American Society (Paperback)

This historic book may have numerous typos, missing text, images, or index. Purchasers can download a free scanned copy of the original book (without typos) from the publisher. 1870. Not illustrated. Excerpt: ... CHAPTER XVI. The Extent And Productions Of The United States. The domain of the United States comprises all that territory which lies between the Atlantic on the east, the Pacific on the west, the British American provinces on the north, and the Gulf of Mexico and Mexico on the south. Its sway also extends over Alaska, the district lying north of British America, which was recently purchased by the United States from Russia. The republic possesses no distant colonies, and has confined its exertions to populating the vast area of its vacant lands and bringing them under cultivation. Leaving out Alaska, the United States is contained between latitudes 24 20' and 49 north, and longitudes 10 14' east, and 47 30' west. The population of the United States in 1860, when the last census was taken, was 34,560,000, to 38,192,000 in France, 29,321,000 in Great Britain, and 77,000,000 in Russia. It is probable that the inhabitants of the republic under the census of 1870 will nearly if not quite reach 40,000,000. The area of the United States has increased with singular rapidity during its brief history. In 1783, when the independence of the states was conceded by Great Britain, its INCREASE OF TERRITORY. 307 whole territory was comprised in about 800,000 square miles. Not long after, the French colony of Louisiana was ceded to the republic by the Emperor Napoleon I.; Florida was next bought from Spain, Texas was admitted into the group of states, Oregon was acquired by treaty, California was conquered from the Mexicans and Arizona was obtained from the same nation by negotiation, and finally Alaska, with nearly 600,000 square miles, was added to the domain. Thus, in the space of eighty-four years, the territory of the United States i...