The Irish standard., 1889-04-06
FLAG OF FORTY-TWO STARS.
Brief But Interesting Sketch of the
Growth Of the American
Union.
ELEVEN STATES IN 1889

Seven New Stars Added to the Firmamen1
/ Between 1919 and 1921, a Period
of NINE Years
On the 4tll of March, 1888, when gov
\ ernment under the constitution began
there were eleven states in the Union.
North Carolina formally came in on
November 2l of that year, and Rhode
Island, then the only one awaited of the
original thirteen, ratified the constitu~
tion on the 29th OF May, 1890. Had tbs
tz,rdy little state delayed much longer
she must have been outstripped by a
new conner, for, under the act Of March
S, 1880, Vermont had been formed ont
of part Of the territory of New York,
and on February is, 1891, an act of Con
gress admitted her fer the 4th OF March
following. 1t may not be generally
known that, although Vermont was
thus the first new state added to the
original thirteen, the act admitting
Kentucky was really passed and ap-
proved fortnight earlier than the one
admitting Vermont, Kentucky's ap-
plication also had been made two
months earlier than the Green Mountain
States, but the act admitting her was
framed 80 as to take effect only on June
I, 1852, so that she came in second.
Fifteen States joined in the election Of
President Washington for his second
| term.
AS New York had set off Vermont
and Virginia had set off Kentucky, 80
in December, 1888, North Carolina had
set off Tennessee, and early the follow
ing year this territory was formally con-
veyed to the general government, and
by it accepted. Six years later its peo-
pie in convention adopted constitu-,
tion and applied for admission to the
Union, which application was promptly
! granted to date from June l, 1895.
Long before that the Northwest Terri
tory had been established under the
famous ordinance of July ID, 1857.
During the remaining years of the cen
tury this tract was slowly settled. and
an act was approved April 80, 1902, al
lowing the eastern portion Of it to be-
come state on forming constitution.
This was effected Oh November l fol-
lowing, and full compliance with the
law on November 20. 1902, 50 that Ohio
then became the seventeenth State.
Nine years and more passed before
the admission of another state. Lcuisi-
ana had been formed out of the territory
ceded by France under the treaty of
April 80, 1903. The following year the
French territory had beeal divided by
Congress into two parts, the southern
being called the territory of New Or
leans and the northern the District of
Louisiana, The people of the former,
early in 1912. formed a government un-
der an enabling act passed by Congress
eleven mouths previous, and the act for
their admission as q state Of Louisiana
WAS approved April 8, 1912, Louisiana
was followed by indiana, December II,
1915; by Mississippi, December 10, 1917;
by Illinois, December 8, 1918; and by
Alabama, December IA, 1919, making
four new states in four successive De-
cembers. Indiana and Illinois. of
course, had been formed from the
Northwestern Territory; the other two
from territory ceded to the United
States by South Carolina and Georgia.
Maine also quickly followed, March Is,
1920, being formed out of part of Massa.
cnusetts, while Missouri, which was
formerly the District Of Louisiana, and
had received It's new name in 1872, was
admitted August 10, 1921. Here was
one Of the most memorable of all ad
missions, for the act authorizing it was
also entitled an act ''to prohibit slavery
in certain territories" passed March 6,
1920. The memorable debates Oh that
subject resulted in the appointment Of a
Joint committee of senate ana house,
which reported Resolution providing
for the admission of the state of Mis-
souri, into the Union on g. certain con-
ditlon," which condition was formerly
accepted.
The nine years from 1912 to 1921 had
thus been faithful in the extension of
the Federal system, having resulted in
the admission of seven new states,
covering large area. This activity in
state making was followed by lull
lasting fifteen years, during which no
state was added. But when the first
half century.of the government under
the Union drew to a close the event pre-
faced by the creation of two new states
Arkansas, formed out of the French
Territory, admitted January 26, 1887.
Thus the fifty years closed with twenty.
six states in The Union.
Another long interval folloWed before
SXs s 4