The Helena independent., 1893-09-02
GROWTH OF THE UNITED STATES.
How the Greater Part of This Country Was
Acquired and What 1t Cost.


When independence was established, the
bounds of the new country were extremely
Indefinite. The limits OF the IS states were
known with reasonable exactness, though
there were at the outset disputes both be-
tween the states aud between the United
States and the European governments
whose possessions lay alongside ours. The
frst great acquisition Of territory was that
of Louisiana. which Spain had ceded to
France. and which the Emperor Napoleon
sold to the Uuited States for SIS, ,o00 600 in
1903, when Mr.. Jefferson was president.
Mr. Jefferson did not believe that the con-
stitution permitted the United States to
annex foreign territory and wished that
an amendment should be adopted to sane
tion it, but tho amendment failed after the
annexation had been accomplished. and
Mr.. Jefferson stifled his scruples.
Louisiana, rs acquired from France, In
cluded the territory bounded on the east by
the Mississippi river from its mouth to its
source, on the north by the line of the Brit
ish possessions, on the west by the Pacific
ocean to the south line of Oregon The
other boundary follows the north line of
California, Nevada and Utah as far east as
the Rocky mountains and thence in u gen
eral enthusiastically direction so us to in
clude part of Colorado and most of Kansas
and the Indian Territory and all of Arkan-
sas and Louisiana to the gulf of Mexico.
Florida was for many years the object of
covetousness on the part of our government,
which claimed now Il part and now the
whole AS included in the Louisiana pur-
chase The United States finally obtained
it from Spain in 1919, when Mr.. Monroe
was president. What was known as West
Nt ,,n1r, l., ort, A1n1, ,,,
which Mobile is situated-had already been
seized and held forchly Texas, originally
part of Mexico, set itself up as an indie
pendent republic in 1896. Its population
consisted largely of bold and somewhat
reckless adventures from the southern
states. In one year Texas had established
Independence after Il sharp war with MeSi-
CO and few months afterward applied for
union with this country.
The question remained open until, having
agitated American politics for many years
and having cost Mr.. Van Buren, the Demo.
cratic nomination for president in lS44, it
was finally settled in ls45. Texas was an
neXcd and admitted as Il state of the Union
by joint resolution approved by President
Polk. California, Nevada, Utah, Arizona,
New Mexico and the western part of Col
orado We're acquired by conquest. They
were ceded to the United States at the cloae
of the Mexican war, during Folks admins
tration in 1S4S Nevertheless nearly $2O,-
600, 600 was paid to Mexico in settlement of
certain claims as the price of the territory.
Excepting West Florida, already referred ,
to, this is the only territory gained by the
sword. A strpof land in southern Arizona
was not in the Mexican cession, but was
bought in 1858, Pierce being president at the
time, for S1o,000,000 Thus the country be-
came possessed of all its present territory
between Canada on the north and Mexico
on the SOUTH Alaska was purchased of
Russia during Mr.. Johnson's presidency in
1857, and the sum of s., 900, 600 was paid for
it. Itstotal area isalmost the same as that
of all the territory obtained of Mexico by
conquest and purchase.-Cincinnat Com
mercial Gazette