ent of territory, over which the daily increasing population is able,
with facility, to expand itself; and much of this territory, though
covered with forests, is capable of being cleared, and many parts of it
are every day cleared, for the purposes of cultivation.

The origin of the United States may be dated from the time of the
formation of an English colony in Virginia, about the year 1606. Other
English colonies were subsequently formed; and, during one hundred and
fifty years, these gradually increased in strength and prosperity, till,
at length, the inhabitants threw off their dependance upon England, and
established an independent republican government. This, after a long and
expensive war, was acknowledged by Great Britain, in a treaty signed at
Paris on the 30th of November, 1782.

The _boundaries_ of the States were determined by this treaty; but, some
important acquisitions of territory have since been made. In April,
1803, _Louisiana_ was ceded to them by France; and this district, in
its most limited extent, includes a surface of country, which, with the
exception of Russia, is equal to the whole of Europe. _Florida_, by its
local position, is connected with the United States: it belonged to
Spain, but, in the year 1820, it was annexed to the territories of the
republic.

Geographical writers have divided the United States into three regions:
the _lowlands_ or flat country; the highlands, and the mountains. Of
these, the first extend from the Atlantic ocean to the falls of the
great rivers. The _highlands_ reach from the falls to the foot of the
mountains; and the _mountains_ stretch nearly through the whole country,
in a direction from south-west to north-east. Their length is about 900
miles, and their breadth from 60 to 200. They may be considered as
separated into two distinct chains; of which the eastern chain has the
name of _Blue Mountains_, and the western is known, at its southern
extremity, by the name of _Cumberland_ and _Gauley Mountains_, and
afterwards by that of the _Alleghany Mountains_. The Alleghanies are
about 250 miles distant from the shore of the Atlantic. Towards the
north there are other eminences, called the _Green Mountains_ and the
_White Mountains_. The loftiest summits of the whole are said to be
about 7000 feet in perpendicular height above the level of the sea.

Few countries can boast a greater general fertility of _soil_ than North
America. The soil of the higher lands c