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Copies of the certificates of ratification with accompanying recommendations by various States for changes in the Constitution are given in Formation of the Union of the American States: 69th Cong., 1st sess., H. Doc. 398, pp. 1009-1059, 1927.

The official title is "The Commonwealth of

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• The full name is "The State of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations."

THE UNITED STATES FLAG

Congress, by act approved April 4, 1818, effective July 4, 1818,* ordered that "the flag of the United States be thirteen horizontal stripes, alternate red and white; that the union be twenty stars [there were then 20 States], white in a blue field," and that "on the admission of every new State into the Union, one star be added to the union of the flag" on the 4th of July following.

EARLY SESSIONS OF CONGRESS

The place and time of the early sessions of Congress are indicated below.

Philadelphia_-
Do____

Baltimore_.

Continental Congress and Congress of the Confederation

Sept. 5, 1774 to Oct. 26, 1774.
May 10, 1775, to Dec. 12, 1776.

Dec. 20, 1776, to Mar. 4, 1777.

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Mar. 5, 1777, to Sept. 18, 1777.
Sept. 27, 1777 (one day only).
Sept. 30, 1777, to June 27, 1778.
July 2, 1778, to June 21, 1783.
June 30, 1783, to Nov. 4, 1783.
Nov. 26, 1783, to June 3, 1784.
Nov. 1, 1784, to Dec. 24, 1784.
Jan. 11, 1785, to Nov. 4, 1785.
Nov. 7, 1785, to Nov. 3, 1786.
Nov. 6, 1786, to Oct. 30, 1787.
Nov. 5, 1787, to Oct. 21, 1788.
Nov. 3, 1788, to Mar. 2, 1789.

New York City.

Do_.

United States Congress

Mar. 4, 1789, to Sept. 29, 1789.
Jan. 4, 1790, to Aug. 12, 1790.

43 Stat. L. 415. See also 1 Stat. L. 341, and Preble, G. H., Origin and history of the American flag, 2d ed., Philadelphia, 1917.

Philadelphia was the meeting place for subsequent sessions from December 6, 1790, until November, 1800, when the seat of Government was moved to Washington.5

AREAS OF THE STATES AND OUTLYING POSSESSIONS

The following facts relating to the area of the United States and its outlying possessions have been assembled in tabular form for convenient reference. The areas are approximate only. Exact outlines of drainage basins of large rivers that form boundaries are in many places not well established even on the best of maps.

Original area of the United States and areas of continental changes (except Alaska and Canal Zone)

Square miles

The territory of the United States, as recognized by Great Britain in
1783, being the area limited by the present accepted northern boun-
dary from eastern Maine to a point near the northwesternmost angle
of the Lake of the Woods, thence by a direct line to the source of
the Mississippi River, down that river to the 31st parallel of latitude,
thence eastward along that parallel and the north line of Florida to
the Atlantic Ocean (excluding the water surfaces of the Great
Lakes, except Lake Michigan, and the Atlantic Ocean) __.
The parts of the Great Lakes on the international boundary which are
under the jurisdiction of the United States____.

A 3-mile strip along the Atlantic coast____.

Louisiana Purchase, 1803: That part of the drainage basin of the
Mississippi River west of that river, including the basin of the
Missouri River and the area south of the 31st parallel between
the Mississippi and Perdido Rivers:
South of the 49th parallel_.

North of the 49th parallel__

Red River Basin and Lake of the Woods drainage: South of the 49th parallel, west of the head of the Mississippi River‒‒‒‒‒

By treaty with Spain in 1819 the United States acquired East and West Florida, an area of 58,666 square miles, also areas west of the Mississippi River (principally in Louisiana) amounting to 22,834 square miles, but relinquished to Spain 97,150 square miles (of the Louisiana Purchase), or a net loss of-

a 869, 735

38,550

5, 000

909, 130

€ 12, 365

48, 080

15, 650

"These figures were obtained by adding the accepted areas of the 24 States and the District of Columbia (723,947 square miles) which lie wholly within the 1783 treaty limits to the parts of Alabama (49,359 square miles) and Mississippi (44,079 square miles) north of latitude 31° and Minnesota (29,950 square miles) east of the Mississippi and Lake of the Woods lines. The Lake Michigan area (22,400 square miles) was also included, as it is within the original cession.

If it is assumed that the United States had no valid claim to the area south of latitude 31° and between the Perdido and Mississippi Rivers, then these figures should be reduced by an area of 13,433 square miles and that amount added to the area of the Florida Purchase. Of the 13,433 square miles 2,639 square miles is now a part of Alabama, 2,786 a part of Mississippi, and 8,008 a part of Louisiana.

The Canada Year Book, p. 11, Ottawa, 1929.

51 Stat. L. 130. See A biographical Congressional directory: 61st Cong., 2d sess., S. Doc. 654, p. 25, 1913, and 69th Cong., 2d sess., H. Doc. 783, p. 31, 1928, for places and dates of meetings of the Continental Congress. See annual Congressional Directory for dates and meetings of the United States Congress; also 69th Cong., 1st sess., H. Doc. 398, p. 1062, 1927. 56th Cong., 2d sess., H. Doc. 552, 1901, gives illustrations of the eight buildings in which sessions of Congress were held.

Texas annexed in 1845 (including 95,650 square miles of the area relinquished to Spain in 1819) –

Oregon Territory, title established in 1846____

Mexican cession, 1848 (included 775 square miles relinquished to Spain in 1819).

Gadsden Purchase, 1853_

Square miles 388, 687

d 286, 541

₫ 529, 189 d 29, 670

The recent survey of the Texas-Oklahoma 100th meridian boundary (see p. 174), approved by the United States Supreme Court March 17, 1930,5 increases the area of Texas 44.6 square miles and reduces the area of Oklahoma by a like amount.

The following areas of States are based on calculations by representatives of the General Land Office, the Geological Survey, and the Bureau of the Census. They do not include the part of the water area of the Great Lakes, the Atlantic Ocean, the Gulf of Mexico, the Pacific Ocean, and the Strait of Juan de Fuca that is under the jurisdiction of the United States.

Areas of States and possessions of the United States, in square miles

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The average or mean area of the 48 States is 63,057 square miles.

d Areas from Bond, Frank (chief clerk, General Land Office), Louisiana and the Louisiana Purchase, p. 13, Washington, 1912.

5a 281 U. S. 109.

Fourteenth Census, vol. 1.

COST OF TERRITORY PURCHASED BY THE UNITED STATES

The following data were furnished by the United States Treasury Department in November and December, 1926, and show total payments made up to June 30, 1926, but do not include administrative or treaty costs or payments made on private land claims, legation sites, etc. (see p. 60) :

Louisiana Purchase, 1803:

Paid to reimburse American citizens under treaty-.
Principal of bonds issued and repaid..

Interest paid on bonds--

Discount saved less commission paid on bonds purchased..

Net total-‒‒‒‒‒

$3, 747, 268. 98

11, 250, 000. 00

8, 221, 320. 50

23, 218, 589. 48 5, 021. 75

23, 213, 567. 73

The treaty of April 30, 1803 (see p. 29), provided for the payment to France of 60,000,000 francs ($11,250,000) by the United States, independent of the sum which was to be fixed by a convention for the payment of the debts due from France to the citizens of the United States for depredations on their commerce (the French spoliation claims). Bonds to the amount of $11,250,000, bearing interest at 6 per cent per annum, were issued and given to France, all of which were redeemed by the United States between 1812 and 1823. An additional sum of $3,750,000 was set aside by the United States to cover the French spoliation claims. Actually $3,747,268.98 has been paid on this account.

Florida cession, 1819:

Principal of bonds issued and repaid___
Interest paid on bonds--

$5, 000, 000. 00

1, €74, 057. 47

6, 674,057. 47

No direct payment was made to Spain on this account, but in accordance with a provision of the treaty the United States assumed claims of its citizens against Spain to the amount of $5,000,000. (See p. 34.)

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When Texas was annexed to the United States in 1845 it claimed a large territory adjoining its present area and extending as far north as the 42d parallel; it also had various claims against the United States. In order to indemnify Texas for all claims

7

arising out of the annexation of the State Congress in 1850 authorized the issue of $10,000,000 stock, to bear interest at 5 per cent. Under this act but $5,000,000 in stock was issued to the State, as by the act of February 28, 1855, it was provided that the creditors of Texas should be paid in cash, and the amount to be paid them was increased to $7,750,000. On November 1, 1926, there was $19,000 of the face value of this stock still outstanding.

Territory acquired from Mexico under treaty of Guadalupe-Hidalgo, 1848: Principal of payments together with interest paid, less gain in exchange, $16,295,148.89.

Article XII of the treaty of peace after the Mexican War provided for the payment to Mexico of $15,000,000. Of this sum $3,000,000 was to be paid at the city of Mexico in gold and silver coin immediately after ratification of the treaty. The remaining $12,000,000 was to be paid in coin in annual installments of $3,000,000, together with interest at 6 per cent. Settlement of the first installment was made as follows:

First installment:

Paid from cash on hand belonging to Army funds_-
Paid by drafts drawn by General Butler_.

Paid by drafts drawn by Nathan Clifford, Commissioner, in-
cluding premium____

Value of arms sold by General Butler to the Mexican Govern-
ment_.

Unpaid portion of military contribution assumed by the
Mexican Government____

$769, 650.00 900,000.00

1, 192, 981. 82

87,655.90

49, 712. 28

3, 000, 000. 00

The remaining installments were paid by the United States through banking houses, as follows:

Second installment: 4 warrants issued in favor of Baring Bros.
& Co., during period Feb. 28 to June 1, 1849.
Third installment: 6 warrants issued in favor of Howland &
Aspinwall, N. M. Rothschild & Sons, and Lionel Davidson, New
York, during period Jan. 23 to June 29, 1850.
Fourth installment: 5 warrants issued in favor of Baring Bros.
& Co., Howland & Aspinwall, and Corcoran & Riggs, during
period May 7 to June 28, 1851__.

Fifth installment: 16 warrants issued in favor of Baring Bros. &
Co., Howland & Aspinwall, and Corcoran & Riggs, during
period Feb. 23 to Apr. 19, 1852---.

$3,552, 600.00

3,386, 616. 31

3, 242, 400.00

3, 180, 000. 00

The aggregate, including interest, was $16,361,616.31. There was, however, a profit of $66,467.42 which accrued to the United States from gain in exchange. This was refunded into the Treasury during the fiscal year 1853.

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