A history of the United States for schools . THE FEDERAL UNION. Ch. XVII. more explanation than a period close to us ; but thelater time is unquestionably richer in details. Thenation has been, rapidly growing in size and complex-ity ; interests are wider and more varied. In 1750, a line drawn parallel to the Atlantic coastand through the spot where the city of Harrisburg nowstands would have been quite far enough west to markthe frontier. East of such a line dwelt the Americanpeople, about 1,100,000 in number. At thememorable date of 1689 the total populationhad been about 200,000. The first
A history of the United States for schools . THE FEDERAL UNION. Ch. XVII. more explanation than a period close to us ; but thelater time is unquestionably richer in details. Thenation has been, rapidly growing in size and complex-ity ; interests are wider and more varied. In 1750, a line drawn parallel to the Atlantic coastand through the spot where the city of Harrisburg nowstands would have been quite far enough west to markthe frontier. East of such a line dwelt the Americanpeople, about 1,100,000 in number. At thememorable date of 1689 the total populationhad been about 200,000. The first general census in1790 showed a population of 3,929,214; by 1890 it hadgrown to 62,622,250. The average rate of increase perdecade has been over 30 per cent. ; if that rate wereto continue it would result in a population of about300,000,000 by the year 1950,—a period which manyyoung people now at school will live to see. The centre of population is a point through which, ifyou draw an east-and-west line, there are as many peo- CENTRE OF POPULATION. pie to the north as to the south of it; and if you draw aCentre of north-and-south line, there are as many peoplepopulation, to the cast as to the west of it. In 1790, thecentre of population of the United States lay about § 177. SOME FEATURES OF PROGRESS. ^gy 23 miles east of Baltimore ; the census of 1890 found itin the southern part of Indiana. It will continue tomove westward for some time, but not indefinitely, forthe Pacific Ocean sets a limit to our westward expansion. This rapid increase of population has not been peculiarto the United States. The population of nearly everycountry in Europe has increased more since 1790 thanit had increased for several centuries before. The popu-lation of England, for example, was in Queen Eliza-beths time (i558-1603) about 5,000,000 ; in 1790 it wasscarcely 9,000,000 ; in 1890 it was 27,482,104. Nowhereelse, however, has the increase been so great as in theUnited States. One
Size: 2487px × 1005px
Photo credit: © The Reading Room / Alamy / Afripics
License: Licensed
Model Released: No
Keywords: ., bookcentury1800, bookdecade1890, bookpublisherbostonhoughtonmiff
