increased so rapidly that in 1920 there were 105,710,620 people within
the bounds of continental United States. As the population has
increased, it has spread over the Appalachians, into the great
Mississippi basin, and westward to the Pacific Ocean. Accompanying the
increase and westward spread of the population has come a greater
variety of racial types. Although our population was varied in
colonial times, the great majority of the settlers were from the
British Isles and northwestern Europe. In the latter part of the
nineteenth century immigration from northern Europe declined and more
and more immigrants began to come from southern and southeastern
Europe. So universal has been the attraction of America, that our
present population includes elements from every important country in
the world. From the industrial standpoint, the dominant
Characteristics of this composite American people are energy and
versatility.

55. NATIONAL WEALTH.--Generations of industrious people have helped to
make the United States the wealthiest nation in the world. It has been
estimated that in 1850 our national wealth amounted to $8,000,000,000.
By 1900 the remarkable progress of American industry had increased
this figure to more than $88,000,000,000. In 1912 our wealth was
probably in excess of $180,000,000,000. Industrial and financial
disturbances during the period of the World War make later estimates
hazardous, nevertheless it is interesting to note that in 1921 the
wealth of the United States was estimated as being between
$350,000,000,000 and $400,000,000,000. According to this estimate, the
wealth of this country exceeded, in 1921, the combined wealth of Great
Britain, France, Germany, Italy, and Belgium. In weighing the value of
this comparison, however, we must take into consideration the heavy
destruction of wealth in western Europe because of the World War.