The mirror. (Stillwater, Minn.) 1894-1925, 1920-03-04
DEVELOPMENT OF THE UNITED STATES
Paper Read at Chautauqua Circle Sunday February 18TH
ard Presented on Behalf of Class ID"
BIZ r. W. Il.

the Rio Grande and the Gila river, branch
of the Colorado, was in dispute by Mexico
and United States and in 1883 the dispute
was settled by our purchasing the disputed
territory. This purchase was known as the
Gadsden purchase. In 1867 Alaska was
purchased from Russia, adding $4,000
square miles of territory Our Island pos
sessions came to us as the result of the war
with Spain and the annexation of Hawaii.
From Spain we received the Philippines
islands, Guam and Porto Rico. Then we
find that in little over one hundred years
the United States has developed from mar
row strip of territory until it now embraces
the largest part of the continent of North
America.
The development of transportation
facilities seemed to keep pace with the ter
ritorial expansion and played large part in
settling and developing the new territories
With the adoption of the constitution the
power to establish post roads was given to
congress and in short time work was be-
gun in constructing national post road
which eventually crossed the Alleghanies and
went as far west as Illinois. A great deal
of traffic passed over this road as the migra-
ton to the lands of the west began. But
even on the better roads transportation was
slow for in the most favorable weather we
learn that trip from New York to Boston
would take from five to six days. The first
pioneers to invade the great west would
naturally follow along the rivers where
transportation was not so difficult. So we
find the first settlements along the Ohio
river. Realizing the great advantage of
water transportation, canals were soon con-
structed and in 1925 the Erie and Cham
plain canals were completed which gave
great stimulus to commerce and settlement.
opening vi, la-se-.e--;.ery. Y sIiaeco oprang
up along the canals and made New York city
their trading post. The success of these two
canals inspired the construction of many in
Ohio making another large area tributary to
New York.
The introduction of steamboats, to
western waters about the time the canal
building was at its height was another factor
of great Importance making possible the oc-
cupation of the fertile valleys of the Missis-
sippi river and territory adjacent to the
Great Lakes. Shortly after the construction
of the Erie canal the first steam locomotive
appeared. In ten years time nearly three
thousand miles of railroads were constructed
and by the time of Andrew Jackson's admin
istration the railroads had crossed the Allie
ghanies. During the Civil war the Union
Pacific railroad was begun at St. Louis and
building westward to Ogden, Utah. In 1869
it connected with the Central Pacific which
had been built eastward from San Francisco
to Ogden, Utah. This connected the Allan
tic and Pacific coasts. The building of this
road played large part in the settling OF
the west. 1t entirely changed our CONNER
cial relations with Asia as teas, silks and
spices could now be shipped to San Francisco
and then directly east saving long and
hazardous voyage around the Horn. Fol-
lowing the building of the Union Pacific
many more railroads were constructed and
with the aid of land grants and money from
the National government as well as State
governments great era in railroad building
quickly developed the national resources and
settled up the country.
Besides the inventions of the steamboats,
and locomotives, numerous other inventions
have played their part in this wonderful de-
, velopment. The invention of the cotton gin
: by Whitney influenced industrial and social
development to great extent probably more
| so than any other labor-saving device. Up
: to that time cotton had been raised in small
/ quantities with great deal of labor. With
t the introduction of Whitney's invention cot
! ton became the great staple of the south and
t had great influence in settling and devel-
!. oping the southern states. Our commerce in.
t creased as cotton became chief export. Cot
S ton mills taking advantage of the water
f power in the north sprung up making tht
r textile industry of great importance in ths
e North. But this invention made slave labor
n profitable and fastened slavery upon th'