A Book of the United States Exhibiting its geography, divisions, constitution, and government ... and presenting a view of the republic generally, and of the individual states; together with a condensed history of the land, from its first discovery to the present time. The biography of about two hundred of the leading men: a description of the principal cities and towns; with statistical tables

IT is a singular fact that the science and energy of Italian navigators opened the new world to Europe, though adventurers from other countries derived the benefit of their disc...

ADAMS, JOHN, the second president, was born, in 1735, at Braintree Massachusetts. He was educated at the university of Cambridge, and received the degree of master of arts in 17...

The _Black Bear_ (ursus Americanus) is found in considerable numbers in the northern districts of America. In size and form he approaches nearest to the Brown Bear; but his colo...

_Albany_ is the seat of government for the state of New York, and is situated on the west side of Hudson’s river, one hundred and forty-four miles from the city of New York, to...

THE North American Indians are of a red copper color, with some diversity of shade. The men are of the middle stature, large boned, and well made; with small black eyes, lodged...

THE political association of the American people commenced at a very early period. A long time before the revolutionary troubles, it was generally perceived and acknowledged tha...

ALL the rivers of the United States, of the first magnitude, have their sources, either in the Rocky Mountains, or in elevated spurs projecting from the sides of that range. Man...

OUR sketch of the agriculture of the United States must be brief and general; as the numerous subjects to be treated in the present volume do not allow space for very minute det...

The vegetation of the United States is as various as the climate and soil. In Florida and the southern states, the superb magnolia, the majestic tulip tree and the deciduous cyp...

EVERY variety of soil is found within the territory of the United States, and an accurate general estimate is not of course to be formed. We will first describe that portion of...

THE most celebrated cave in the United States, is that in Rockingham county, Virginia, known by the name of _Madison’s Cave_. It is in the heart of a mountain, about two hundred...

THOUGH embracing in its extent several elevated ranges of great length and breadth, the territory of the United States cannot be considered as a mountainous country. The land al...

THE United States are most desirably situated. Placed in the northern temperate zone, they occupy just that portion of it, which is most likely to yield a healthy climate and ri...

THE Falls of Niagara have been very frequently and minutely described, though it must be acknowledged, as has been well said by the celebrated Audubon, that all the pictures you...

THE dispositions and feelings of the inhabitants of the different portions of the United States have been modified by a great variety of circumstances. Difference of descent has...

_Lake Superior_ is the largest body of fresh water in the world, being four hundred miles in length, one hundred at its greatest breadth, and, according to the most moderate com...

IN the United States, salt springs are very numerous. They sometimes flow naturally, but are generally formed by sinking wells in those places where salt is known to exist, as i...

THE language of the United States differs little or nothing from that of the middle and southern counties of England. The slight peculiarities are chiefly such as relate to acce...

The first important attempt toward a scientific view of the character and relations of the strata in the United States was made by Mr. Maclure, but a short time previous to the...

UNITED STATES. The territory of the United States extends from twenty-five to fifty-four degrees north latitude, and from sixty-six degrees forty-nine minutes to one hundred and...

IN the ordinary mineral productions, such as brick-earth, stone adapted to building, as well as for any kind of workmanship, and in sand of all qualities, the resources of the U...

INDIAN MOUNDS. The old Mexican villages, it is said, were built of unbaked bricks, fourteen inches square, and covered with limbs of trees and turf, which, when they mouldered a...

NECESSITY forced upon the first settlers of this country, at a very early period, some attention to manufactures. The colony of Massachusetts was founded in 1630. Between that y...

IN new countries, one of the chief difficulties with which a civilized population is obliged to contend, after a sufficiency is obtained of the necessaries of life, is in approp...

In the rapid growth of their commerce, the United States have enjoyed a most wonderful prosperity. We have, in a previous chapter, alluded to the restrictive measures adopted by...

GREAT improvements have been introduced in the inland navigation of the United States within the last twenty years, both by removing impediments that have obstructed river navig...

The first rail-road attempted in the United States, was that constructed in Quincy, for the purpose of transporting granite from the quarry at that place. It extends from the qu...

ONE of the most remarkable features of the western country consists in its extensive prairies or savannahs, which prevail in all the vast region between the Alleghany and the Ro...

MOST of the improvements made in the manner of punishing and reforming persons convicted of enormous crimes in the United States may justly be attributed to the studies and exer...

IN the chapter preceding, a brief account has been given of the progress of Government among the people of the United States, from those early leagues, or compacts, which being...

THE seacoast of Maine is indented with numerous bays. Of these the largest is _Penobscot Bay_, which forms the estuary of the river of that name, is about thirty miles in length...

It is our intention to collect under this general head a few miscellaneous descriptions, that could not have been properly placed under any other division. The space that we can...

THERE can scarcely be a doubt, that among all the political and social relations of a people, there is none of such primary and vital importance as their religion; and if this b...

MOST of the coast of Maine is thickly strewn with islands. The largest is _Mount Desert_, on the west side of Frenchman’s Bay; it is fifteen miles long, and twelve broad. Many f...

THE _Valley of the Mississippi_ is the largest in the world; and differs from any other of very great extent, in the peculiar distinctness of its outline. It is bounded south by...

Under the name of the _Atlantic_, is comprised that mass of water between the eastern coast of America and the western coast of Europe and Africa. In its narrowest part, between...

The progress of the arts in the United States has depended, in a great measure, on their practical reference to the essential comforts of life. In the mechanical arts, we yield...

_Cape Ann_, the northern limit of Massachusetts Bay, is a rocky promontory, fifteen miles in length, containing several good harbors. The peninsula of _Cape Cod_, in the south-e...

CHAP. I. Political and Geographical Division CHAP. II. Cities and Towns CHAP. III. Agriculture CHAP. IV. Manufactures CHAP. V. Commerce CHAP. VI. Rail-roads CHAP. VII. Canals CH...

CHAP. I. Mountains CHAP. II. Valleys CHAP. III. Prairies and Plains CHAP. IV. Rivers CHAP. V. Cataracts and Cascades CHAP. VI. Lakes CHAP. VII. Springs CHAP. VIII. Caverns CHAP....