The Territories of the United States

Writing to flesh out the comparisons between the United States and Great Britain following previous such chapters, Professor Cooley writes: In the common acceptation of those terms the United States has no colonies and no foreign possessions. Professor Cooley then gives a relatively brief history of the admission of new states in constitutional philosophy and history. Later in the chapter he asserts, Before any states can be admitted to the union, there must be a state ready to admit; and this implies that there shall be a state with a constitution and laws, so when admitted, it can proceed at once in the performance of sovereign functions