The Coolidge examiner., 1933-11-03

Britain the following year; and the
cessiOn from Mexico in 1S4S, at the
close of the Mexican war, brought
in the California country and all the
region east to Texas. In all, the
forties added to the United States
map more than 100000 square
miles of teIrtory-an area larger
than 20 FlOridas.
Taking in Texas.
The Texas addition was unique.
Texas had existed for nearly ten
years as an independent republic,
with diplomatic representatives in
Washington and at European courts
and with foreign ministers in it's
own capital. A separate nation en-
tered the Union, the only case of
the sort in United States history.
More than 3SS,O00 square miles of
| territory were added by the Texas
accession.
There was rejoicing when the Ore
| gon matter was settled, even
though the "Fifty-fOur-forty or
fight" slogan was not lived up to.
Here was a shining mile-post in the
history of the United States. In
! 20 years from the Declaration of In
| dependence the new nation had
! pushed across nearly 5000 miles of
virgin territory, had brought almost
half of it into statehood, and had
| marked the other half for future set
tlement.
Balboa's hazy sea had become the
incontrovertible Pacific, and in that
mighty ocean the United States had
now taken the first step to estab-
its vital interest.
After the California country lin
Guiding the present Arizona, New
Mexico, Nevada, Utah, and part of
ColoradO) became United States ter
ritory, in 1S4S. the developments
that mean map changes came to the
Far West with dizzy speed. One of
the worlds greatest gold rushes
started in 40. By 1850 so many
| people had poured in that California
was made state.
By 1850 railway trains were puff
ing back and forth from Massachu-
setts to Georgia, and even west of
the Alleghenies yet California still
was farther out of travel reach with
the seat of government than even
! the remotest of the thirteen original
states had been in the days Of
Thomas Jefferson.
Nearly All Is Bought.
In almost every important addi-
ton to its territory which the
United States has made, save Ore
gon territory, a money payment has
! played part.
The Louisiana Purchase cost $685.
213,567.73; Florida cost $6,674,-
057.47, including interest; Texas
and it's creditors were paid SIS, 1885,
! 447.77 to relinquish claim to lands
outside the present state bound
aries; Mexico was given $16,295,-
| 1889 for its cessiOn of territory in
| 1S4S.
In 1854 the final addition was
made to Continental United States
| as it now exists, when the Gadsden
| Purchase was made of 29,67O
square miles south of the ella river
in Arizona. For this tract $10.0O0,-
600 was paid to Mexico.
These five accessions to the
United States proper cost S71,679,-
! 212.S6.
circle with radius of only
1000 feet drawn around the busi
ness center of Washington, d. c.. in
closes land assessed for almost eX-
actly the amount paid for this far
spreading empire.
Territory outside the borders Of
continental United States bought
since 1854 was more costly. Rus
sia was paid $7.2OO.O0O for Alaska
in 1867; the Hawaiian national
debt of S4,O0O,0OO was assumed
when the islands were annexed in
1898; Spain was given $50, 100000
for islands annexed after the Span
ish-American war.
The ten-mile strip of the Canal
zone in Panama has cost the United
States so far S15,O000G0 paid to Pan
anna and S25,OOO,O00 paid to Colon
bia. In addition the United States
paid S4OOOO,OOO to the New Panama
Canal company of France. And Pan
anna continues to receive S2j0,0OO
annually.
The latest territorial purchase by
the United States was the Virgin
islands. For the 133 square miles
of these Caribbean islands Denmark
received S25.0OOOO0 in 1916. That
works out approximately 1924 aD
acre-7,350 times the acre price
paid for the Louisiana Purchase.
The total payments for outlying
territory made since 1854 amount
ed to S136,300,0O0.