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The Expansion of
Fourth of July
Growth of the American Sentiment and Territorial Growth
ol the United States trom 1776 to 1902.
OI'KTII OF JULY stands for
fthat sentiment dearest to the
hearts of the typical Americans.
It is the sentiment that made
the struggling colonies "free and
. independent states;" it is the
sentiment that fortified our fore
fathers to withstand the hard
jr<S'3P, ships and trials of the long war
with England, that their land,
V2F * and our land, might he free from
the tyranny of King George lli. With all
of our distinctively national holidays there
is a sentiment; it is a sentiment that makes
thetn possible; that sets them apart as me
morial day in each year of our history; hut
the sentiment to which we give expression
with such evidences of joy as the boom
of the firecracker, the whizz of the rocket,
is the sentiment that will outlive all other
of our national sentiments.
And this Fourth of July sentiment has
proven to be an expanding sentiment. It
has followed the flag, and wherever "Old
Glory" has been unfurled there has July
4 been a holiday, dear to the hearts of tlie
people. When the old liberty bell at Phila
delphia proclaimed to the anxious populace
that their chosen representatives had set
their names to that document which pro
claimed forever our separation from Eng
land, and made of them a nation among
nations, it aroused within the hearts of the
colonists a new love of freedom. Before
tiiat day they had been lighting only for
their rights as colonists, after that they
fought for their rights as men—as a peo
ple. It instilled a new sentiment in the
hearts of the American people, a senti
ment that has pushed steadily westward
with advancing settlement. The hardy pio
neers who crossed the Allegheny moun
tains carried the sentiment with them into
the valley of the Ohio; they planted it on
the west banks of the Mississippi when
the Louisiana territory became ours; they
carried it into Texas, California and the
northwest as new acquisitions broadened
our territorial area.
And wherever this sentiment has been
planted in the past it has flourished. It
has attained as vigorous a growth west of
the Mississippi as it has east of it; it is
to-day as much an institution, as much a
part of the year's life of the people of Cal
ifornia, once Mexican soil, in Washington,
once English soil, in Florida, once Span
ish soil, as it is at its birthplace in Phila
delphia.
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July 4, 1776.
When on July 4, 1770, that most historic
of all days In the life of the American re
public, the continental congress. In ses
sion In Philadelphia, declared "That these
United Colonies are, and of right ought to
be free and independent states," they spoke
for less than 4,000,000 people. The terri
tory covered by the original 13 colonies, in
which the first Fourth of July was cele
brated, was about 7<X>,ooo square miles in
extent, though scarcely one-lifth of this
could be said to be Inhabited other than
by savages', and much of It had never been
visited by white men. It extended from
the Atlantic on the east to the Mississippi
on the west, to Florida on the south, and
to Maine on the northeast, and to a little
north of the present northern boundary of
Illinois, on the northwest. The map shows
the political divisions as claimed by the dif
ferent colonies.
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[— ———— ______— 112 )fl A|if | j. ? | Wj g jam«'H Monrow and
*ltllv 4 1M( r< Kb. rt It l.tvlnSHton -iKi»*• • t <i* rarl» j
y * * 1 th«* tr«*it\ that trmi'ii»Tr«*U th%» l«otil*
latin territory from Fiama* la ihw I'nlUui
for tin sum of Slo,<*>o,o(jo Tin* ftior** lh.in doubled ih«» ar«;i ot (he original
19 roldiib ■» and while it may not IMP torn «'i to nay that July i, )sni. wait rt<all>
Cfd#bratc*d. for It wan *om« month* before the inopln ku«w of th* transfer of
#overy, vet itn celohrAtu n * «m |»eruilft«*ihle in a territory • mhra« on t,VtH.77&
oi which I'» 44 <iuarc mile* were* Included In the Louisiana purchanv. Tin* popula
tion mi th van! territory was at tin* time of pureha*« estimated at So.IUU whlt»*.
8U.H.0 Mm Km, lOJMO mulatto***, total «*x«|umlvh of Indian*. I*»*.Thw present
population of the *ame territory in ii.7avt.it* "i**j tn« l«oulnlai.a purchase wan added
on <»t«#iar 21, I MO. a tmall »tr« th of territory • ant of the mouth of tin- Mltfatmdppt
wh il h.ol Im •II ela. if i«t by Spain • t, portion of Florida The people of thai
t» rrlttirv, now a part of Ml" l**ippi md AUb iitia, deelareil their lmi» i»«nd*n«< of
Hp*, i tn h* t'ti'iiilx i IKH> and tin iollott.ntf n uith ti w n tli»d i j ihv UfflWfy
■oi ihk . 4U>«« p: - .a. .a' oii u* |*rc«. i . il MvUfov.
The sentiment grew until it had stretched
as a great blanket of American patriotism,
from ocean to ocean. The trappers and
gold seekers have carried it into the north
ern wilds of Alaska, where it flourishes with
as much vigor as in old New England, in
the tropical south, in the fertile prairie
states of the middle west, or in sun-kissed
California. And now il has extended be
yond the bounds of the continent to the is
lands of the sea, ami tiie roar of the can
non, the boom of the cracker, the whizz of
the rocket that proclaim the birthday of
American freedom, are to be found in the
far-away Philippines, in beautiful Hawaii,
in little (inani and in patriotic Unto Rico.
To-day Fourth of July is a sentiment that
extends more than half way around the
world; it follows the sun from its rising
on the islands of the Atlantic to its setting
on the islands clear across the broad I'a
cilic. So long as the day remains upon the
calendar of the year the sun never sets upon
it, and the boom of the cracker is heard
round the world.
When our illustrious forefathers affixed
their names to the Declaration of Inde
pendence they were the representatives of
less than 4,000,000 people. The area in
cluded within the boundaries of the colo
nies which they declared "free and inde
pendent states" was but 827,844 square
miles. Isut their efforts and thoughts were
not only for the time, but for posterity, and
to-day the Fourth of July sentiment is
known throughout a territory embracing
3,285,115 square miles, in which reside very
close to 100,000,000 people.
It is the expansion of this Fourth of
July sentiment that has caused the nation
to grow from the struggling colonies of
1770 to the world power of to-day. As we, as
a nation, have grown in power, in prestige,
in territorial area and population, so has
the sentiment of Fourth of July grown and
expanded until it has invaded and affected
conditions in all continents. It is the expan
sion of this sentiment that has driven from
the world the ancient fallacy of the divine
rights of kings. It has instilled the love of
political freedom into foreign peoples. Its
power is not confined to the territorial lim
its of these United States.
The series of maps printed herewith il
lustrate in a practical way the expension of
the Fourth of July sentiment so far as it
applies to our own country, and serve as a
lesson in American history.
WRIGHT A. PATTERSON.
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July 4, 1784.
I The peace treaty between the United
' Colonies and Great Britain, signed at
Paris, September 3, 17SS, gave to the nation
all the territory claimed by it, and Included
more than previously acknowledged to be
in dispute by Great Hritain. The boundary
lines in the northwest were extended so as
to include what is now the greater part of
Wisconsin, all of the upper peninsula of
Michigan, and that part of Minnesota west
of the Mississippi. In the south a long,
narrow strip of territory was added to the
southwest corner of Georgia. The exact
amount of territory included within these
concessions cannot be given, as l the exact
area of the colonies previously is not known,
but in 1784, the territory in which July 4 was
a holiday,-amounted to .X/T.544 square miles.
The exact population at this time is not
known, but emigration had already set in
toward the west, and the day was appro
priately observed in a much wider terri
tory than it had been in 1778. Hardy pioneers
had carried it westward into the Ohio val
ley.
CAMERON COUNTY PRESS. THURSDAY, JULY 3, 1902.
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It was on February 22, ISI9, that the
cJtIIV 4 1819 treaty transferrins; Florida from Spain
' * to the I'nitecl States was oigned in
Washington, the consideration being
the payment by the United States of claims held by Americans against the Spanish
government for spoliation to the amount of $5,0u0,000. The transfer was hailed
with joy by a large number of people living in the territory at that time, and
It is recorded that July 4 of that year was quite generally celebrated in the
uifferent settlements, though it was not until early in IN2I that the treaty of
transfer was ratified by Spain, and the actual transfer to this country took place.
The purchase of Florida added 59,36s square miles to the territory in which the
natal day of the United States was celebrated, making the total extent of territory
at that time 2.039,043, and the total population at that time 9.633.522. This ended
Spanish rule on the North American continent, as at the same time that they
relinquished Florida to us they also waived whatever claims they may have had
to territory In the northwest, leaving the future settlement of that boundary dif
liculty between England and the United States.
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— In reality it was not until July 4,
•Ttflv A 1 ls ' l6 - that Texas celebrated Its llrst
J ' Fourth of July as a part of the Amer
ican union, though on the date given it
celebrated the date, if not in sentiment, effectively by approving the proposition
for annexation to the United States as passed by the law-making bodies at Wash
ington in March of the same year. This proposition, as approved by the Texas
convention, was again acted upon by congress on December 2!). 1845, when Texas
was admitted as a state ir. the American union. The annexation of Texas added
371,063 square miles to the total territory in which the Fourth of July wa# cele
brated, and in Texas it was celebrated with as much fervor as in New England,
for the large majority of the people were former citizens of the states. Of this
territory there was later ceded back to the union 96.707 square miles, for which
the national government paid the .-state $16,000,000. Out of this territory was later
constructed portions of the states of Kansas, Colorado and New Mexico.
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——————————————-i It can scarcely be Said that this was i
a | QAfi " ,e first date upon which that great
" -V * A C»**V>. stretch of territory known as the Oregon
~~~ — ~~~~~ —— territory knew the Fourth of July. John
Jacob Astor had planted the American flag at Astoria, on the Columbia river, as
early as 1811, but England had captured the place and laid claim to the country, j
After the exercise of considerable diplomacy both nations agreed to a joint occu
pancy until June 15, 1846, when a new treaty was ratified, lixing the boundary at j
the Straits of Fuca and the forty-ninth parallel, and the territory became wholly j
American, and the Fourth of July a llxed Institution within its boundaries.
July 4, 19Q2.
This map re«lly Illustrates Fourth of
July territory since the slgivltig of tin
peace treaty In Pari* between the l'n<t« •
State* and Spain on Deci mber 10. INUV That
treaty leave us I'orto Rico, (suatnai.il thl
Philippines, we paying for the latt«r the
sum of s#»,<*«.(*<• "112 these new p..-,-,.-•
slotm the Philippine* contain about i;6,:!(»>
square miles; Porto Hlco, 3,(300 square miles,
and (luam 200 square miles. The population
of the Philippines la estimated at about
10.000.000; Pi.rto Itlco. 363.243, and (luam
9,W0. The Island territory secured fruin
Spain as a result of the war of l>i»s does
not, however, Include all the recently at -
quirtd Island* shown In the map. Hawaii
came to us by annexation upon riqueit of
the Island «overnment, July T. IMW. whet
Prerident McKlnley slnnt d the annexa
tion bill as pasited by both IIUIIM < uf con
grei* This extended tin Fourth of July
limit- over il,7w -quare miles ~112 territory.
In which ri s4de IM.>"' peoph The little Is
lands of Tutullki. M itma ami Anu, cor,»tl
tutli R another of our new Islai d colonies
tir out In the Pnlflc, wer. inquired
l>ei i tnber Z. ls>W. when a Ir»- ity Was .-tuned
In Waehlniton betw en th. I'nlted Htates
ai it Ht rin ii > provU.itig for th« partition oi
Samoa Thl- added *» square mile to our
terrltorv. with a populatloi ,112 t> an •
\V.l||< Is 1.1 lid. Ih- I(lh« r filled B:at*l
p»o-' .lon shown In tli<- map. I» hut
t -mall ai d barren r>» k, whhli «u<
«el(rll b> III" I'nltiU St lie- In l
to lie lend IS It cable lui.il tiu p' ice.
I .Oil.l ih! if iy. ri m»i'-t t v..r r« qulr.- It for
thai pmp. . I 'pan II the I in of ih ■ 1
. raih>r to.i- yel. i.ev. i t« . i I <rd In i
much of thl i«w territory Puuithof July !
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I" - " - ' By the cession by Mexico of all that
July 4, 1848. great stretch of territory known in our
' * history as the Mexican cession, and
which came to us at the signing of the
peace treaty on February 2. 1848, following the war with Mexico, the significance
of the Fourth of July spread aver a new area of 545,783 square miles, for which
1 i this government paid $15,000,000 besides the assumption by the government of claims
i against Mexico by American citizens amounting to $3,250,000. But in reality the
privilege of scattering firecrackers over this wide area had cost us ifluch niorp
| than this, for we paid for it the millions of treasure and thousands of lives that
' ; were sacrificed in the war with Mexico. The population at that time was 165,524.
To-day the population of the same territory Is about 2,200,000.
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p— —————— ——————i The Gadsden Purchase, so named be-
T..t v A * cause of the fact that the treaty be
•y » AOO**. tween the United States and Mexico
that resulted in Its becoming a part of
the United States was negotiated by Hon. James Gadsden, then United States
minister to Mexico, was added to the area of this nation late in 1853, and it was
not until 1854 that July 4 became one of its. legal holidays. By this purchase the
demonstrations of joy that mark each recurring natal day of the nation was
extended over a territory of 45,535 square miles in extent, for which we paid to
Mexico the sum of $10,000,C00.
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When on March 30, 1567, the treaty
Tftlv /I 1 Bfl7 between the United States ami Hussia
was added to our territory the modest
area of 577,390 square miles, for which It was going to be necessary to provide
! July 4 festivities. The cost of this vast stretch of territory, from which we have
since taken enough gold to furnish us with Fourth of July celebrations for the
next century, was J7,200,000.
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