Grasse blockaded York River. After ten days' siege, when some of his most important works had been destroyed by the American artillery, Lord Cornwallis planned to leave Yorktown at night, to cross York Surrender River, and retreat to New York. A storm prevented; and he surrendered to Washington.

at Yorktown

Cost of the

war.

On Oct. 19, 1781, the allied armies, French and American, were drawn up in two columns outside Yorktown, with Washington and Rochambeau, on horseback, at their head; and between them the conquered troops marched out, and laid down their arms. There were about seven thousand British troops, and some sixteen thousand French and American. Even now, in some country militia musters, the soldiers go through the forms of that surrender, and call the military performance " a Cornwallis." Great was the joy which followed and those who were awake that night in Philadelphia heard the watchman cry, "Past two o'clock, and Cornwallis is taken!" On hearing the news, Congress recommended a day of thanksgiving to be observed throughout the States; and Washington ordered the liberation of all persons under arrest for any offence, that all might share in the general joy.

Well might the Americans rejoice; for all men felt that the surrender of Cornwallis decided the result of the war. It was a war that had lasted nearly seven years, and cost Great Britain a hundred million pounds sterling, and fifty thousand lives, besides depriving that nation of the very colonies for whose taxation the war was waged. It was a war, in the words of the great English statesman, Mr. Pitt, "which was conceived in injustice, nurtured in folly, and whose footsteps were

marked with slaughter and devastation."

It had also

cost the Americans untold suffering; but they knew that the end was worth the sacrifice. There was more fighting, here and there, after the surrender of Cornwallis; and the British held, for nearly two years more, the cities of New York, Charleston, and Savannah. But no extensive campaign took place; and at last, on Treaty of Sept. 3, 1783, a treaty was made at Paris, between the English and American commissioners, by which was established all that the Declaration of Independence had proclaimed; and the new nation, called "The United States of America," took its place among the governments of the earth.

Paris.

CHAPTER XXII.

Poverty of the col

onies.

ΟΝ

AFTER THE WAR.

N the 3d of November, 1783, the Revolutionary army was disbanded. At the end of the long struggle, the American Colonies were left very poor; and their money had so declined in value, that it took a hundred paper dollars to buy a pair of shoes. The discharged soldiers of the army were so destitute and so dissatisfied that it needed all General Washington's influence to quiet them. People had to be taxed to pay the expenses of the government; and yet many had not money to pay their taxes; and a rebellion broke out in Massachusetts, called "Shays' Rebellion," composed of men who thought that no taxes or debts ought to be paid at such a time. All this was very alarming, and convinced the Americans that they needed a stronger government than the mere league which they had formed in 1777, and which had carried Defects of them through the war. The trouble with the govern

the old

confederation.

ment had been, all along, that the colonies were jealous of each other, and especially the smaller of the larger; and so they had all wished to give the "Confederation," as it had been called, just as little power as they could. They were so afraid that their government would be tyrannical, that they had hardly given Congress any

means of action. Congress was not authorized to raise money by taxes, or to fix the rates of duties on foreign goods imported, or to compel obedience to any law. It was found that foreign countries did not like to make treaties with such a loose and feeble government. Washington said, "We are one nation to-day, and thirteen to-morrow: who will treat with us on these terms?"

stitution.

It was perceived that this would never do; and so The Cona convention of delegates was called, to meet in the State House at Philadelphia, in order to decide upon a new constitution, and make, if possible, a stronger government, without doing harm to the liberties of the people. There was a long discussion, lasting many weeks, in this convention; but at last, on Sept. 17, 1787, the present Constitution was adopted. It had still to be accepted by the different States, and there was a good deal of opposition to it; while it was very strongly urged by Alexander Hamilton and others, in a celebrated series of papers, called "The Federalist.” However, ten of the thirteen States agreed to it almost immediately; so that it went into effect in 1788. Of the three which remained, New York accepted the Constitution in time to take part in the first presidential election, that same year. North Carolina accepted it during the year following; and Rhode Island, last of all, in the year after that (1790). Thus the old "Con- The federation" ended, and the new "Union" began. The Confederation had changed the Colonies into independent States; and the Union now united these States into a single nation. The nation has governed itself, ever since, under the Constitution then adopted,

Union

Celebration at Philadelphia.

although some amendments have been made to it from time to time.

There were great celebrations over all the country when the new Constitution went into effect, and the new nation began to exist. In Philadelphia, for instance, there was a procession of five thousand people, representing all trades and pursuits. Such a procession of trades was then quite a new thing; and it was thought to show the difference between republican and monarchical government; because in Europe, at that time, all triumphal processions were almost wholly military in their character. In the procession there were figures in emblematical costumes, representing the Declaration of Independence, the French Alliance, the Treaty of Peace, and so on. The Constitution was represented by a lofty car, in the shape of an eagle, drawn by six horses. The judges of the Supreme Court sat in this car, bearing the Constitution, framed, and fixed upon a staff, which was crowned with the cap of liberty, and was inscribed in gold letters "The People." Then a carriage, drawn by ten white horses, supported the model of a building representing the Federal Government; its roof being upheld by thirteen columns. Three of these were left unfinished, to represent the States that had not yet ratified the Constitution; and ten were finished, to represent the States that had already joined. There were also ten ships along the river, with flags and gilt inscriptions, in honor of these ten States. The clergy of the city walked in the procession; and the Jewish rabbi went between two Christian ministers, to show that the new Republic was founded on religious toleration.