ORIGINAL TERRITORY OF THE UNITED STATES 79 



hazards of a rude existence, while they themselves moved on in 

 the path of adventure. It was the compactness of the English 

 colonies, their industry, their frugality, and their prolific rate of 

 increase, under the influence of home, which decided the fate of 

 North America and made the triumph of Wolfe "the greatest 

 turning point as yet discernible in modern history." 



France emerged from the Seven Years' War defeated, humbled, 

 and overwhelmed, her armies beaten, her navies shattered, her 

 possessions overrun throughout the world. The purpose of the 

 war was colonial supremacy, and it left the map of Europe prac- 

 tically unaltered, but the map of America was totally changed 

 by the Treaty of Paris. 7 France was driven from the continent, 

 and there remained to her, of all her vast possessions in America, 

 only a few scattered islands. Spain relinquished Florida and 

 retired behind the Mississippi. The whole area east of that great 

 waterway, and the entire territory north of the fiftieth parallel, 

 were united under the dominion of the British Crown. By the 

 Peace of Paris the American continent was thus divided be- 

 tween England and Spain, the work of territorial consolidation 

 under a single power between the Atlantic and the Mississippi 

 was completed, the conditions for the development of one great 

 nation in this vast area were supplied, and there was required 

 to effect its formation only those measures of political reorganiza- 

 tion which the genius of the people could not fail to accomplish. 



But the chief result of the war was the birth of an American 

 people, a distinct nationality, brought to a consciousness of itself 

 by common interests and common sufferings. It was already a 

 composite fabric, whose warp was of English origin, but whose 

 woof was borrowed from every European country. The indus- 

 trious German, the thrifty Swede, the sturdy Hollander, the 

 virtuous Huguenot, the frugal Scotchman, and the generous but 

 turbulent Irishman were already here, and all had acquired the 

 qualities of a new and independent race. It has been said that 

 "God sifted three kingdoms to send forth choice grain into the 

 wilderness," but the statement is inadequate. The true mother- 

 land of America is not England, it is the whole of Europe. 



IF. THE TERRITORIAL CLAIMS AND CESSIONS OF THE STATES 



It is an interesting fact that the year 1763, the date of the 

 Treaty of Paris, marks also the beginning of that movement 



'See !'"i the territory of the present United States after February 10, 17G3. Re- 

 sult <<( the French and Indian wars. 



