sister Colony
  43. 43A Famous Date
  44. 44What a Glorious Morning!
  45. 45John to Samuel
  46. 46A Gentleman From Virginia
  47. 47The Boy Who Became President
  48. 48How Shall the Stars Be Placed?
  49. 49The Mysterious Stranger
  50. 50His Last Toast
  51. 51November 15 — William Pitt, Earl of Chatham Defender of America
  52. 52This Terrible Cornet of Horse
  53. 53The Charter of Liberty — The Signing of the Magna Carta, 1215
  54. 54America’s Defender
  55. 55The Sons of Liberty
  56. 56A Last Scene
  57. 57December 2 — Dom Pedro the Second the Magnanimous the Best Republic…
  58. 58Freedom in Brazil
  59. 59The Brazils Magnificent
  60. 60The Empire of the Southern Cross
  61. 61Making the Little Emperor
  62. 62The Patriot Emperor
  63. 63The United States of Brazil
  64. 64December 20 — William Bradford and the Landing of the Pilgrims
  65. 65The Pilgrim Fathers
  66. 66The Father of the New England Colonies
  67. 67The Savage New World
  68. 68Welcome, Englishmen!
  69. 69Lost! Lost! A Boy!
  70. 70The Rattlesnake Challenge
  71. 71The Great Drought
  72. 72January 7 — General Israel Putnam “Old Put”
  73. 73Seeing Boston
  74. 74The Fight With the Wolf
  75. 75From Plough to Camp
  76. 76He Made Washington Laugh
  77. 77A Generous Foe
  78. 78Putnam Not Forgotten!
  79. 79January 11 — Alexander Hamilton — Defender of the Constitution — Th…
  80. 80Alexander Hamilton
  81. 81The Boy of the Hurricane
  82. 82Call Colonel Hamilton
  83. 83A Struggle
  84. 84“He Knows Everything”
  85. 85January 17 — Benjamin Franklin — The American Socrates
  86. 86Our Country — Dr. Benjamin Franklin to General George Washington
  87. 87The Whistle — Told by Franklin Himself
  88. 88The Candle-Maker’s Boy
  89. 89The Boy of the Printing Press
  90. 90The Three Rolls
  91. 91Standing Before Kings
  92. 92The Wonderful Kite Experiment
  93. 93The Rising Sun
  94. 94To My Friend — From Franklin’s Will and Testament
  95. 95February 12 — Abraham Lincoln — The Great Emancipator
  96. 96The Cabin in the Clearing
  97. 97How He Learned to Be Just
  98. 98Off to New Orleans
  99. 99The Kindness of Lincoln
  100. 100Lincoln and the Children
  101. 101The President and the Bible
  102. 102Washington and Lincoln Speak — A Lincoln Order — To the Army and Navy
  103. 103Address Delivered at the Dedication of the Gettysburg National Ceme…
  104. 104February 22 — George Washington — The Father of His Country
  105. 105Lincoln on Washington’s Birthday
  106. 106The Boy in the Valley
  107. 107Washington’s Mother
  108. 108Washington’s Wedding Day
  109. 109Washington and the Children
  110. 110The Little Girl and the Red Coats
  111. 111Nellie and Little Washington
  112. 112Seeing the President
  113. 113Nelson the Hero
  114. 114Caring for the Guest — Told by the Guest Himself
  115. 115Thoughtful of Others
  116. 116The Cincinnatus of the West
  117. 117Brother Jonathan
  118. 118The Bloody Footprints
  119. 119An Appeal to God
  120. 120Friend Greene
  121. 121Light Horse Harry
  122. 122Captain Molly
  123. 123The Soldier Baron
  124. 124Father Thaddeus
  125. 125The Little Friend in Front Street
  126. 126Farewell! My General! Farewell! — December 4, 1783
  127. 127From “Washington’s Legacy” or His Letter to the Governors of All th…
  128. 128A King of Men
  129. 129When Washington Died
  130. 130February 25 — Jose de San Martin of Argentina the Protector
  131. 131The Boy Soldier
  132. 132The Patriot Who Kept Faith
  133. 133When San Martin Came
  134. 134Argentina’s Independence Day — July 9, 1816
  135. 135A Great Idea
  136. 136The Mighty Andes
  137. 137The Real San Martin
  138. 138The Fighting Engineer of the Andes
  139. 139The Hannibal of the Andes
  140. 140Not for Himself
  141. 141Cochrane, el Diablo
  142. 142Our Brothers, Ye Shall Be Free!
  143. 143The Fall of the City of the Kings
  144. 144San Martin the Conqueror
  145. 145Lima’s Greatest Day — July 28, 1821, Peru’s Independence Day
  146. 146Hail! Neighbour Republics!
  147. 147America for the Americans
  148. 148What One American Did — October 9, 1820
  149. 149The Amazing Meeting
  150. 150Bolivar!
  151. 151What Happened Afterward
  152. 152The Mystery Solved
  153. 153March 15 Andrew Old Hickory
  154. 154Mischievous Andy
  155. 155Reading the Declaration
  156. 156Out Against Tarleton
  157. 157An Orphan of the Revolution
  158. 158The Hooting in the Wilderness
  159. 159Fort Mims
  160. 160Davy Crockett — “Go Ahead!” Davy Crockett’s Motto
  161. 161Chief Weatherford
  162. 162Sam Houston
  163. 163Why Jackson Was Named Old Hickory
  164. 164The Cotton-Bales
  165. 165After the Battle of New Orleans
  166. 166April 13 — Thomas Jefferson — The Framer of the Declaration of Inde…
  167. 167The Fourth of July 1826
  168. 168The Boy Owner of Shadwell Farm
  169. 169A Christmas Guest
  170. 170The Author of the Declaration
  171. 171Proclaim Liberty — July 4, 1776
  172. 172Only a Reprieve
  173. 173On the Fourth of July 1826
  174. 174May 29 — Patrick Henry — The Orator of the War for Independence
  175. 175To the Reader
  176. 176The Orator of the War for Independence
  177. 177Facing Danger
  178. 178June 9 — Francisco de Miranda of Venezuela — The Flaming Son of Lib…
  179. 179The Spanish Galleons
  180. 180The Romance of Miranda
  181. 181The Mystery Ship
  182. 182The End of the Mystery Ship
  183. 183The Great and Glorious Fifth
  184. 184A Terrible Thing
  185. 185End of the Romance
  186. 186June 23-24 — Roger Williams and the Founding of Providence
  187. 187God Makes a Path
  188. 188Roger, the Boy
  189. 189Soul Liberty
  190. 190What Cheer! — Providence — Founded 1636
  191. 191Risking His Life
  192. 192Paul Jones
  193. 193The Boy of the Solway
  194. 194Don’t Tread on Me!
  195. 195The First Salute
  196. 196The Poor Richard
  197. 197Mickle’s the Mischief He Has Dune
  198. 198Paul Jones Himself
  199. 199Some of His Sayings
  200. 200July 24 — Simon Bolivar of Venezuela — The Liberator
  201. 201Bolivar
  202. 202The Precious Jewel
  203. 203The Fiery Young Patriot
  204. 204Seeing Bolivar
  205. 205Uncle Paez — The Lion of the Apure
  206. 206Angostura — February 15, 1819
  207. 207The Crossing
  208. 208Peru Next
  209. 209The Break
  210. 210Bolivar the Man
  211. 211August 20 — Bernardo O’Higgins — First Soldier, First Citizen of Chile
  212. 212O’Higgins
  213. 213The Son of the Barefoot Boy
  214. 214The Single Star Flag
  215. 215The Hero of Rancagua
  216. 216Companions-in-Arms
  217. 217The Patriot Ruler
  218. 218First Soldier, First Citizen
  219. 219Chile as She Is
  220. 220One of Twenty
  221. 221The Better Way
  222. 222Lafayette Said When Offering His Services to Congress
  223. 223John Quincy Adams, to Lafayette — On Bidding Him Farewell, in 1825
  224. 224I Will Join the Americans!
  225. 225In America
  226. 226On the Field Near Camden
  227. 227The Banner of the Moravian Nuns
  228. 228Loyal to the Chief
  229. 229We Are Grateful, Lafayette!
  230. 230Some of Washington’s Hair
  231. 231Welcome! Friend of America! 1824-25
  232. 232September 24 — John Marshall — The Expounder of the Constitution
  233. 233The Boy of the Frontier
  234. 234The Young Lieutenant
  235. 235Serving the Cause
  236. 236At Valley Forge
  237. 237Silver Heels
  238. 238Without Bread — Told by John Marshall’s Sister
  239. 239His Mother
  240. 240His Father
  241. 241Three Stories
  242. 242The Constitution
  243. 243Expounding the Constitution
  244. 244The Great Chief Justice
  245. 245What of the Constitution?
  246. 246Envoy
  247. 247Appendix — For Teachers and Story-Tellers — Appendix
  248. 248II — Story Programme of South America’s Struggle for Independence

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