The Change from Farm to Factory. 25 



This change involves more than a mere change of avocations 

 to these states. It involves a shrinkage of farm values, enormous 

 in total amount, the gathering of the people together in cities 

 and an enormous increase in values therein. 



The Settled Area. 



Now, let us trace the spread of the population over our domain 

 as it has increased in number. Its progress across the continent 

 is indicated by the maps (plate 7) representing the status of set- 

 tlement at the beginning and end of the century. The colored 

 area on each ma,p represents the settled area of the country at 

 each date, it being understood that by the term " settled area " is 

 meant all that country which contains two or more inhabitants 

 to the square mile, anything less than that being regarded as 

 unsettled. 



But first a word about our territorial limits. In 1790 our terri- 

 tory was limited on the west by the Mississippi river and on the 

 south by the northern line of Florida. In 1803 the enormous 

 territory of Louisiana was added by jDurchase, and shortly there- 

 after Oregon was acquired by prior settlement. In 1821 Florida 

 was acquired from Spain. In 1845 Texas, having achieved its 

 independence from Mexico, was admitted as a state. In 1848 

 the southwestern territories were acquired from Mexico by the 

 treaty of Guadaloupe Hidalgo : and in 1853 the Gadsden 

 purchase completed the territory of the United States as it 

 exists at present, with the exception of the detached territory 

 of Alaska. 



In 1790 we find settlement stretching continuously along the 

 Atlantic coast from Maine to Georgia, and occupying the greater 

 23art of the Atlantic plain. At several points it stretches feebly 

 westward, up the Mohawk river in New York, crossing the 

 mountains in Pennsylvania and Maryland, and stretching down 

 the Appalachian valley in eastern Tennessee, while in northern 

 Kentucky, in the neighborhood of Cincinnati, quite a body of 

 settlement has appeared, isolated from the rest. Each succeed- 

 ing decade has seen the frontier line pushed westward, crossing 

 the Appalachians, stretching gradually across the great valley of 

 the Mississippi, and climbing the plains. With every succeed- 

 ing census we see new isolated bodies of settlement ofi" beyond the 

 frontier at points where the exceeding fertility of the soil, facili- 

 ties for Indian trading, or valuable mines have attracted the 



