XX INTRODUCTION 



War, Following this war, our country started on 

 its career of continental conquest. This conquest 

 was largely a peaceful one because most of the west- 

 ern country was acquired by treaty or purchase, 

 thus: Louisiana Territory was purchased from 

 France in 1803; Texas applied for admission into 

 the Union in 184!5; Oregon Territory was acquired 

 by treaty from Great Britain in 1846; the present 

 states of California, Nevada, Utah, New Mexico, 

 and Arizona were ceded to us as a result of the 

 Mexican War in 1848; and the Gadsden Purchase 

 was obtained from Mexico in 1853 and added to 

 the territory of New Mexico. Then also Alaska 

 was finally purchased from Russia in 1867. These 

 large acquisitions, comprising together the western 

 two thirds of the United States, were gradually 

 divided into territories. Later they became States, 

 and were opened up to settlement and development 

 by means of various land and mining laws and large 

 railroad grants. The National Forests are com- 

 posed of the land most valuable for growing timber, 

 that has not been acquired in some way by private 

 individuals, in the western part of the United 

 States. 



The Romance of the National Forest Region. 



