Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1899-01-12
AMERICAS PAST EXPANSION.
various Territorial Acquisitions Their
Area aud what They Cost.

Tho territorial growth Of the United
states divides itself into seven Stages. At
IT'S birth the country had an area of ST.
Sll square miles, says the Chicago Inter-
ocean That was the extent Of territory
conccd cd us by right Of conquest, as fix
cd by the great treaty of Paris I7Sj No
financial consideration obtained. There
was simply Il clear-cut recognition Of the
national independence Of the United
States. All the six other acquisitions Of
territory by this government involved
cash considerations. The first and last
were purely matters of voluntary sale.
Napoleon sold us 1,17lBl square miles in
the heart of the continent for $1,000, 600.
entirely Of mis- own free will, prefcriins
to sec the territory in our hands 10 risk
ing the acquisition of it by Great britain.
In the case of Alaska the Car let Us have
Russian America. as 1T was then cal ed.
for $4,000, partly out of friends hip.
partly out of IL desire to weaken Eng.and
On this continent. our other four acquisi-
tons were largely the result of coercion.
although money also had its part IN them.
sixteen years after tho purchase of
Louisiana President Mcnroc who had ne
gotiated that purchase, bought Of Spain
for $G,J0O,0o0 her province of Florida, with
an area Of 59,2GS square miles. lie had
tried to secure it before the purchase Of
Louisiana, but Spain would not entertain
his proposals. Her final yield was due
to pressure. Spain was given to under
stand that the grievances which had piled
up against her would result in war if her
refusal to sell should be maintained The
financial consideration had very little
weight.
our noxt acquisition was Texas with
3Idl3 square miles. 1t wos in fact, but
not in theory, a clear case of couqu.s
American citizens, bent on adding that
vast southwestern region to our ma
tional domain. invaded Texas, formed
themselves into an army and made the
President Of Mexico prisoner. The ut-
thorit at Washington took good care
to avoid formal connection with the af-
fair, but they winked at it. When, after
years OF waiting, the invaders achieved
their original purpose of anneXmg Texas
to the CniQn, the national government is
sued its own bonds to the amount Of So
ooo,0lo to liquidate the public debt Of the
country. at the same time leaving Texas
in undsputed possession Of the public
land within its border, The $4,000 900
bond issue was in effect the cost of the
military and political operations which
transferred Texas from State of Mexico
to one of the United States.
The Mexican war, which grew out of
the acquisition of Texas, made the United
States absolute master OF Mexico. This
government could have extended its
boundaries SO as to include every foot of
the Central American Republic, had it
seen tit to do so. As a matter Of fact. we
secured 59l3lS square miles as result Of
two sets OF negotiations In each case Il
financial consideration was n minor Incl
dent of the transaction. When all was
done the United States i ii left the re-
public of Mexico only 1890 square miles.
The first treaty under which this ma
ton acquired Mexican territory was ne
gotiated Immediately after the close Of
the war-thdt is. carly in 1,iS--and was
proclaimed the Fourth Of July OF that