delegates from the thirteen original States, New Hampshire,
Massachussets, Rhode Island, Connecticut, New York, New Jersey,
Pennsylvania, Delaware, Maryland, Virginia, North Carolina, South
Carolina, and Georgia, in Congress assembled, adopted articles of
confederation. In 1783, the war of the Revolution closed by a treaty of
peace with Great Britain, whereby our independence was acknowledged, and
territory ceded to the extent of 815,615 square miles. In 1787, the
Constitution was framed and ratified by the foregoing thirteen States,
and on the 1st of March, 1789, went into operation. Then the American
ship of State was fairly launched, with less than one million square
miles of territory, and about three millions of souls.

Thus we are brought to the time when, in our interpretation of
Revelation 13, this government is introduced into the prophecy as
"coming up." Our territorial growth since then has been as follows:
Louisiana, acquired from France in 1803, comprising 930,928 square miles
of territory. Florida, from Spain in 1821, with 59,268 square miles.
Texas, admitted to the Union in 1845, with 237,504 square miles. Oregon,
as settled by treaty in 1846, with 380,425 square miles. California, as
conquered from Mexico in 1847, with 649,762 square miles. Arizona (New
Mexico), as acquired from Mexico by treaty in 1854, with 27,500 square
miles. Alaska, as acquired by purchase from Russia in 1867, with 577,390
square miles. This gives a grand total of three million, five hundred
and seventy-eight thousand, three hundred and ninety-two (3,578,392)
square miles of territory, which is about four-ninths of all North
America, and more than one-fifteenth of the whole land surface of the
globe.

And while this expansion has been thus rapidly going forward here, how
has it been with the other leading nations of the globe? Macmillian &