CONTENTS. CHAPTER I.-AREA OF THE NATIONAL DOMAIN, WHICH INCLUDES THE PUB- HI.-ENGLISH COLONIZATION IN AMERICA AND COLONIAL CHARTERS III.-ORGANIZATION OF THE GOVERNMENT OF THE UNITED STATES, IV. ACQUISITION, BY PURCHASE, CONQUEST, AND TREATY, OF TER- Page. CHAPTER I. AREA OF THE NATIONAL DOMAIN, WHICH INCLUDES THE PUBLIC DOMAIN, WITH STATISTICS. DERIVATION OF TITLE TO THE NATIONAL DOMAIN. The English, by reason of the voyages of the Cabots along our eastern coast in 1498 acquired the title of first discoverers to the country extending from the thirty-eighth to the sixty-seventh degree of north latitude. They were instructed to discover countries unknown to Christian people and to take possession of the same in the name of the King of England. The English Government began the work of taking possession of America by colonization. The first charter was granted by Queen Elizabeth, March 25, A. D. 1584, to Sir Walter Raleigh, known since as the North Carolina charter. Five voyages were made thereunder, but no permanent settlements established. Then followed a series of grants and charters to individuals and companies, under which the colonies comprising the thirteen original States of the American Union and their western lands were acquired. The title to our national domain comes, first, by discovery by the Cabots; second, by discoveries and colonization under grants, authorizations, and charters from England, Holland, France, Sweden, and Spain, and treaties and conventions thereafter; third, by Revolution in 1776, and confirmation through and by the definitive treaty of peace at Paris with Great Britain, September 3, 1783, whereby the Crown of Great Britain recognized the Independence of the United States; fourth, by purchase from France of the province of Louisiana, April 30, 1803; fifth, by purchase from Spain of the East and West Floridas, February 22, 1819; sixth, by annexation of the Republic of Texas, December 29, 1845; seventh, by the treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo, February 2, 1848; eighth, by purchase from the Republic of Mexico (the Gadsden purchase) of the Mesilla Valley, December 30, 1853; ninth, by purchase from the Empire of Russia of Alaska, March 30, 1867. AREA OF THE NATIONAL DOMAIN. The national domain is the total area, land and water, embraced within the boundaries of the United States of America, amounting to about 4,000,000 square miles, 1 the land surface being estimated at 3,591,066 square miles, or 2,298,282,240 acres. Alaska and its islands, on the northwest coast of America are included in this estimate, and are hereafter geographically described. Excluding Alaska the national domain extends through fifty-eight degrees of longitude, from ocean to ocean, and through twenty-four degrees of latitude from the great northern lakes to the Gulf of Mexico. Eight Territories, viz, under organic acts passed by Congress, given in order: Indian Territory, no civil government under laws of Congress. Territory of Alaska, unorganized. A piece known as "Public Land,” or “Land Strip," southwest of Kansas and north of Texas, unattached to any State or Territory. BOUNDARIES OF THE UNITED STATES. The United States, exclusive of Alaska, has for its northern boundary a line from the mouth of the Saint Croix River to its head, and thence due north to the highlands which divide those rivers that empty themselves into the Saint Lawrence from those which fall into the Atlantic Ocean; thence along the crest of those highlands to the northwesternmost head of the Connecticut River; down that river to and westward along the forty-fifth parallel to and along the middle of the Ontario, Erie, Huron, Superior, and Long lakes and their water connections to the most northwestern point of the Lake of the Woods; and thence along the forty-ninth parallel to the Pacific Ocean, the line at the northwest terminus excluding Vancouver's Island, but including the islands of the San Juan group. For its southern boundary, the Gulf of Mexico, the Rio Grande del Norte River, to the plateau of the Sierra Nevadas, latitude 31° 47' north; thence by an irregular line running between the thirty-first and thirty-third parallels of latitude |