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Sparks, William Henry, 1800-1882

"The Memories of Fifty Years Containing Brief Biographical Notices of Distinguished Americans, and Anecdotes of Remarkable Men; Interspersed with Scenes and Incidents Occurring during a Long Life of Observation Chiefly Spent i"

Cotton had
suddenly grown into great demand. The increase of population, and the
great cheapness of the, fabrics from cotton, had increased the demand.
In Europe it had rapidly increased, and in truth all over the world.
Emigration from Europe had set in to a heavy extent upon the United
States, and the West was growing in population so rapidly as to create
there a heavy demand for these fabrics. The world was at peace;
commerce was unrestricted, and prosperity was everywhere. Europe had
recovered from her long war, and the arts of peace had taken hold of
every people, and were bearing their fruit. All the lands intermediate
between the frontiers west of Georgia and Tennessee and those of the
east of Mississippi and Louisiana were soon appropriated; and the more
fertile lands of the two latter States were coming rapidly into request
for the purpose of cotton cultivation.
The great flood of 1828 had swept over every cultivated field west of
the Mississippi, and seemed to demonstrate the folly of ever attempting
to reduce these lands to profitable cultivation. But with the increase
of population came wealth and enterprise.


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