VITA 'HE writer of this thesis, Walter Wilson Jen THE nings, was born at Carmi, Illinois, April 9, 1887. He attended the Grayville and Carmi public schools, and graduated from the high school of the latter in 1905. Two years of the next four were spent in teaching in the country schools of White County. In 1909 he entered the Eastern Illinois State Normal School, from which institution he graduated in 1911. After a year spent as principal of the North Side Grade School at Carmi, Illinois, he entered the University of Illinois. After a year there, he taught, 1913-1914, as principal of the Prophetstown High School, this State, but returned to the University of Illinois, where he has since remained, in the spring of 1914. He completed his work for the bachelor's degree at the end of the first semester, 1914-1915, and received the degree in June, 1915. He held a scholar VITA ship in history for the next year, but resigned it at the beginning of the second semester to accept a half-time assistantship in economics. In June, 1916, he received the degree of Master of Arts. During the year 1916-1917, he held a fellowship in history, and during 1917-1918 he served as an assistant in the department of economics. I GENERAL SOCIAL AND RELIGIOUS FTER the winning of American independence and the failure of the Articles of Confederation, a vigorous movement was launched for a real government. This movement culminated in the constitutional convention of 1787, which, after many bitter disputes ending in mutual compromises, submitted its work to Congress and through that body to the states.' Virulent fights followed in many state ratifying conventions, but New Hampshire, the ninth state, ratified June 21, 1788, by a vote of 57 to 46, and hence a new government was given to the young republic.' Virginia and New York soon followed the leaders, but North Carolina did not come under the "new roof" until November, 1789, over six months after Washington's inauguration as president. The thirteenth state, reluctant Rhode Island, finally came to terms and entered the Union, May 29, 1790.* 1 McLaughlin, A. C. The Confederation and Constitution, 277, 278. See Constitution, Article VII. McLaughlin, A. C. The Confederation and Constitution, 277-817. CALIFORNIA The population of this new republic according to the first census, 1790, was 3,929,214. The increase was very rapid. The total population for each census year, 1800-1860, was: Naturally some states increased more rapidly than others. Among these, were the nine new western states, 1790-1821. The following table shows their date of admission, and their relative rank in 1820 and 1850: Date of Admission. Rank in 1820. Rank in 1850. This thirty year period registered an increase of over 300 per cent. for the nine new western 4 Statistical Abstract, 1916, 36, 87. 5 See Appendix 1. states, while the other states increased less than 100 per cent." The North Central States showed a remarkable growth, 1790-1860. Ohio increased five fold during the decade ending in 1810, doubled its population during the next ten year period, and showed a rapid growth in the following decades. Indiana increased over four fold, 1800-1810, six fold during the next ten year period, and almost doubled during each of the four succeeding decades. Illinois increased four fold for the period, 1810-1820, more than three fold during the next decade, and practically doubled in each of the succeeding ten year periods. Missouri trebled during the first ten years before its admission, more than doubled in each of the next two decades, and almost did so in the last two. Michigan doubled, 1810-1820, increased over three fold, 1820-1830, almost seven fold, 1830-1840, and nearly doubled in each of the two following decades. Wisconsin contained ten times as many people in 1850 as in 1840, and in 1860 the population was double that of 1850. Other western states showed a steady growth, but not so rapid as the North Central States. Kentucky and Tennessee, two of the important pioneer states, increased threefold during the last decade of the eighteenth century and doubled during the first ten years of the nineteenth. Alabama increased two Statistical Abstract, 1916, 86, 37. The table given above was suggested by one in Thompson, C. M. History of the United States, 161. |