Page:Statesman's Year-Book 1871.djvu/620

 584 UNITED STATES.

interdicted by laAV in 1808. In 1774 the Legislature of Rhode Island interdicted the importation of slaves into that colony ; and the next year, and while still a British colony, passed a law of emancipation by declaring the children of all slave mothers to be born free. Massachusetts abolished slavery by the Bill of Eights in 1780. Connecticut, in 1784, put a stop to the introduction ot negroes, and declared all born after March 1 of that year free at the age of twenty-six. Pennsylvania prohibited the introduction oi slaves in 1780, and declared free all children of slave mothers born after the passing of the law. Virginia prohibited the importation ot slaves in 1778, and Maryland in 1783. Slavery was abolished in New Hampshire in 1792, in New York in 1799, and in New Jersey in 1825. The constitutional amendment of Dec. 18, 1865 — see p. 563 — abolished slavery throughout the United States.

The mortality of the entire population of the United States amounted to 392,821 in 1860, as against 323,272 in 1850, the average in each of those years being as 1*27 to 1*41. It varied, in 1860, according to latitude, the nature of the population, the soil, and other causes, from - 44 per cent, in Washington territory, to 2 - 06 per cent, in Arkansas. The next highest mortality to that in Arkansas was in the two States of Massachusetts and Louisiana, and the same, 1-76 per cent,, in both. The next highest (L74 per cent.) is set down to the district of Columbia, in which the capital is situated. Taking the country by regions, the Pacific Coast and the North- Western States show the lowest, and the Mississippi Valley the highest, rate of mortality.

The ratio of increase of the population of the United States was for the several decennial periods as follows : —

1790— 3,920,82?

1800 — 5,305,937 35-02 per cent, ratio of increase.

1810— 7,239,814 36-45 „

1820— 9.638,131 33-13

1830—12,866,020 33-40 „

1840—17,069.453 32'67

1850—23,191,876 33-87

1860—31,443,790 35-58

It will be seen from the above statement that there was an average decennial increase of 34- 60 per cent, in population through the seventy years from the first to the last census of the United States.

Trade and Industry.

The subjoined table gives the total value, in pounds sterling, of the imports and exports of the United States, exclusive of bullion and specie, in the ten fiscal years ending June, from 1860 to 1869 : —