Vernon County censor. [volume] (Viroqua, Wis.) 1865-1955, 1899-07-19
ONE HUNDRED YEARS OF EXPANSION.

1t is 1873 years since the united colonies
declared their independence of Great
Britain, and started out to take their
place as a separate and distinct nation.
1t is a good time just now to review the
history of the century and almost a
quarter which have elapsed, and note
the progress we have made.
In 1776, the area of the colonies was
about 342, 900 square miles, with a pop
ulation OF about 9, 614, 900. Our area
now-not counting the coIonies-with a
population of nearly so, 900, 900 is 8, 5000
900 square miles and upwards. Since
that time we have had seventeen wars,
not including the now going ON in
the Philippines. Six of these have been
with foreign powers, and in one of them
has the United States been unsuccessful.
Our history during all this period has
been n of territorial expansion-of''im
perialism" if you prefer that misnomer.
We have already given the area of the
colonies at the time of the Declaration of
independence. By the treaty of 1888,
at the close of the revolution, we acquir-
ed S27, S44 square miles of territory, ex-
tending our western borders to the Mis-
sissippi as far south as the Spanish pos
session of Florida.
In 1903, under Thomas jefferson, we
more than doubled our area by the pur-
chase of the Louisiana territory from
France, adding LII, $50 square miles
to our area at a cost of SIS, 600, 900. This
addition embraced the present state of
Louisiana, the territory west of the
Mississippi and north of Texas to British
America, extending to Upper California
then appertaining to Spain-including
a claim to Oregon, afterward made good.
Sixteen years later, in 1919, we pur-
chased Florida from Spain for rs, 500, 600,
thus adding 50, 1858 square miles to our
expanding area.
We kept on setting up u possessions
for the next twenty-six years, and in
1S45 expanded again by annexing Texas,
with its 376, 132 square miles-which in
Guided not only it's present area, but por-
lions of what is now New Mexico, Kan
sas, Colorado, Oklahoma and the Indian
Territory.
This annexation brought on the Mex
lean war, as a result of which, by the
treaty of 1S4S, we gained 545, 1888 square
miles more. Expansion again, you see.
This territory embraced California, Ne
vada, and Utah with parts of Arizona,
New Mexico, Colorado aud Wyoming.
For this we paid $1S, 000, 000.
There was a dispute over the new
boundry line between us and Mexico,
involving title to d, 900 square miles
south OF the ella river, now part of Ar
iona and New Mexico. By the treaty
OF 1858, we bought this-the "Gadsden
Purchase'2from Mexico, for so, 900, 900.
Fourteen more years passed before we
expanded again. Then we bought Ala
ska of Russia for 81, 200, 600, adding ST.
800 more square miles to the national
area.
Our next expansion came in 1898,
when we annexed Hawaii. with her g.
5S2 square miles.
Our latest expansion was the extern
sion of jurisdiction over about 161,-
O96 square miles of Spanish territory,
relinquished to us by Spain, and for
which we paid $50, DOC, 600.
1t is well to remember that our history
has been one of expansion, and that the
general trend of it has been westward.
Within the present year we have taken
a long westward step. Hawaii, Guam
and the Philippines have come under the
flag. And it is well to put down this
prediction-that the Stars and Stripes
now floating over them will never be
hauled down.