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FLAGS OF THE COLONIES AND OF THE UNITED STATES

∙STATES OF AMERICA

CAPITOL WASHINGTON D.c.

The secret of America was guarded well from the men of the Old World. Phoenician galleys are reported to have reached its shores before Christ was born in Galilee; and in later centuries the troubadours sang of Prince Madoc's westward voyages, and the pilgrimage of St. Brandan, ard the mighty deeds of the Norsemen on the Vinland coast. Even these vague stories had been forgotten, and the Europeans looked with awe westward over the unknown Sea of Darkness, stretching away to the nether side of the globe. Then Columbus came forth, from his hut on the Genoese coast, and led a little, fleet of Spanish vessels to the outpost islands of America, in 1492. He was followed, five years later, by John Cabot, a Venetian mariner, who, with his little English ship and English crew, first reached the continent of North America. Americus Vespucius discovered South America; Balboa crossed the Isthmus of Panama; and Sir Humphrey Gilbert and other English sailors visited the northern coast. For a century America was believed to be a part of Asia, the land of gold and spices, and men voyaged hither hoping to find the riches of the Orient. When the truth became known, the Europeans set about colonizing the new-found continent, some moved by ambition, some by avarice, and some by a desire for freedom in religious and secular life. Spaniards and Portuguese laid hold on South and Central America and the West Indies, and Spain founded the earliest permanent settlements within the limits of the present United States, at St. Augustine, in 1565, and at Santa Fé, in 1598. France occupied the Canadian wilderness and the Mississippi Valley; and Holland and Sweden planted colonies in the Hudson and Delaware regions, and elsewhere. England's men, sent by Sir Walter Ralegh, attempted to settle in Carolina, in 1585; Gosnold established a transitory colony in Massachusetts, in 1602; and the Virginia Company founded Jamestown, in

1606. In 1620 the exiled English Pilgrims founded Plymouth, in Massachusetts; and ten years later the Puritans settled Boston. For a century and a half, the British colonists advanced slowly inland, pressing back the Indians, Frenchmen, Spaniards and all others by force of arms. When Great Britain imposed heavy taxes on her American subjects, in 1765, to help pay the costs of the French war, they rose in arms against the principle of taxation without representation. Then followed the Revolutionary War, from 1775 to 1783, when the United Colonies, aided by French fleets and armies, won their independence. The troops in the field numbered 131,000 Continental regulars and 164,000 volunteers. The States formed a loose confederation of republics from 1781 until 1787, when that wonderful document, the Constitution of the United States, was framed by Washington, Franklin, Hamilton, Madison, Livingston, Jay, Sherman and other fathers of the Republic. This system of government was accepted by each of the States; and in 1789, Washington became the first President.

the Great Lakes, and the Misdent Jefferson paid Napoleon region west of the Mississippi, Mountains; and sent Lewis empt the Oregon Country. The years captured American vesslaves. In 1801-5 the navy Commodore Decatur defeated these piratical powers were tribute from the United States. wars France endeavored to British ports, and England in with French countries. PresiEmbargo, forbidding vessels months American shipping reto the immense loss of New Britain also claimed the right

The original Republic, lying between the seaboard and the Alleghany Mountains, was greatly enlarged by the conquests of George Rogers Clark's Virginians, in 1778, covering the country between the Ohio, sissippi River. In 1803 PresiBonaparte $15,000,000 for the as far as Texas and the Rocky and Clarke to explore and preBarbary corsairs had for many sels and held their crews as conquered Tripoli, and in 1815 the Algerian fleet, and both forced to yield their claims of During the long Napoleonic check American commerce with like manner impeded our trade dent Jefferson retaliated by the to leave our ports. For 14 mained sealed up in its harbors, England and New York. Great to stop and search our vessels on the high seas, and impress from them seamen for the crews of the Royal Navy. After 900 ships had been thus searched, and 5,000 mariners taken out, the United States declared war on Great Britain. During the three years' struggle that ensued, our navy covered itself with glory, and the British Government finally made peace, abandoning its claim of impressing sailors. In 1819, Spain ceded Florida to the Republic, and with it her claims on the Pacific Coast. Wave after wave of migration passed westward, down the Ohio and along the Great Lakes, building up vigorous commonwealths in the interior of the continent. The war with Mexico resulted in the acquisition of Texas, New Mexico, Nevada, Utah, Arizona and California; and at about the same time the United States extended her sway over the Oregon Country.

In 1860-1 eleven of the 15 Southern States, believing in the sovereignty of each State, and believing, also, that certain of their peculiar institutions were endangered by Northern aggression, endeavored to secede from the Union, and formed the new government of the Confederate States of America. The National Government put 2,780,000 soldiers under arms. Of this vast armament, New England furnished 363,000 men; the Middle States, 864,000; the border Southern States, 323,000; and the six older Western States, 1,022,000. After four years of desperate fighting, from Arizona to the Atlantic, the authority of the United States was fully restored throughout all the Southern country. But this supreme effort cost the lives of 500,000 men (350,000 Federal; 150,000 Confederate), and increased the National debt to $2,800,000,000, besides nearly ruining the South, whose cities and

rural regions had been laid desolate. In due time, the governments of the Southern States were restored to their people, and the Stars and Stripes once more floated, an honored emblem, over a great, prosperous and united Republic. Sit Perpetua.

Americus, and in Italwas first applied to Vespucius, the son of notary, made several World, a few years later gave spirited accounts About the year 1507, college at St. Dié, in brought out a book, ductio, in which he these regions are more another fourth part is

The Name of the Great Republic is stated by the Constitution as THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA. The league against British oppression was naturally called the United Colonies, until Congress resolved (Journal II., 328) "that in all Continental commissions and other instruments, where heretofore the words 'United Colonies' have been used, the style be altered for the future to be the United States.'" The name America comes from amalric, or emmerich, an Old-German word spread through Europe by the Goths, and softened in Latin to ian to Amerigo. It Brazil. Americus a wealthy Florentine voyages to the New than Columbus, and of his discoveries. Hylacomylus, of the the Vosges Mountains, Cosmographia Introsaid: "Now, truly, as widely explored, and discovered, by Amerno reason why it called Amerigen, ericus, or America, discoverer, a man of Hylacomylus invented and as there was no World, this came use. It does not apwas a party to this transaction, which has ment of a hemisphere.

The pet name for ment is UNCLE SAM. War of 1812, when inspector of provisions erican army, at Troy. "U. S.," marked on familiar to the people, men spread the face

NEW-YORK HARBOR STATUE OF LIBERTY ENLIGHTENING

meant "Uncle Sam" Wilson.

THE WORLD (BY BARTHOLDI).

icus Vespucius, I see should not be justly that is the land of Amfrom Americus, its a subtle intellect." the name America, other title for the New gradually into general pear that Vespucius almost accidental made him a monu

the American GovernIt arose during the Samuel Wilson was an destined for the AmThe abbreviation of the casks, was then unand one of the worktious saying that it

The good inspector was often rallied on the rapid increase of his possessions; and when many of his men entered the army the old joke about Uncle Sam was carried from camp-fire to camp-fire, and permeated all the armies in the field. Wilson died at Troy, in 1854. Uncle Sam is usually portrayed as a tall, thin man, of a Yankee type, with a long chin beard. He is clad in a blue swallow-tail coat, bearing white stars; his outgrown trowsers are of red and white stripes; and his head is covered with a white bell-crowned tall hat. Another pet name is BROTHER JONATHAN, from Governor Jonathan Trumbull, of Connecticut. Gen. Washington, when in doubt or perplexity used to say: "Let us consult Brother Jonathan," and the name got to be synonymous with sensible and patriotic American manhood. New-Englanders (and often all Americans) are called YANKEES, perhaps because the Indians used to say Yengees for "English."