A History of the United States, Vol. 4 (Classic Reprint)

Excerpt from A History of the United States, Vol. 4<br><br>In 1789, a new era dawned on mankind. The inauguration of Washington as first President of the United States (April 30) set a limit to the social and administrative systems of colonial times and began a new national republican organization that was to reach fulfilment after three-quarters of a century of striving. On May 5, 1789, the States General met at Versailles and proceeded to the democratization of France and of Europe.1 Civil convulsions and wars followed. Their influence extended westwardly across the Atlantic and affected society, politics, commerce, and finance in America. In England, the industrial revolution was vigorously proceeding. The high cost of the raw material hampered the extension of the factory system; but the cultivation of the short staple cotton in South Carolina and Georgia cut in two the price of the fibre, made possible the development of the textile industry in England and in America, and, in consequence, fastened negro servitude on the southern United States. The application of steam to transportation by water and by land in the first half of the new century changed the whole face of civilization by making practicable what had before been impossible.<br><br>About the Publisher<br><br>Forgotten Books publishes hundreds of thousands of rare and classic books. Find more at www.forgottenbooks.com<br><br>This book is a reproduction of an important historical work. Forgotten Books uses state-of-the-art technology to digitally reconstruct the work, preserving the original format whilst repairing imperfections present in the aged copy. In rare cases, an imperfection in the original, such as a blemish or missing page, may be replicated in our edition. We do, however, repair the vast majority of imperfections successfully; any imperfections that remain are intentionally left to preserve the state of such historical works.