THE EMIGRANT'S HAND-BOOK. 843 



no one can tell. That their sufferings were of the se- 

 verest kind, cannot be doubted. Great, therefore, is the 

 debt which the present age owes to the hardy emigrants 

 who came into the wilderness at that early day. 



In 1776, there were thirteen colonies, founded by dif- 

 ferent nations, and under different laws ; though they had 

 all come under the jurisdiction of Great Britian. On her 

 they depended, and called her the mother country. 



Troubles of various kinds sprung up between the col- 

 onies and the mother country, of which it is not neces- 

 sary here to speak. These troubles increased, until the 

 thirteen colonies, on the fourth of July, 1776, resolved to 

 be independent; and to constitute a Nation of them- 

 selves. 



This led to a war of eight years duration, called the 

 War of the Revolution. It resulted in the independence 

 of the colonies, which thenceforward took their place 

 among the nations of the earth, as the United States of 

 America. 



A continental Congress was now formed by the united 

 action of the several States, and articles of confederation 

 wore adopted. This was in 1777. Maryland did not 

 agree to these articles till 17S1. 



In 1787, the present Constitution of the United States 

 was adopted, to which we will now turn. 



Before doing so, however, it may be well to observe, 

 that there are now thirty States in the Union, each one of 

 which has its own peculiar laws for certain purposes, while, 

 for other purposes, it permits the General Congress to make 

 laws for it. 



Each State is perfectly independent of every other State, 

 excepting in certain matters, which they have all agreed 

 shall be in common. What these matters are, that arr to 

 be in common, we shall briefly mention at the proper time. 



