Education, Religion, ke.—The educational statistics may be stated very briefly. In 1850 there were in the United States 239 colleges, having 1678 teachers and 27,621 pupils; 80,978 public schools, having 91,966 teachers and 3,335,011 scholars; and 6,085 academies and private schools, having 12,260 teachers and 263,096 scholars. The number of newspapers was, daily 254, with an annual circula tion of 235,119,966 copies ; 115 triweekly, with an annual circu lation of 11,811,140 copies; 31 semi-weekly with an annual circulation of 5,565,176 copies; and 1902 weekly, with an annual circulation of 153,120,708 copies. There are besides 95 semi-monthly, 100 monthly, and 19 quarterly periodicals.
There is no established system of religious worship in the United States, entire freedom of faith and worship being guaranteed by the Constitution. The great majority of the population is Protestant., but the proportion of the respective religious bodies can only bo estimated by the number of their churches and church accommoda tion, which, as the provision for worship is wholly voluntary, may be supposed folio nearly proportionate to the requirements of the several sects. From the Census Report it appears that the Methodists and Baptists have together more than half of the entire number of churches. "In New England the Coogregationalists preponderate; in all other parts, except the Territories, the Ilethgdists; in the Territories and California the Catholics. The Baptists are second in rank everywhere, except in the Middle States and California." The principal sects, arranged according to the number of churches, are as follows :—Iklethodista 13,338 churches, affording accommodation for 4,354,101 persons; Baptists 9360 churches, with accommodation for 3,248,580 persons; Presbyterians 4363 churches, with accommo dation for 2,079,504 persons; Congregationalists 1706 churches, with accommodation for 801,835 persons; Episcopalians 1461 churches, with accommodation for 644,593 persons; Roman Catholics 1227 churches, with accommodation for 675,721 persons ; Lutherans 1221 churches, with accommodation for 535,180 persons; Quakers 728 churches', with accommodation for 287,073 persons. In all there are 33,183 churches, with accommodation for 14,270,139 persons.
Iliatory.—The British colonies of North America, prior to the revo lution, were in number 13 : Virginia, the oldest, having been founded In 1607; Georgia, the newest settlement, in 1732. The settlers in thew were scattered in a straggling lino, along the sea-board, from 31' to 44' N. hit Albany was the western termination of the settled country iu the north; the Blue Ridge, in Virginia ; in the Carolinas and Georgia the breadth of the settled countries from the sea was still leas. The varied circumstances under which the colonies had
been originally planted, and the difficulty of intercourse between those which were at a distance from each other, had promoted a striking diversity of provincial character. But the institutions of all the colonies were calculated to develop both the taste and talent for political business. In all new settlements It is found expedient to task private individuals with tho disoluirge of functions which in more matured societies devolve upon professional men. The range of jurisdiction Intrusted to justices of the peace was necessarily much in the colonies than in the mother country; the licence to practice as legal agents was more easily obtained. In all tho colonies, elective await/lies participated largely in the legislative and financial authority. An organised militia was required for defence against the aggressions of the Indians and French settlers. Under the influence of these circumstance*, a class of professional public men had grown up in the colonies : men indisposed by their tastes, or incapacitated by their want of powers of continuous industry, for trade or agri culture, devoted themselves to public, business, not merely as amateurs, but as a means of gaining a living, and sometimes &Vitoria, and power. 'I ha narrow sphere io which they acted heaped a number of Roam gruons employments upon them : they were in general a strange mixture of the lawyer, politician, and soldier, not entirely secluded from mercantile and agricultural pursuits.
The almost incessant wars between France and England had developed more comprehensive views and more ambitious aspiring. among these men than could find sustenance in the petty domestic business of one colony. The remoteness of the central government not unfrequontly rendered it necessary for the local authorities to take measures which, in strict propriety, could only originate with it, and employ the nearest and readiest agents in carrying them into execution. Undertakings too were at times found necessary which surpassed the powers of a single colony, and for which the combined efforts of several were required. Cases of this kind are numerous, but belong properly to the history of individual colonies. The enter prise however which led to the capture of Lonisbourg in 1745, may be mentioned as the first iu a train of operations which led to n gradually extending federation of the colonies.