jects, the rock, the grave yard, every thing, conspired to give it 1820. a deep and indelible impression. "By ascending," said the orator, "to an association with our ancestors; by contemplating their example, and studying their character; by partaking their sentiments, and imbibing their spirit; by accompanying them in their toils, by sympathizing in their sufferings, and rejoicing in their successes and their triumphs, we mingle our own existence with theirs, and seem to belong to their age. We become their contemporaries, live the lives which they lived, endure what they endured, and partake in the rewards which they enjoyed." The causes which led to the settlement of this place, were brought into remembrance; the peculiarities and characteristic qualities of that settlement, as distinguished from other instances of colonization, were shown; the progress of New England in the great interests of society was traced; with observations on the principles upon which society and government are established in this country. In the retrospect of the century which has now elapsed, the dense, yet vivid sketch of the orator embellishes, while it illustrates, this portion of our history. At the close of the first century," the aggregate of the whole population of New England did not exceed six hundred thousand. Its present amount is probably one million seven hundred thousand. Her population," after "filling up the spaces included within her actual local boundaries," has passed over the Alleghanies, and covered the banks of the Ohio. "New England farms, houses, villages, and churches spread over, and adorn the immense extent from the Ohio to Lake Erie; and stretch along from the Alleghany onwards beyond the Miamis, and towards the Falls of St. Anthony. Two thousand miles, westward from the rock where their fathers landed, may now be found the sons of the Pilgrims; cultivating smiling fields, rearing towns and villages, and cherishing, we trust, the patrimonial blessings of wise institutions, of liberty, and religion."

schools.

A fund, amounting to a million and a half of dollars, having N. York been appropriated by the legislature of New York to the support of common schools, it appeared from the report of the superintendant this year, that 5763 schools had been organized according to law; and that a nineteenth part of all the children in the state, between 5 and 15 years of age, received instruction.

An Episcopal Theological Seminary was established at New Episcopal Haven, under the superintendence and control of the Episcopal Seminary.

church.

Little Rock, the seat of government of the Arkansas Terri- Arkansas. tory, was laid out. The steam boat Comet arrived at the vil

lage of Arkansas, in 8 days from New Orleans; the first steam boat that ascended the Arkansas river.

1820.

Missions.

Societies.

Fire at Savannah;

The American Board for Foreign Missions commenced a mission among the Cherokees, at Dwight, on the north of the Arkansas river. A mission was also commenced at Union among the Osages, by the United Foreign Missionary Society.

The American Society for meliorating the condition of the Jews was formed at New York.-The Pilgrim Society in Massachusetts, formed at Plymouth, was incorporated. St. Paul's church in Boston was consecrated.

A great fire at Savannah, in January, laid nearly one half the city in ruins. During the months of August, September, and mortal dis- October, a mortal disease ravaged that city; of those who were attacked with it scarcely any recovered.

ease.

Publica

tions.

Deaths.

The first volume of the Transactions and Collections of the American Antiquarian Society was published at Worcester. A Tale of the Wars of King Philip, in six Cantos, by James Wallis Eastburn and his Friend, was published at New York.

William Ellery died at Newport, in the 93d year of his age;1 Joseph Lathrop, at West Springfield, in his 90th year.2

1 He was born at Newport, Rhode Island, in 1727, and graduated at Harvard College in 1747. At the commencement of the revolutionary contest he was distinguished by his zeal in opposing the oppressive acts of the British government. In 1776 he was chosen one of the delegates of Rhode Island to congress, and signed the declaration of Independence. He continued several years in congress, and was one of its most able, judicious, zealous, and faithful members. In 1786 he was appointed commissioner of loans for Rhode Island, and in 1789, collector of the customs for Newport; in which office he continued until his death. "He possessed a discriminating mind, and an excellent judg ment, and was greatly distinguished for his integrity, promptness, and fidelity in the discharge of his official duties, and retained his activity and mental vigour, and continued his usefulness until his death." Lempriere.

2 The Rev. Dr. Lathrop was a descendant of the Rev. John Lothrop, who came to New England with several sons in 1634, and was afterwards settled in Barnstable. Samuel, the youngest son of this progenitor, went to Norwich in Connecticut, and settled there; and there Joseph, his great grandson, was born in 1731. In his 19th year he entered Yale College, where he was graduated in 1754. In 1756 he was settled in the ministry in a parish in Springfield, Massachusetts, now the town of West Springfield, where he performed the duties of the pastoral office upwards of 60 years. On the day which concluded the 60th year of his ministry, 25 August, 1816, he preached to a large audience; and the sermon was printed. His ministrations were still continued until the last sabbath in March, 1818, when, on account of the infirmities of age, and the imperfection of his sight, he declined the public services of the sabbath, and requested his society to provide for him an assistant, or colleague; and in 1819, the 63d anniversary of his own ordination, he attended the ordination of his colleague, the Rev. William B. Sprague, and took a part in the public solemnities. Dr. Lathrop, to "an intellect of the first order," united the kindly affections. Benevolence marked his whole character. To all his other estimable qualities were added a serenity and cheerfulness of temper, which gave to his old age a charm, as rare as it was delightful. He was equally remote from the intemperate heat of enthusiasm, and that lifeless system, which excludes all exercise of the affections. He was exemplary in the observance of the duties of piety and devotion, and of the social and relative duties. As a Christian minister he was very

* Thus written by the ancestor.

1821.

JAMES MONROE was inaugurated President of the United States, Inauguraand Daniel D. Tompkins, Vice President.

up,

tion.

Referring to the progress of the United States, the president President's said: "Twenty five years ago the river Mississippi was shut speech. and our western brethren had no outlet for their commerce. What has been the progress since that time? The river has not only become the property of the United States from its source to the ocean, with all its tributary streams (with the exception of the upper part of the Red river only), but Louisiana, with a fair and liberal boundary on the western side, and the Floridas on the eastern, have been ceded to us. The United States now enjoy the complete and uninterrupted sovereignty over the whole territory from St. Croix to the Sabine."

pleted.

U. States

Floridas.

The treaty of the cession of the Floridas, concluded at Wash- Florida ington 22 February, 1819, between Spain and the United States, treaty comhaving been ratified on the one part by the king of Spain, and by the president of the United States on the other part, possession was taken of those provinces, according to treaty. On the 1st of July general Andrew Jackson, who had been appointed take posses governor of the provinces of the Floridas, issued a Proclamation, sion of the declaring "that the government heretofore exercised over the said provinces, under the authority of Spain, has ceased, and that of the United States of America is established over the same, that the inhabitants thereof will be incorporated in the union of the United States, as soon as may be consistent with the principles of the federal constitution, and admitted to the enjoyment of all the privileges, rights, and immunities of the citizens of the United States; that in the mean time, they shall be maintained and protected in the free enjoyment of their liberty, property, and the religion they profess; that all laws and municipal regulations which were in existence

conspicuous. To his comprehensive intellect and exalted piety was added the acquired knowledge, necessary to constitute a great theologian. In his pastoral intercourse he was peculiarly attentive to the state and circumstances of his flock, and an eminent example of prudence. "He was cautious, without being timid; familiar, without sacrificing his dignity; condescending, without abandoning what he believed to be principles of duty." In doubtful and perplexing cases, of ecclesiastical concern, he was distinguished as a wise, judicious, and upright counsellor; and great confidence was reposed in his judgment. To the truly evangelical principles which he delivered to others, he steadfastly adhered, and he finished his course in the faith and hope of the gospel. His occasional discourses have been extensively read, and highly approved, especially the "Seasonable Warning to the Churches;' and his other works have met with an uncommonly favourable reception. Four volumes of Sermons were published during his life, and a fifth volume, with a Memoir of his Life, has been published since his decease.

1821.

Missouri,

the 24th

state in the Union.

Indianapolis.

Monroe

county, N. York.

stitutions.

at the cessation of the late government remain in full force, and all civil officers charged with their execution," with certain exceptions and limitations, "are continued in their functions." On the 7th of July the colonel commandant, Don Jose Gallava, commissioner on the part of his Catholic majesty, made to major general Jackson, the commissioner of the United States, a delivery of the keys of the town of Pensacola, of the archives, documents, and other articles, mentioned in the inventories, declaring that he releases from their oath of allegiance to Spain the citizens and inhabitants of West Florida who may choose to remain under the dominion of the United States. On the same day, colonel Joseph Coppinger, governor of East Florida, issued a Proclamation to the inhabitants, announcing that on the 10th day of this month "possession will be given to colonel Robert Butler, the commissioner legally authorized by the United States." The American authorities were accordingly put in possession of the dominion of the Floridas.1

Missouri was admitted, as a state, into the Union. This is the eleventh state, annexed to the first Thirteen Confederated States since the Declaration of Independence; making the whole number of the present United States twenty four.

Indianapolis was laid out for the permanent seat of government in Indiana.

A new county, taken from the counties of Ontario and Genesee, was erected in the state of New York, and named, in honour of the president of the United States, Monroe County.' The legislature of Missouri fixed the seat of the government of the state, and named it Jefferson.'-Albion was fixed upon as the seat of government of Edwards county in Illinois.

Literary & Columbian College, recently founded at Washington in the religious in- District of Columbia, was organized, and the Rev. Dr. William Staughton was inaugurated its President.-A Professorship of Mineralogy and Geology was instituted in the University of Cambridge, and Joseph Green Cogswell, A. M. was inaugurated Professor. A new college edifice was erected for the accom

1 Niles' Register, xx. 353, 354, 404, 405, where copies of the official papers are preserved. The Proclamation of governor Jackson was "given at Pensacola the 1st day of July," and made known by Robert Butler, United States commissioner, at " St. Augustine, East Florida, July 10, 1821.”—On the arrival of the acting governor Worthington at St. Augustine, the Spanish Escrivaro refusing to deliver up the papers in his possession, three American citizens were commissioned to take possession of the withheld archives and documents, who took quiet charge of 11 boxes of papers. All the private papers were to be delivered to their owners. Intelligence dated at St. Augustine 6 October.

2 Monroe, the capital of the county, contained, in 1821, a court house, a jail, and 50 or 60 buildings. Worcester.

modation of students at Yale College.-The Theological Seminary of the Associated Reformed Church in New York was united to that of Princeton; and its library, consisting of 4000 volumes, was transferred to Princeton.-A Presbyterian Theological Seminary was established at Auburn,2 and a General Theological Seminary of the Protestant Episcopal Church, at New York. The Law Academy of Philadelphia was established, under the auspices of an incorporated society, composed of judges and members of the bar, and denominated The Society for the promotion of Legal Knowledge and Forensic Eloquence.'Essex Historical Society, formed at Salem in Massachusetts, was incorporated.-The Apprentices Library at Philadelphia was incorporated.

1821.

An act was passed by the legislature of Ohio to provide for Ohio. the regulation and support of common schools.

The Laws of Illinois from 1819 to 1821 are compiled in Publica2 volumes.3-American Medical Botany, by Jacob Bigelow, M.D. tions. Rumford Professor and Lecturer on Materia Medica and Botany in Harvard University, was published in 3 volumes.

An agreement for the cession and purchase of lands was en- African tered into between the agents of the American Colonization treaty. Society and the kings, princes, and head men of Cape Mesurado. -The foundation of a settlement for the African colonists was laid near Mesurado river, to which was given the name of Liberia; and to this place the colonists that had gone from Liberia. America were removed. In honour of the President of the United States, for the distinguished services which he rendered

to this infant colony, the new town built there was called Mon- Monrovia. rovia.4

Two respectable gazettes were now published in Florida, one Florida. at Pensacola, the other at St. Augustine.

1 The number of buildings is nine, of which four are devoted to the use of students.

2 Instituted in 1819.

3 Griffith, iii. 411.

4 Fifth Annual Report of the American Colonization Society, held at Washington 7 March 1822, Bushrod Washington president. Chapin's Missionary Gazetteer. In 1820 a number of black people had been sent out under the direction of the Rev. Samuel Bacon; and in 1821 the Rev. Joseph R. Andros and Mr. C. Wiltberger, agents appointed by the United States government, carried out a select company, consisting of 28 effective labourers and a number of children, to recruit them. On their arrival at Sierra Leone, they were placed under the temporary protection of the authorities of that colony. A second re-enforcement of the colony, of about 50, arrived at Monrovia in August 1822, Mr. Ashmun being agent. The Society has formed a constitution and code of laws for the government of the colony. The settlement in 1823 consisted of about 240. In 1824 the town of Monrovia consisted of 70 or 80 houses.