Professional Documents
Culture Documents
Full Download pdf of (eBook PDF) We the People (Core Tenth Edition) Core Tenth Edition all chapter
Full Download pdf of (eBook PDF) We the People (Core Tenth Edition) Core Tenth Edition all chapter
http://ebooksecure.com/product/ebook-pdf-we-the-people-core-
twelfth-edition-12th-edition/
https://ebooksecure.com/download/progress-in-heterocyclic-
chemistry-ebook-pdf/
http://ebooksecure.com/product/we-the-people-eleventh-essentials-
edition-11th/
http://ebooksecure.com/product/macroeconomics-tenth-edition-
ebook-pdf/
(eBook PDF) Translational Medicine in CNS Drug
Development, Volume 29
http://ebooksecure.com/product/ebook-pdf-translational-medicine-
in-cns-drug-development-volume-29/
http://ebooksecure.com/product/ebook-pdf-america-a-narrative-
history-brief-tenth-edition-vol-2-brief-tenth-edition/
http://ebooksecure.com/product/we-the-people-essentials-11th-
edition-ebook-pdf/
https://ebooksecure.com/download/pulmonary-physiology-tenth-
edition-ebook-pdf/
http://ebooksecure.com/product/ebook-pdf-developmental-biology-
tenth-10th-edition/
contents
Preface xix
Acknowledgments xxi
PART I Foundations
1 American Political Culture 2
What Americans Think about Government 5
Trust in Government 6
Political Efficacy 8
Citizenship: Knowledge and Participation 9
AMERICA SIDE BY SIDE Political Knowledge and Trust in Government 10
The Necessity of Political Knowledge 11
Digital Citizenship 12
Government 13
Is Government Needed? 13
Forms of Government 14
Limiting Government 15
Access to Government: The Expansion of Participation 16
Influencing the Government through Participation: Politics 16
Who Are Americans? 17
Immigration and Ethnic Diversity 18
WHO ARE AMERICANS? An Increasingly Diverse Nation 19
Immigration and Race 20
Twenty-First-Century Americans 21
American Political Culture 24
Liberty 26
Equality 27
Democracy 30
American Political Cultue and Your Future 31
vii
PLUG IN 33
Study Guide 34
For Further Reading 36
Recommended Websites 37
The Constitution 51
The Legislative Branch 52
The Executive Branch 54
The Judicial Branch 55
National Unity and Power 55
AMERICA SIDE BY SIDE Comparing Systems of Government 56
Amending the Constitution 57
Ratifying the Constitution 57
Constitutional Limits on the National Government’s Power 57
The Fight for Ratification 60
Federalists versus Antifederalists 60
Reflections on the Founding 63
The Citizen’s Role and the Changing Constitution 64
Amendments: Many Are Called; Few Are Chosen 64
Which Were Chosen? An Analysis of the Twenty-Seven 65
The Supreme Court and Constitutional Amendment 68
The Constitution and Your Future 69
PLUG IN 71
Study Guide 72
For Further Reading 74
Recommended Websites 75
viii CONTENTS
3 Federalism 76
Federalism in the Constitution 79
The Powers of the National Government 79
The Powers of State Government 81
States’ Obligations to One Another 81
Local Government and the Constitution 84
The Changing Relationship between the Federal Government
and the States 85
Restraining National Power with Dual Federalism 85
Federalism and the Slow Growth of the National Government’s
Power 88
The Changing Role of the States 90
Who Does What? Public Spending and the Expanding Federal Framework 92
The New Deal 92
Federal Grants 93
Cooperative Federalism 94
Regulated Federalism and National Standards 96
AMERICA SIDE BY SIDE Government Spending in Federal and Unitary Systems 98
CONTENTS ix
Rights of the Criminally Accused 137
The Fourth Amendment and Searches and Seizures 137
The Fifth Amendment 140
The Sixth Amendment and the Right to Counsel 142
The Eighth Amendment and Cruel and Unusual Punishment 143
x CONTENTS
Study Guide 202
For Further Reading 204
Recommended Websites 205
PART II Politics
6 Public Opinion 206
Defining Public Opinion 209
Political Values 210
Political Ideology 212
Trust in Government 216
How We Form Political Opinions 217
Political Socialization and Public Opinion 217
CONTENTS xi
7 The Media 256
Traditional Media 259
Print Media 259
Broadcast Media 262
Mass Media Ownership 264
xii CONTENTS
State Electoral Laws and Participation 327
Registration Requirements 327
Other Formal Barriers 330
Voting and Registration Reforms 330
AMERICA SIDE BY SIDE Voter Turnout in Comparison 331
CONTENTS xiii
Political Parties and Your Future 377
PLUG IN 379
Study Guide 380
For Further Reading 383
Recommended Websites 383
xiv CONTENTS
11 Groups and Interests 432
Defining Interest Groups 435
Common Types of Interest Groups 437
What Interests Are Not Represented? 439
AMERICA SIDE BY SIDE Interest Group Membership 440
CONTENTS xv
Conference Committee: Reconciling House and Senate Versions of
Legislation 496
Presidential Action 497
How Congress Decides 497
Constituency 498
Interest Groups 499
Party 500
When Congress Can’t Decide 504
AMERICA SIDE BY SIDE Public Opinion of the Legislature 505
xvi CONTENTS
14 Bureaucracy in a Democracy 558
Bureaucracy and Bureaucrats 561
What Bureaucrats Do 561
The Size of the Federal Service 564
The Organization of the Executive Branch 567
AMERICA SIDE BY SIDE Bureaucracy in Comparison 568
CONTENTS xvii
Explaining Supreme Court Decisions 628
Influences on Supreme Court Decision Making 628
Judicial Power and Politics 631
The Federal Judiciary and Your Future 634
PLUG IN 635
Study Guide 636
For Further Reading 639
Recommended Websites 639
Appendix
The Declaration of Independence A1
Glossary A33
Endnotes A43
Index A81
xviii CONTENTS
preface
T
his book has been and continues to be dedicated to developing a satisfactory
response to the question more and more Americans are asking: Why should
we be engaged with government and politics? Through the first nine edi-
tions, we sought to answer this question by making the text directly relevant
to the lives of the students who would be reading it. As a result, we tried to make
politics interesting by demonstrating that students’ interests are at stake and that
they therefore need to take a personal, even selfish, interest in the outcomes of
government. At the same time, we realized that students needed guidance in how
to become politically engaged. Beyond providing students with a core of political
knowledge, we needed to show them how they could apply that knowledge as
participants in the political process. The “Plug In” sections in each chapter help
achieve that goal.
As events from the last several years have reminded us, “what government does”
can be a matter of life and death. Recent events have reinforced the centrality of
government in citizens’ lives. The U.S. government has fought two wars abroad,
while claiming sweeping new powers at home that could compromise the liberties
of its citizens. America’s role in the world is discussed daily both inside and outside
the classroom. Moreover, the Internet has opened up new avenues to participation
and mobilization. Reflecting all of these trends, this new Tenth Edition shows more
than any other book on the market (1) how students are connected to government;
(2) how digital media are changing (or not changing) the way Americans experi-
ence politics; and (3) why students should think critically about government and
politics. These themes are incorporated in the following ways:
• New “Politics and Your Future” chapter conclusions give students direct,
personal reasons to care about politics. These sections focus on the
political opportunities and challenges that students will face in their lives
as a result of emerging social, political, demographic, and technological
change. The conclusions reprise the important point made in the chapter
introductions that government matters and prompt students to consider how
political change will impact their futures.
• New “Plug In” sections show students how to make a difference in politics.
These boxes replace the older “Get Involved” sections with succinct,
xix
realistic steps today’s students can take—online and off—to to inform
themselves, express themselves, connect with others, and act in politically
meaningful ways.
• New content on how digital media are changing politics is now incorporated
throughout the text. With the Ninth Edition, we added “Digital Citizens”
boxes to explore the ways that new information technologies are shaping
how we experience politics. In this Tenth Edition, the coverage of digital
politics has been integrated into the body of the text, in recognition of the
fact that digital media have become an integral part of American politics.
• New “America Side by Side” boxes use data figures and tables to provide
a comparative perspective. These one-page boxes appear in every chapter
and replace the older “America in the World” text boxes with a more visual
presentation of comparative data. By comparing political institutions and
behavior across countries, students gain a better understanding of how
specific features of the American system shape politics.
• “Who Are Americans?” infographics ask students to think critically about
how Americans from different backgrounds experience politics. These
sections use bold, engaging graphics to present a statistical snapshot of the
nation related to each chapter’s topic. Critical-thinking questions in each
unit and related exercises on the StudySpace website give students a
chance to compare their own views and experiences and consider the
political implications. The “Who Are Americans?” PowerPoint slides
include enhanced versions of the graphics for use in lectures.
• Chapter introductions focus on “What Government Does and Why It
Matters.” In recent decades, cynicism about “big government” has domi-
nated the political zeitgeist. But critics of government often forget that
governments do a great deal for citizens. Every year, Americans are the
beneficiaries of billions of dollars of goods and services from government
programs. Government “does” a lot, and what it does matters a great deal
to everyone, including college students. At the start of each chapter, this
theme is introduced and applied to the chapter’s topic. The goal is to show
students that government and politics mean something to their daily lives.
• “For Critical Analysis” questions are incorporated throughout the text. “For
Critical Analysis” questions in the margins of every chapter prompt students’
own critical thinking about the material in the chapter, encouraging them
to engage with the topic. And the questions that accompany each “Who
Are Americans?” unit ask students to consider how Americans from various
backgrounds experience politics.
We continue to hope that our book will itself be accepted as a form of enlight-
ened political action. This Tenth Edition is another chance. It is an advancement
toward our goal. We promise to keep trying.
xx P R E FA C E
acknowledgments
W
e are pleased to acknowledge the many colleagues who had an active role
in criticism and preparation of the manuscript. Our thanks go to:
AC K N OW L E D G M E N T S xxi
Larry Norris, South Plains College Seventh Edition Reviewers
David Rankin, State University of New York at Fredonia
Molly Andolina, DePaul University
Paul Roesler, St. Charles Community College
Nancy Bednar, Antelope Valley College
J. Philip Rogers, San Antonio College
Paul Blakelock, Kingwood College
Greg Shaw, Illinois Wesleyan University
Amy Brandon, San Jacinto College
Tracy Skopek, Stephen F. Austin State University
Jim Cauthen, John Jay College
Don Smith, University of North Texas
Kevin Davis, North Central Texas College
Terri Wright, Cal State, Fullerton
Louis DeSipio, University of California–Irvine
Brandon Franke, Blinn College
Fifth Edition Reviewers Steve Garrison, Midwestern State University
Joseph Howard, University of Central Arkansas
Annie Benifield, Tomball College
Aaron Knight, Houston Community College
Denise Dutton, Southwest Missouri State University
Paul Labedz, Valencia Community College
Rick Kurtz, Central Michigan University
Elise Langan, John Jay College
Kelly McDaniel, Three Rivers Community College
Mark Logas, Valencia Community College
Eric Plutzer, Pennsylvania State University
Eric Miller, Blinn College
Daniel Smith, Northwest Missouri State University
Anthony O’Regan, Los Angeles Valley College
Dara Strolovitch, University of Minnesota
David Putz, Kingwood College
Dennis Toombs, San Jacinto College–North
Chis Soper, Pepperdine University
Stacy Ulbig, Southwest Missouri State University
Kevin Wagner, Florida Atlantic University
Laura Wood, Tarrant County College
Sixth Edition Reviewers
Janet Adamski, University of Mary Hardin–Baylor Eighth Edition Reviewers
Greg Andrews, St. Petersburg College
Andrea Aleman, University of Texas at San Antonio
Louis Bolce, Baruch College
Stephen Amberg, University of Texas at San Antonio
Darin Combs, Tulsa Community College
Steve Anthony, Georgia State University
Sean Conroy, University of New Orleans
Brian Arbour, John Jay College, CUNY
Paul Cooke, Cy Fair College
Greg Arey, Cape Fear Community College
Vida Davoudi, Kingwood College
Ellen Baik, University of Texas–Pan American
Robert DiClerico, West Virginia University
David Birch, Lone Star College–Tomball
Corey Ditslear, University of North Texas
Bill Carroll, Sam Houston State University
Kathy Dolan, University of Wisconsin, Milwaukee
Ed Chervenak, University of New Orleans
Randy Glean, Midwestern State University
Gary Church, Mountain View College
Nancy Kral, Tomball College
Adrian Stefan Clark, Del Mar College
Mark Logas, Valencia Community College
Casey Clofstad, University of Miami
Scott MacDougall, Diablo Valley College
Annie Cole, Los Angeles City College
David Mann, College of Charleston
Greg Combs, University of Texas at Dallas
Christopher Muste, University of Montana
Cassandra Cookson, Lee College
Richard Pacelle, Georgia Southern University
Brian Cravens, Blinn College
Sarah Poggione, Florida International University
John Crosby, California State University–Chico
Richard Rich, Virginia Tech
Scott Crosby, Valencia Community College
Thomas Schmeling, Rhode Island College
Courtenay Daum, Colorado State University, Fort Collins
Scott Spitzer, California State University–Fullerton
Paul Davis, Truckee Meadows Community College
Dennis Toombs, San Jacinto College–North
Peter Doas, University of Texas–Pan American
John Vento, Antelope Valley College
Vida Davoudi, Lone Star College–Kingwood
Robert Wood, University of North Dakota
xxii AC K N OW L E D G M E N T S
John Domino, Sam Houston State University Mario Salas, Northwest Vista College
Doug Dow, University of Texas–Dallas Michael Sanchez, San Antonio College
Jeremy Duff, Midwestern State University Mary Schander, Pasadena City College
Heather Evans, Sam Houston State University Laura Schneider, Grand Valley State University
Hyacinth Ezeamii, Albany State University Ronee Schreiber, San Diego State University
Bob Fitrakis, Columbus State Community College Subash Shah, Winston-Salem State University
Brian Fletcher, Truckee Meadows Community College Mark Shomaker, Blinn College
Paul Foote, Eastern Kentucky University Roy Slater, St. Petersburg College
Frank Garrahan, Austin Community College Scott Spitzer, California State University–Fullerton
Jimmy Gleason, Purdue University Debra St. John, Collin College
Steven Greene, North Carolina State University John Vento, Antelope Valley College
Jeannie Grussendorf, Georgia State University Eric Whitaker, Western Washington University
M. Ahad Hayaud-Din, Brookhaven College Clay Wiegand, Cisco College
Virginia Haysley, Lone Star College–Tomball Walter Wilson, University of Texas at San Antonio
Alexander Hogan, Lone Star College–CyFair Kevan Yenerall, Clarion University
Glen Hunt, Austin Community College Rogerio Zapata, South Texas College
Mark Jendrysik, University of North Dakota
Krista Jenkins, Fairleigh Dickinson University
Ninth Edition Reviewers
Carlos Juárez, Hawaii Pacific University
Melinda Kovas, Sam Houston State University Amy Acord, Lone Star College–CyFair
Paul Labedz, Valencia Community College Milan Andrejevich, Ivy Tech Community College
Boyd Lanier, Lamar University Steve Anthony, Georgia State University
Jeff Lazarus, Georgia State University Phillip Ardoin, Appalachian State University
Jeffrey Lee, Blinn College Gregory Arey, Cape Fear Community College
Alan Lehmann, Blinn College Joan Babcock, Northwest Vista College
Julie Lester, Macon State College Evelyn Ballard, Houston Community College
Steven Lichtman, Shippensburg University Robert Ballinger, South Texas College
Mark Logas, Valencia Community College Mary Barnes-Tilley, Blinn College
Fred Lokken, Truckee Meadows Community College Robert Bartels, Evangel University
Shari MacLachlan, Palm Beach Community College Nancy Bednar, Antelope Valley College
Guy Martin, Winston-Salem State University Annie Benifield, Lone Star College–Tomball
Fred Monardi, College of Southern Nevada Donna Bennett, Trinity Valley Community College
Vincent Moscardelli, University of Connecticut Amy Brandon, El Paso Community College
Jason Mycoff, University of Delaware Mark Brewer, The University of Maine
Sugmaran Narayanan, Midwestern State University Gary Brown, Lone Star College–Montgomery
Adam Newmark, Appalachian State University Joe Campbell, Johnson County Community College
Larry Norris, South Plains College Dewey Clayton, University of Louisville
Anthony Nownes, University of Tennessee, Knoxville Jeff Colbert, Elon University
Elizabeth Oldmixon, University of North Texas Amanda Cook-Fesperman, Illinois Valley Community College
Anthony O’Regan, Los Angeles Valley College Kevin Corder, Western Michigan University
John Osterman, San Jacinto College–Central Kevin Davis, North Central Texas College
Mark Peplowski, College of Southern Nevada Paul Davis, Truckee Meadows Community College
Maria Victoria Perez-Rios, John Jay College, CUNY Terri Davis, Lamar University
Sara Rinfret, University of Wisconsin, Green Bay Jennifer De Maio, California State University, Northridge
Andre Robinson, Pulaski Technical College Christopher Durso, Valencia College
Paul Roesler, St. Charles Community College Ryan Emenaker, College of the Redwoods
Susan Roomberg, University of Texas at San Antonio Leslie Feldman, Hofstra University
Ryan Rynbrandt, Collin County Community College Glen Findley, Odessa College
AC K N OW L E D G M E N T S xxiii
Michael Gattis, Gulf Coast State College Tenth Edition Reviewers
Donna Godwin, Trinity Valley Community College
Stephen P. Amberg, University of Texas at San Antonio
Precious Hall, Truckee Meadows Community College
Juan F. Arzola, College of the Sequoias
Sally Hansen, Daytona State College
Thomas J. Baldino, Wilkes University
Tiffany Harper, Collin College
Christina Bejarano, University of Kansas
Todd Hartman, Appalachian State University
Paul T. Bellinger, Jr., University of Missouri
Virginia Haysley, Lone Star College–Tomball
Melanie J. Blumberg, California University of Pennsylvania
David Head, John Tyler Community College
Matthew T. Bradley, Indiana University Kokomo
Rick Henderson, Texas State University–San Marcos
Jeffrey W. Christiansen, Seminole State College
Richard Herrera, Arizona State University
McKinzie Craig, Marietta College
Thaddaus Hill, Blinn College
Christopher Cronin, Methodist University
Steven Holmes, Bakersfield College
Jenna Duke, Lehigh Carbon Community College
Kevin Holton, South Texas College
Francisco Durand, University of Texas at San Antonio
Robin Jacobson, University of Puget Sound
Carrie Eaves, Elon University
Joseph Jozwiak, Texas A & M–Corpus Christi
Paul M. Flor, El Camino College Compton Center
Casey Klofstad, University of Miami
Adam Fuller, Youngstown State University
Samuel Lingrosso, Los Angeles Valley College
Christi Gramling, Charleston Southern University
Mark Logas, Valencia College
Sally Hansen, Daytona State College
Christopher Marshall, South Texas College
Mary Jane Hatton, Hawai’i Pacific University
Larry McElvain, South Texas College
David Helpap, University of Wisconsin–Green Bay
Elizabeth McLane, Wharton County Junior College
Theresa L. Hutchins, Georgia Highlands College
Eddie Meaders, University of North Texas
Cryshanna A. Jackson Leftwich, Youngstown State University
Rob Mellen, Mississippi State University
Ashlyn Kuersten, Western Michigan University
Jalal Nejad, Northwest Vista College
Kara Lindaman, Winona State University
Adam Newmark, Appalachian State University
Timothy Lynch, University of Wisconsin–Milwaukee
Stephen Nicholson, University of California, Merced
Larry McElvain, South Texas College
Cissie Owen, Lamar University
Corinna R. McKoy, Ventura College
Suzanne Preston, St. Petersburg College
Eddie L. Meaders, University of North Texas
David Putz, Lone Star College–Kingwood
Don D. Mirjanian, College of Southern Nevada
Auksuole Rubavichute, Mountain View College
R. Shea Mize, Georgia Highlands College
Ronnee Schreiber, San Diego State University
Nicholas Morgan, Collin College
Ronald Schurin, University of Connecticut
Matthew Murray, Dutchess Community College
Jason Seitz, Georgia Perimeter College
Harold “Trey” Orndorff III, Daytona State College
Jennifer Seitz, Georgia Perimeter College
Randall Parish, University of North Georgia
Shannon Sinegal,The University of New Orleans
Michelle Pautz, University of Dayton
John Sides, George Washington University
Michael Pickering, University of New Orleans
Thomas Sowers, Lamar University
Donald Ranish, Antelope Valley College
Jim Startin, University of Texas at San Antonio
Glenn W. Richardson, Jr., Kutztown University
Robert Sterken, University of Texas at Tyler
of Pennsylvania
Bobby Summers, Harper College
Jason Robles, Colorado State University
John Theis, Lone Star College–Kingwood
Ionas Aurelian Rus, University of Cincinnati–Blue Ash
John Todd, University of North Texas
Robert Sahr, Oregon State University
Delaina Toothman, The University of Maine
Kelly B. Shaw, Iowa State University
David Trussell, Cisco College
Captain Michael Slattery, Campbell University
Ronald Vardy, University of Houston
Michael Smith, Sam Houston State University
Linda Veazey, Midwestern State University
Maryam T. Stevenson, University of Indianapolis
John Vento, Antelope Valley Community College
Elizabeth Trentanelli, Gulf Coast State College
Clif Wilkinson, Georgia College
Ronald W. Vardy, University of Houston
John Wood, Rose State College
Timothy Weaver, University of Louisville
Michael Young, Trinity Valley Community College
Christina Wolbrecht, University of Notre Dame
Tyler Young, Collin College
xxiv AC K N OW L E D G E M E N T S
Another random document with
no related content on Scribd:
that the only papers of Oudney’s placed in his hands, were “an
itinerary from Mourzuk to Bornou,” and “An excursion to the
westward of Mourzuk.” The latter is printed at the end of the
“Introductory Chapter;” but of the former, only a few mineralogical
notes are given. There is not a doubt, however, but that a vast mass
of materials illustrative of the districts visited, were collected by Dr.
Oudney, although it is now impossible to say what has become of
them. Mr. Barrow asserts that he was labouring under a pectoral
complaint when he left England; and that the disorder was increased
by this journey to Ghaat, and he would thereby insinuate that, during
the greater part of the time he lived in Africa, he was rendered unfit,
by bodily weakness, for keeping regular journals. Now, none of his
most intimate friends had the least suspicion that he was troubled
with any disease of the breast. His chest, instead of being
contracted, was broad and ample; and, in ascending the hills of his
native land, and the equally difficult common stairs of Edinburgh, the
lightness of his figure, and the activity of his habits, always enabled
him to outrun the longest-winded, and the supplest-jointed of his
companions; and certainly nothing mentioned in the letters which we
have published would lead to the inference that he did not enjoy the
most perfect health till after he had been a considerable length of
time in Bornou. It is likewise quite clear that he was not of a
character to neglect any duty which the situation in which he was
placed imposed upon him; and so we repeat, that a great deal of
valuable information must have been collected by him, although it is
to be feared it is now irrecoverably lost. It is to be regretted,
moreover, that his premature death rendered the term of his service
too short to warrant government to make some provision for his
sisters, now orphans, and one of them in a bad state of health.
MEMOIR
OF
AFRICAN TRAVELLER.
MEMOIR
OF
AFRICAN TRAVELLER.
The life of Captain Hugh Clapperton, who died in his second attempt
to explore the interior of Africa, was short, but very eventful. Not only
did he possess a frame and constitution, both of body and mind, well
fitted for a career of active exertion and romantic enterprise; but from
the day of his birth to that of his death, it was his lot to endure, with
almost no interruption, a painful succession of hardships and
privations, or to be engaged in scenes and pursuits of a nature so
perilous as to put existence itself in constant and imminent jeopardy.
And had any record of these things been kept, either by himself or by
any one else, who might chance to know even a tithe of the manifold
dangers to which he was exposed, and the bold, and sometimes
rash enterprises in which he was engaged, a narrative might thence
have been composed, all true to the letter, and yet as full of
wonderful and diversified incident, as well as of fearless and daring
action, as ever flowed from the pen of the most creative genius in
fictitious history—all modified by the child-like simplicity and
generous nobleness of heart, combined with unbending integrity,
unshrinking courage, and indomitable fortitude, in the character of
him, whose fortunes in life they formed, and whose achievements in
the discharge of duty they exhibited. But no such record was kept,
except, while he lived, in our hero’s own retentive memory; and
therefore, now that he is dead, some of the most marvellous
passages of his life must remain in the deep oblivion in which they
have been buried. We are assured by the friends with whom he lived
in the closest intimacy, that when, like Othello, he was questioned
respecting the story of his life from year to year; the battles, sieges,
fortunes, that he had past; he would, with a fine flow of good humour,
and an interesting detail of particulars, run it through even from his
boyish days, down to the time when he was desired to tell it; and
then, like the enamoured Moor, it was his hint to speak of most
disastrous chances,
He was born in the year 1788, and was, as we have seen, soon
after placed under the charge of a stepmother, by whom it is said he
was not only neglected, but treated with harshness and cruelty; and
hence throughout his life stepmothers were regarded by him with a
feeling of unconquerable horror.[4] The accounts which he
occasionally gave his companions of the sufferings of his youth,
arising from the causes which have been specified, were appalling.
In reference to them, an enemy, who, however, seems to have been
in possession of accurate information on the subject, says, that while
a schoolboy, “the climate of Lapland and that of Timbuctoo
alternated several times in the course of a day—a species of
seasoning, or rather case-hardening, that must go far to render him
invulnerable on the sultry banks of the Joliba.” And one of the most
intimate of his friends thus speaks of them in a letter now before us:
“How can the hardships and privations of his early life be touched
upon without hurting the feelings of relatives? These had much
better be buried in oblivion, although they tended to form the man
hardy and self-denying.” When he was a boy, he was nearly
drowned in the Annan; and on that occasion he used to say, that he
felt as if a calm and pleasing sleep was stealing over his senses, and
thought that gay and beautifully painted streamers were attached to
his legs and arms, and that thereby he was buoyed out into the sea;
but he always declared that he experienced no pain until efforts were
making to restore him to a state of animation. At this time he was an
expert swimmer, having been previously taught that useful art by his
brothers; but he had exhausted his strength by continuing too long in
the water. When the alarm of his danger was given by some one to
his father, he hastened to the spot, plunged in, and found his son in
a sitting posture in very deep water.
Among the injuries of his early life, that of a neglected education
was none of the least. He was taught the ordinary acquirements of
reading, writing, and arithmetic, which are generally imparted to the
lowest classes of the Scottish youth; but he was never initiated into a
knowledge of the classic authors of Greece and Rome. Under Mr.
Bryce Downie, however, a celebrated teacher of geometry in the
town of Annan, he acquired a practical knowledge of mathematics,
including navigation and trigonometry, and afterwards, by means of
his own application, he acquired many other branches of useful and
ornamental knowledge, and excelled especially in drawing.[5]
He very early discovered a strong propensity for this latter
accomplishment, so that, with the aid of a few instructions from his
father, who excelled in the knowledge of geography, he could sketch
a map of Europe, while still a child in frocks, with chalk on the floor.
His love of foreign travel and romantic adventure, were likewise very
soon manifested in the delight which he took in listening to his father,
while he pointed out the likely situation of the “North West passage”
to him and his brothers on the globe; in the enthusiasm which he
displayed, when told by his father that he might be the destined
discoverer of that long sought for route from Europe to Eastern Asia;
and also in the avidity with which he devoured books of voyages and
travels of all descriptions whenever they fell in his way.
The circumstance of his entering upon a seafaring life is variously
reported. By one account we are assured that his situation at home
being so unpleasant, he became so thoroughly disgusted with his
father’s house, that he left it clandestinely, and went on board the
first vessel in the harbour of Annan that was willing to receive him.
By his anonymous and unfriendly biographer, it is said that he was
promoted to the rank of an apprentice to a coasting sloop of
Maryport, commanded by Captain John Smith, and that soon
afterwards he was again promoted to the rank of cook’s mate on
board his majesty’s tender in the harbour of Liverpool. His uncle’s
account, in the sketch of his life prefixed to the Journal of his Second
African Expedition, is, that on leaving Mr. Downie, at the age of
thirteen, he was, by his own desire, bound an apprentice to the
owner of a vessel of considerable burden trading between Liverpool
and North America: that after making several voyages in that vessel,
he either left her or was impressed into his Majesty’s service, and
put on board the tender lying at Liverpool. It is clear, from all these
accounts, that Captain Clapperton commenced his naval career as a
common sailor boy—a situation which implies hard duty and rough
usage; yet, as is testified by the following well authenticated
anecdote, this, with all he had previously endured, was unable to
break his spirit, or to subdue the dignified feelings of a noble nature.
As soon as he had joined the trading vessel in which he first sailed,
he was told that one piece of duty which he had to perform on board
was to brush his captain’s boots and shoes. This he positively
refused to do, adding, that he was most willing to take his full share
of the hardest work which belonged to the loading, the unloading, or
the working of the ship; but to the menial drudgery of cleaning boots
and shoes he certainly would not submit. After he had for a short
time served on board several trading vessels, he was impressed into
his Majesty’s service at Liverpool; and in 1806 he was sent to
Gibraltar in a navy transport.[6] The idea, however, of having been
placed on board a man-of-war by force, and retained there as a
prisoner, was so galling to his nature—to a spirit panting and
struggling to be free—that he formed the resolution (one most
difficult to be put in practice) of deserting whenever the opportunity
of doing so should occur: and such was the reckless daring of his
disposition, that, watching the time when he was least observed by
his messmates before the mast, he actually threw himself headlong
overboard, and swam towards a Gibraltar privateer—a vessel of that
class which, during the late war, were usually called rock scorpions
by our sailors. He was taken on board the privateer, and so for a
short time he was the associate of an abandoned and a lawless set
of robbers. But he was soon disgusted with their regardless, savage
and brutal manners, and so embraced the first opportunity of leaving
them, and of going again into the merchant service. While, however,
he was on board the Rock Scorpion, she had sustained an
engagement, in which our hero was severely wounded by a grape-
shot—an accident by which his body was seamed and scarred in a
frightful manner, and which, had it happened to his face or his limbs,
must have rendered him deformed or lame for life.