Front matter
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Dedication
liberal institutions, during the Century of the American Republic ; a country which, when it first clothed itself with the prerogatives of sovereignty, numbered but thirteen feeble States, with three million inhabitants, occupying; the small familiar strip of territory lined on one side by the Atlantic ocean, and on the other by the Alleghany ridge, but whose vast out- Ij-ing boumlaries are now watered also by the great Pacific, the gulf of California, and the Arctic ocean, — comprising, in fact, a continental chain of zones, sweeping, in hemispheric magnitude, from the mountain crests of eternal snows to the region of perpetual flowers ; — its census of population, too, with similar strides of amazing augmentation, rolling up a free, intelligent, and powerful citizenship of forty round millions !
Never before has the world witnessed 80 superlative an illustration of the capacity of man for self government; never before has the Glory of Man, in his unrepressed enthusiasm and unfettered activities, been confirmed by achievements so splendid and enduring.
Sharing, in full measure, the patriotic pride of a birthright and nationality so exalted, and of associations so illustrious, — the conscious sentiment of every American bosom, —
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The end
You’ve reached the end of Our first century: being a popular descriptive portraiture of the one hundred great and memorable events of perpetual interest in the history of our country, political, military, mechanical, social, scientific and commercial: embracing also delineations of all the great historic characters celebrated in the annals of the republic; men of heroism, statesmanship, genius, oratory, adventure and philanthropy.