"Illinois was the name of an Indian tribe, and meant "The Men." Mississippi and Alabama were both made out of the old Mississippi Territory, which also took its name from a river; the Indian word meaning "The Great River." The words "Alabama" and "Missouri" were both taken from rivers; the latter name meaning "Muddy Waters." All these States had been originally explored and settled by the French. As for the State of Maine, it was formed out of Massachusetts, of which it had been a district; and it is generally supposed to have been named in honor of

Henrietta Maria,

GENERAL LA FAYETTE.

queen of Charles I., who owned the province of Maine, in France. Others think that this name was given because it was the mainland, as distinguished from the numerous islands along the coast. These new States made the number twenty-four in all, almost twice as many as the old thirteen." At the census taken in 1820, the population of the United States was about nine and a half millions (9,638,453).

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Monroe's administration had expressed great sympathy for the new republics formed in South America, and had announced the opinion that the United States should thenceforward never allow any European government to plant a colony on the soil of North or South America, or to interfere in American affairs, but that the people of the different parts of the continent should govern themselves. This has always been called "the Monroe doctrine," and is considered one of the most important results of this president's administration.

JOE

OHN QUINCY ADAMS of Massachusetts was the next president, serving one term, -from 1825 to 1829. All the previous presidents had taken part in the Revolutionary War, or in founding the government; but John Quincy Adams belonged to

JOHN QUINCY ADAMS.

had widened its bounds, and was at peace. During the administration of Mr. Adams, much was done to open

Almost all

the interior of the country for settlement. the Indian tribes had been removed west of the Mississippi; and their lands had been bought by the government. A great system of canals had been begun, affording better means of communication than any that had before existed. Chief among these was the Erie Canal, which connected Lake Erie with the harbor of New York. It was completed in 1825; and Gov. De Witt Clinton of New York, who had planned it, and had himself dug the first spadeful of earth, was conveyed the whole distance in a barge, amid the ringing of bells and the discharge of cannon. After this, pop

ulation poured rapidly into the interior of New York State; and, wherever canals were built, towns and villages grew up.

It was during Mr. Adams's presidency, moreover, that the first railroad in America was built, in 1827,

a road of three miles only, leading from the granite quarries to the wharves at Quincy, Mass. The cars were drawn by horses; and the first locomotive engine was not used until two years later, when it was imported from England, where such engines had only just been introduced. This first engine only averaged about fourteen miles an hour, and was regarded as a great curiosity. Many people predicted in America, as they had in

England, that it would never be able to move its own weight, but that the wheels would spin round and round upon the rail. Others thought, that, if it succeeded, it would destroy the value of farming-lands by frightening all the animals, and would stop the raising of sheep, because their wool would be so blackened by the smoke. They were very much surprised when they saw locomotives running peaceably, and without causing any of these disasters.

During John Quincy Adams's administration, his father, Ex-President John Adams, died; and Ex-President Jefferson died on the same day. As they had grown older, these two eminent statesmen had become friends, and had outlived all the disputes between Federalist and Democrat. They used constantly to write friendly letters to each other; and, by a singular coincidence, the day on which they died was July 4, 1826, the fiftieth anniversary of the Declaration of Independence, which they both had signed. The last words said by Jefferson were, "Is this the Fourth?" and the last words of Adams were thought to be, "Thomas Jefferson still lives." A patriotic celebration was being held in the village where Mr. Adams lived; and he had sent to it a toast: "Independence forever.” As he lay dying, at sunset time, those who watched by his bed could hear the distant shouting at the village, when the people had heard the old man's last message.

One public question, about which there was great difference of opinion at that time, was in regard to the amount of duty to be placed on goods imported from foreign countries. Such a system of duties is called a "tariff;" and there is a difference of opinion in