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Title: Incentives to the Study of the Ancient Period of American History
An address, delivered before the New York Historical
Society, at its forty-second anniversary, 17th November 1846

Author: Henry R. Schoolcraft

Release Date: April 27, 2009 [EBook #28627]

Language: English

Character set encoding: ASCII

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INCENTIVES TO THE STUDY OF THE ANCIENT PERIOD
OF AMERICAN HISTORY.

AN ADDRESS,

DELIVERED BEFORE THE

NEW YORK HISTORICAL SOCIETY,

AT ITS FORTY-SECOND ANNIVERSARY, 17TH NOVEMBER, 1846.

BY

HENRY R. SCHOOLCRAFT.

PUBLISHED AT THE REQUEST OF THE SOCIETY.

NEW YORK:
PRESS OF THE HISTORICAL SOCIETY.

1847.

NEW YORK:
WILLIAM VAN NORDEN, PRINTER,
NO. 39 WILLIAM STREET.

NEW YORK HISTORICAL SOCIETY.

At a special meeting of the New York Historical Society, November 17th,
1846, being the Forty-Second Anniversary of the Society, Hon. LUTHER
BRADISH in the Chair, on motion of Mr. PHILIP HONE, it was unanimously

_Resolved_, That the thanks of the Society are due to Mr. HENRY R.
SCHOOLCRAFT, for his learned and interesting Address, delivered this
evening, and that a copy be respectfully requested to be deposited in
the archives of the Society, and published.

Extract from the Minutes.

ANDREW WARNER,

_Recording Secretary_.

AN ADDRESS.

To narrow the boundaries of historical mystery, which obscures the
early period of the American continent, is believed to be an object of
noble attainment. Can it be asserted, on the ground of accurate
inquiry, that man had not set his feet upon this continent, and
fabricated objects of art, long anterior to the utmost periods of the
monarchies of ancient Mexico and Peru? Were there not elements of
civilization prior to the landing of Coxcox, or the