of the United States, and the admission of Louisiana and Indiana into the Union.

A few details only can be given respecting the war with Great Britain. The principal grounds of war, as set forth in the president's message, were the impressment of American seamen by the British-the blockade of her enemy's ports, supported by no adequate force, in consequence of which the American commerce had been plundered in every sea, and the great staples of the country cut off from their legitimate markets-and the British orders in council. Both Congress and the country, during the whole period of the contention, were very much divided respecting both the justice and the expediency of it. The nation was not well prepared for the undertaking, and especially was the want of officers at first severely felt.

The commencement of the war, in the operations against Canada, was marked by disaster.. General Hull, who had been sent at the head of two thousand and five hundred men to Detroit, with a view to putting an end to Indian hostilities in that country, surrendered his whole army to General Brock, without a battle, and with it the Fort at Detroit. This event occurred on the 16th of August. The battle of Queenstown, which soon followed, was bravely fought, and appeared at first to be successful, but by successive reinforcements the enemy at length gained the day. The brave British commander, General Brock, was, however, killed during the engagement. This battle was fought on the 13th of October, 1812.

But while disaster attended the operations of the Americans on land, victory crowned the efforts of their infant navy. The charm of British invincibility on the ocean, was almost, for the first time, broken. Capt. Isaac Hull, of the frigate Constitution, obtained the first triumph over the enemy on his own peculiar element, in the capture of the British frigate Guerriere. This occurred about the middle of August, 1812. On the 17th of October another victory was. obtained by Capt. Jones, of the sloop of war Wasp over the Frolick. Before the expiration of the month, Commodore Decatur, of the frigate United States, captured the Macedonian, a frigate of the largest class, mounting forty-nine guns, and manned with three hundred men. And, finally, just at the close of the year, a second victory was achieved by the Constitution, then commanded by Com. Bainbridge, over the Java, a frigate of thirty-eight guns, but carrying forty-nine.

At the commencement of the year 1813, a battle was fought at the river Raisin, between a detachment of the north-western army under Gen. Winchester, and a superior force of British and Indians under Gen. Proctor, the result of which was fatal to the Americans, since, upon their surrender as prisoners of war, nearly all of them were inhumanly massacred by the Indians.

During the winter, another naval victory was obtained by the Americans, in the capture of the sloop of war Peacock, by the Hornet, under Capt. Lawrence. This, however, was followed on the 1st of June, by the loss of the Chesapeake, under the same officer, who had been promoted to the command of it, in an engagement with the

Shannon, off Boston harbour. The Argus, also, was soon after cap337 tured by a British ship of war. This, however, was but a temporary ill success of the American navy. No other considerable vessel, except the Essex, under the command of Com. Porter, after this, fell into the hands of the enemy; while on the part of the Americans, beside victories in single ships, two several fleet engagements ended in the complete triumph of the American navy. the one on Lake Erie, under Com. Perry, and the other on Lake These occurred, Champlain, under Com. Macdonough.

In the early part of the spring of 1813, a successful attack was made by the Americans upon York, the capital of Upper Canada, which fell into their hands. In this battle, the brave Gen. Pike perished. On the sea-board, during this year, the British shipping in our waters blockaded several important places, and made a number of predatory excursions, in which much property was plundered and destroyed. In the north-west, success attended the Americans under Gen. Harrison, and Detroit fell into his hands. This event gave security to the frontiers. A more extended plan of attack on Canada was now formed by the American army under Gen. Wilkinson; but, from various causes, very little was effected. During the remainder of the year, several events of importance occurred-as the capture of Washington, and the destruction of the public buildings of the place, and the defence of Baltimore. But we can give no more details respecting this war, except to add, that the battle of New Orleans, under Gen. Jackson, occurred on the 8th of Jan. the succeeding year, after negotiations for peace had been set on foot with the promise of success.

84. The war with England failed of its immediate object, but it showed us our strength and our weakness, and perhaps tended to consolidate our union. It caused us to feel the necessity of a navy, and, connected with the previous prohibitions of commerce, gave an impulse to our manufacturing industry. With the return of peace, our trade was diffused over every sea. The presidency of Monroe continued through two terms, and was an era of good feelings. Five states were added to the union during his administration. But the period of internal concord and good will soon came to a close. Party altercations arose in the choice of Mr. Monroe's successor, John Q. Adams, in 1825, and have continued with more or less violence, under the administration of President Jackson, who was elected to the high office in 1829. The measures, however, of these officers have been approved by respectable majorities of the American people. It may be remarked, generally, that amidst unexampled prosperity, party spirit has too often raged, not without danger to the republic, but love of country has in the end prevailed. Thus, we trust is

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be, through the favoring providence of God. He has been better to us as a nation, than either our deserts or fears would have led us to expect.

Soon after the conclusion of the war, the attention of congress was turned towards the establishment of a national bank. The subject presented great difficulties at the time; but the measure was carried, and a bill, incorporating the "Bank of the United States," received the signature of President Madison on the 10th of April, 1816. The capital of the bank was fixed at thirty-five millions of dollars, and its duration, twenty years. Great efforts have lately been made to obtain a recharter of the institution, but they have all hitherto failed.

Soon after the accession of President Monroe, he made a tour through the northern and middle states, which, besides the great public objects he had in view, in respect to the defence of the Atlantic board, served very much to conciliate the affections of all classes of his fellow-citizens.

Early in the presidency of Monroe, an expedition, which had been set on foot by a number of adventurers from different countries, against East and West Florida, was terminated by the troops of the United States. These adventurers claimed to be acting under the authority of some of the South American colonies, and had formed an establishment at Amelia Island, a Spanish province, then the subject of negotiation between the United States and Spain. Their avowed object being an invasion of the Floridas, and of course an invasion of a part of the United States, the American government deemed itself authorized, without designing any hostility to Spain, to take possession of Amelia Island, their head quarters. Accordingly, a naval force, with the necessary troops, was despatched under the command of Captains Henley and Bunkhead, to whom Amelia Island was surrendered on the 24th of December, without the effusion of blood. The suppression of Galvezton, a similar establishment on an island off the coast of Texas, followed soon after.*

The states which were admitted into the union during the adminis tration of Monroe, were Mississippi, Illinois, Alabama, Maine, and Missouri. Mississippi was received in Dec. 1817. Some parts of it had been early visited and settled by the French. They claimed the country until the treaty of 1763, when they ceded their possessions east of the river to the English. Illinois adopted a state constitution in 1818, and in the same year was admitted as a member of the union. The first settlements in Illinois were made by the French, and for a time, they were in a flourishing condition. Afterwards however, they fell into decay. In 1762, all the country to the east of the Mississippi was ceded to the British; Illinois of course passed with the rest. After the war of the revolution, Virginia and some other states claimed the whole country north and west of the Ohio, but they saw fit at length to relinquish their claims to the general government. Alabama was admitted into the union in the latter part of the year 1819. This country continued the hunting ground of • Goodrich's History of the United States.

savages, until some time after the American revolution. In 1817 the eastern portion of the Mississippi territory, which included what are now the states of Mississippi and Alabama, was formed into a territorial government, and received the latter name. Maine was admitted as an independent state into the union, in the year 1820. It had been a part of Massachusetts, and after several ineffectual attempts to obtain a majority of its people in favor of a separation, the object was accomplished in the year 1819. The separation took place amicably. Missouri was declared by the president's proclamation, to be an independent state, and a member of the federal union, in the year 1821. Missouri with Louisiana remained in the possession of Spain through the war of the revolution, until the cession of the whole country to France in 1801, by which latter power it was ceded to the United States in 1803. The admission of Missouri into the union was attended with some difficulty, on account of a bill which was introduced into congress, providing for the interdiction of slavery in that state. Warm debates arose, and the matter was settled only through a compromise, by which slavery was tolerated in Missouri, and forbidden in all that part of original Louisiana lying north of 36° 30′ north latitude, and beyond the limits of the state.

An Indian war of some importance was carried on in 1818, under the presidency of Monroe. It is called the Seminole war, as a tribe of Indians of that name were principally concerned in it. It ended in their complete discomfiture. They consisted originally of fugitives from the northern tribes, resident within the southern states, and were then living partly on the borders of Florida, but mostly within the boundaries of that country. They had made aggressions on the white habitants of the United States, and had been guilty of repeated murders. This state of things determined the government of the country to inflict an exemplary chastisement on the barbarous offenders. An armed force was sent for this purpose, and after pursuing the enemy into Florida, and taking possession of several Spanish forts, the difficulty was terminated by their complete dispersion. Gen. Jackson was the leader in this war. He rendered a signal service to his country, but some parts of his conduct were deemed highly exceptionable, by a portion of the community. His appeal to the people of West Tennessee, calling for volunteers instead of applying to the governor for a draft of the militia-his course in relation to the trial and execution of Arbuthnot and Ambrister, two Englishmen, who were charged with giving encouragement and aid to the Indiansand his occupation of St. Marks and Pensacola-were subjects much commented upon in the public prints, and eloquently debated in the American congress. The general escaped the censure of that body, notwithstanding the efforts that were made to cast a stigma upon his conduct.

In the year 1819, a convention was concluded between Great Britain and the United States, some of the articles of which were, that the citizens of the United States have liberty, in common with the subjects of Great Britain, to take fish, on the southern, western, and northern coast of Newfoundland, &c.-that the northern boundaries

of the United States should extend from the Lake of the Woods te the Stony Mountains-and that the commercial convention between the two countries concluded at London, in 1815, should be continued for the term of ten years.

In the year above named, (1819,) Spain, by its minister at Washington, ceded to the United States, East and West Florida, with ai. the islands adjacent. This country, which was discovered as early as 1497 by Cabot, was held first by the Spaniards, next by the English, and then by the Spaniards again. Its cession to the United States was accompanied not without vexatious delays on the part of the Spanish government. It was not until a forcible execution of the treaty which had been made, but not ratified, was about to be proposed by the United States, that the treaty was ratified by his Catholic Majesty. As an indemnity to the citizens of the United States, on account of Spanish spoliations and injuries, a sum not exceeding five millions of dollars was to be paid by the American government, out of the proceeds of sales of lands in Florida, or in stock, or money.

During the administration of President Monroe, a territorial government was formed for the Arkansas, and for Florida, the former in 1819 and the latter in 1822. The Arkansas was the southern part of what in 1812 constituted the Territory of Missouri. A division of the territory was made in 1819, the northern district being called Missouri, and the southern formed into a territorial government by the name of Arkansas.

In the second session of the seventeenth congress, President Monroe introduced to the notice of congress, the subject of the piracy practised in the West Indies upon American seamen, and recommended the immediate organization of an efficient force to suppress it. Measures were soon adopted by the government to put a stop to this infamous business, and the object was promptly effected under Commodore Porter, who sailed with a competent naval force to the scene of the depredations.

The year 1824 was signalized by the visit of the Marquis La Fayette to this country. He was accompanied by his son, and M. La Vasseur, his secretary. Landing at New York, he was received with the most enthusiastic feelings of admiration and gratitude. During his stay in this country, he visited almost every important part of it, and in every place he was welcomed, as emphatically the nation's guest. The important services which he rendered to the United States in the war of the revolution, were thus rewarded with the homage of a great people; while the American congress responded to the public demonstrations of respect, by voting him two hundred thousand dollars, and a township of land, as a compensation for his services and expenditures. In the autumn of 1825 he took passage in the ship Brandywine for France, where he has since figured in many interesting scenes.

The presidency of John Q. Adams, which commenced in 1825, and continued for one term only, encountered a bitter storm of opposition from the beginning. Party spirit too far gained the ascendancy to allow full justice to the measures of his administration. This may