CHAPTER II. TERRITORIAL GROWTH. THE ORIGINAL TERRITORY. - By the treaty of peace with Great Britain in 1783, the boundaries of the United States were defined. They were from the Atlantic on the east to the Mississippi on the west, and from the northern line of Florida on the south to the Great Lakes and Canada on the north. This treaty was negotiated in Paris by commissioners appointed by the United States and by Great Britain for the purpose. France had been our ally, and it was expressed distinctly in our treaty with that country, that when peace with Great Britain should be negotiated, France should be a party to the treaty. Moreover, when our commissioners were appointed to act for our country in the negotiation of this peace, they were instructed by special vote of the continental congress to take no step without France. Franklin, Jay, and Adams early observed that France was not unwilling to pay special attention to the interests of Spain in these negotiations. Spain held the great province of Louisiana west of the Mississippi, and greatly desired to annex to that territory the country northwest of the Ohio. Franklin at length cut the knot by negotiating the boundary question with the English commissioner without the knowledge of the French government. The provisional treaty, therefore, was signed before the French minister had an opportunity to know what were to be the boundaries of the new republic. Our commissioners in this way succeeded in carrying the northern boundary through the centre of the Great Lakes and to the Lake of the Woods, thence southerly by the whole length of the Mississippi to lat. 31°, thence easterly to the Atlantic along the northern line of Florda. This territory northwest of the Ohio, thus secured to our country, has proved of vast importance to us. It now comprises five states and that portion of Minnesota east of the Mississippi. The extent of the original territory of the United States was something over 800,000 square miles. This was more than three times as large as France, or Spain, or Germany, or Italy. The popula tion was sparse, the settlements extending in the main only from 100 to 150 miles from the coast. The popu lation was so small and the territory was so large that it does not appear to have entered into the minds of the founders of the republic that we should ever need or acquire additional territory. Hence there is in the constitution no provision for the acquisition of territory. THE LOUISIANA PURCHASE. — In 1803, however, President Jefferson proposed to our minister to France, Robert R. Livingston, to endeavor to purchase the island of New Orleans, in order that we might control the left bank of the Mississippi to its mouth. Early in the spring of that year, Napoleon, then at the head of the French government, found himself on the eve of a war with Great Britain. He was fearful that his enemy would begin the war in North America by the capture of New Orleans, which would practically convey to Great Britain the entire province of Louisiana, which he had but lately purchased of Spain. To prevent this province from fall ing into the hands of Great Britain, he proposed to sell it to the United States. The treaty was soon negotiated between Mr. Livingston and James Munroe on the part of the United States, and Barbé Marbois, Napoleon's secretary of the treasury, by which this entire province was conveyed to the United States for the sum of $15,000,000. After much discussion by the president, the cabinet, the senate, and the people of our country, the treaty was ratified. By this purchase the United States came into possession of that immense extent of territory which is bounded upon the east by the Mississippi throughout its whole extent, and which extends northward to lat. 49°, westward to the Rocky Mountains, and to the south as far as the Gulf of Mexico, embracing about 900,000 miles of the most fertile country, with a salubrious climate, and great variety of resources. This accession has proved of the utmost importance to the growth and development of this nation. FLORIDA TREATY. In 1819, we negotiated with Spain for the purchase of her provinces of east and west Florida, paying therefor the sum of $5,000,000. TEXAS. Our next accession was by the annexation of Texas in 1845. It had been considered an open question whether Texas was not originally included within the province of Louisiana, but we relinquished our claim to Spain in the Florida treaty of 1819. By that treaty it had been provided that the boundary line between the Spanish provinces in North America and this country, beginning at the mouth of the Sabine river, should follow up that river northward along the line of the western boundary of the present state of Louisiana, thence due north to the Red river, up the Red river, thence due north to the Arkansas river, then following the course of the Arkansas to its source, thence north to lat. 42°, and west upon that parallel to the Pacific Ocean. By this treaty, therefore, we relinquished any claims that we might have put forth to Texas. CALIFORNIA AND NEW MEXICO. - Texas, in 1836, asserted her independence of Mexico, and in 1845, by by vote of congress and of the legislature of Texas, was annexed to this country. This gave us a territory of about 300,000 square miles. It led to the war with Mexico, and at the close of the war, in 1848, we purchased of that republic California and New Mexico, paying therefor the sum of $15,000,000, and relinquishing claims of our citizens against Mexico for several million dollars more. GADSDEN PURCHASE. In 1853 we purchased an additional piece of territory from Mexico south of the Gila river, called the "Gadsden purchase," paying for it $10,000,000. OREGON. Our title to Oregon is of varied character. We have claimed the right to hold this country, (1) By right of discovery (Capt. Gray, in 1792). (4) By purchase from France in 1803, of whatever claim she might have had to the country. (5) By purchase from Spain, in the Florida treaty, of all her right to this territory north of lat. 42°. (6) By treaty with Great Britain in 1846, by which she yielded to us all her claims south of lat. 49°. ALASKA. In 1867, Secretary Seward negotiated a treaty with Russia, by which we obtained, for the sum of $7,200,000, the entire territory of Alaska. This is our latest purchase. Our country now embraces about 3,600,000 square miles. Its eastern limits are the Atlantic Ocean, its western the Pacific Ocean; its southern boundary is upon the Gulf of Mexico, and its northern limit is the Arctic Ocean. It extends through about 130° of longitude, and about 45° of latitude. It may be considered as embraced in four nearly equal divisions. The first part, being a little less than a quarter of the whole, includes the original territory east of the Mississippi river; the second quarter, of about 900,000 square miles, embraces the province of Louisiana; the third quarter consists of the original Texas, about 300,000 square miles and the Mexican cession of about 600,000 more; the fourth quarter includes the Oregon country, about 300,000 square miles, and Alaska about 600,000 more. NEW STATES. At the beginning of our government there were thirteen states. Since then thirty-one states have been admitted by congress in accordance with a provision of the constitution. Twelve of these added states were formed from territory within the original limits. Nineteen states, having equal privileges with the original states, have been added to our union from acquired territory. We have now, therefore (1890), forty-four states, and of the territories, several are asking to be admitted as states. GROWTH OF THE NATION. - On the 4th of July, 1851, the corner-stone of a vast extension to the national capitol, at Washington, was laid by the president with appropriate ceremonies. On that occasion, Daniel Webster |