THE GROWTH OF THE UNITED STATES 381 



posed annexation of Texas was successfully resisted for years. 

 The acquisition of California was regarded as a special menace, 

 for the reason that its fertile valleys and commodious harbors 

 were distant three months' journey by land and six months' 

 voyage by water, while the territory was inhabited partly by 

 treacherous aliens but mainly by savage tribes ; yet cautious 

 statesmen, emboldened by the success of the Louisiana purchase, 

 ventured on the step despite the fact that America was still an ex- 

 periment in nation-making, with no standing among the powers, 

 with a population of but 20,000,000, and with narrow commer- 

 cial and industrial resources;, and the step proved the most 

 important in the career of the nation. In this as in other cases 

 the territory was ripe for acquisition by an enlightened nation; 

 the inhabitants were ill-governed and desirous of change ; there 

 was a need, more or less fully felt, for the extension of enlighten- 

 ment in the dark places. In no case, save possibly that of 

 Alaska, has expansion grown out of mercenary motives ; yet in 

 no case, save possibly Alaska again, has the acquisition of terri- 

 tory failed to benefit the inhabitants of the territory acquired, 

 the nation which made the acquisition, and the world at large. 

 America's progress in territorial development has never been 

 the outcome of ulterior policy ; it has always been an expres- 

 sion of manifest destiny. 



The various elements of national growth are intimately re- 

 lated ; some of them are shown graphically in the accompanying 

 table and diagram.* The fundamental element is area, which 

 is indicated in the line platted by ordinates and abscissas in such 

 manner as to show quantitatively the territorial accessions and 

 the intervening periods of inactivity, the line being projected on 

 the assumption that the entire area of the Philippines as well as 

 Hawaii and Porto Rico will be absorbed during the year. The 

 next element is population, which is shown graphically from the 

 Census figures of 1790 and later decades ; it, too, is projected on 

 the assumption that the 109,000 people of Hawaii, and also the 

 807,000 people of Porto Puco and the 7,000,000 people of the 

 Philippines, will be added to our population during the year. 

 A function of these elements combined is population-density 

 (i. e., the average population per square mile), which is platted 



*The values are mainly taken from Gannett's "Statistical Atlas," recently published 

 by the Census Office, partly from the "Statistical Abstract" for 1897, recently pub- 

 lished by the Bureau of Statistics of the Treasury Department, partly from the " States- 

 man's Year Book " for 1898. 



