| DENOMINATIONS | Ministers | Churches | Members | Gain | |||
| 1890 | 1900 | 1890 | 1900 | 1890 | 1900 | Per cent. | |
| Adventists: | |||||||
| Seventh Day | 284 | 372 | 995 | 1,470 | 28,991 | 55,316 | 91.0 |
| Baptists: | |||||||
| Regular (North) | 6,685 | 7,415 | 7,907 | 9,374 | 800,450 | 973,820 | 21.5 |
| Regular (South) | 8,957 | 12,058 | 16,238 | 18,963 | 1,280,066 | 1,608,413 | 25.5 |
| Regular (Colored) | 5,468 | 14,351 | 12,533 | 15,654 | 1,348,989 | 1,864,600 | 38.0 |
| Seventh Day | 115 | 119 | 106 | 115 | 9,143 | 8,991 | -1.5 |
| Free Will | 1,493 | 1,619 | 1,304 | 1,486 | 87,898 | 85,109 | -3.0 |
| Catholics, Roman | 9,166 | 11,636 | 10,245 | 12,062 | 6,242,267 | 8,610,226 | 38.0 |
| Christians | 1,435 | 1,248 | 1,424 | 1,520 | 103,722 | 111,835 | 8.0 |
| Christian Scientists | 26 | 12,000 | 221 | 600 | 8,724 | 1,000,000 | ...... |
| Congregationalists | 5,058 | 5,614 | 4,868 | 5,604 | 512,771 | 629,874 | 23.0 |
| Disciples of Christ | 3,773 | 6,528 | 7,246 | 10,528 | 871,017 | 1,149,982 | 32.0 |
| Dunkards: | |||||||
| German Baptists | 1,622 | 2,612 | 729 | 850 | 61,101 | 95,000 | 55.0 |
| Episcopalians: | |||||||
| Protestant Episcopalians | 4,146 | 4,961 | 5,019 | 6,686 | 532,054 | 716,431 | 34.5 |
| Evangelical Bodies: | |||||||
| Evangelical Association | 1,235 | 1,052 | 2,310 | 1,806 | 133,313 | 118,865 | -11.0 |
| Friends: Orthodox | 1,113 | 1,279 | 794 | 820 | 80,655 | 91,868 | 14.0 |
| German Evangelical Synod | 680 | 909 | 870 | 1,129 | 187,432 | 203,574 | 8.5 |
| Jews | 200 | 301 | 533 | 570 | 130,496 | 211,627 | ...... |
| Latter Day Saints: | |||||||
| Mormons | 543 | 1,700 | 425 | 796 | 144,352 | 300,000 | 110.0 |
| Reorganized Church | l,500 | 2,200 | 431 | 600 | 21,773 | 45,500 | 109.0 |
| Lutherans: | |||||||
| All Divisions | 4,591 | 6,710 | 8,595 | 11,123 | 1,231,072 | 1,665,878 | 35.0 |
| Methodists: | |||||||
| Methodist Episcopal | 15,423 | 17,521 | 22,844 | 26,021 | 2,240,354 | 2,716,437 | 21.0 |
| Methodist Episcopal (South) | 4,801 | 6,041 | 12,688 | 14,244 | 1,209,976 | 1,457,864 | 20.5 |
| Methodist Episcopal (African) | 3,321 | 5,659 | 4,124 | 5,775 | 452,725 | 673,504 | 48.0 |
| African Zion | 1,565 | 3,125 | 1,587 | 2,906 | 349,788 | 536,271 | 5.3 |
| Presbyterians: | |||||||
| Presbyterians (North) | 5,934 | 7,335 | 6,717 | 7,469 | 788,224 | 973,433 | 23.5 |
| Cumberland Presbyterians | 1,861 | 1,734 | 2,791 | 2,957 | 164,940 | 180,192 | 9.0 |
| Presbyterians (South) | 1,129 | 1,461 | 2,391 | 2,959 | 179,721 | 225,890 | 33.5 |
| Reformed: | |||||||
| Dutch | 558 | 698 | 572 | 619 | 92,970 | 107,594 | 15.5 |
| German | 880 | 1,082 | 1,510 | 1,660 | 204,018 | 243,545 | 19.0 |
| Salvation Army | ......... | 2,689 | 329 | 753 | 8,742 | 40,000 | 350.0 |
| United Brethren in Christ | 2,267 | 1,897 | 3,731 | 4,229 | 202,474 | 243,841 | 20.0 |
| Unitarians | 515 | 550 | 421 | 459 | 67,749 | 71,000 | 5.0 |
| Universalists | 708 | 735 | 956 | 764 | 49,194 | 48,426 | -1.5 |
The large increase in the number of Christian Scientists is especially noteworthy. The Seventh Day Adventists, Mormons, the Salvation Army, and German Baptists also show an appreciable gain. The strongest denominations numerically are the Roman Catholics, Methodists, Baptists, Presbyterians, and Lutherans, in the order named. Details and latest statistics regarding the various denominations may be found under their respective headings.
The distribution of the several sects has largely followed the historic lines of immigration. The Roman Catholics are numerically the strongest in more than half the States, including New England, the far Northwest, and the Pacific divisions; while the Methodists and Baptists are about equally divided in the States south of Mason and Dixon's line. Massachusetts is the leading State of the Congregationalists, New York of the Episcopalians, Pennsylvania of the Presbyterians, North Carolina of the Methodists, and Georgia of the Baptists. See the articles on the various denominations.
Education. This topic is fully treated under the following headings: National Education, Systems of; Schools; Public Schools; Common Schools; Grammar Schools; Evening Schools; Universities; etc.
Charities. The National Government has no department concerned directly with charities, their control being in the hands of the State and municipal governments. Many private organizations and societies are also interested in the subject. See under the several State articles; also the articles on Charities; Pauperism; Charities and Correction, The National Conference of; Charity Organization Society; etc.
History. Colonial Period. The territory included within the United States of America was originally occupied solely by numerous tribes of Indians. The Northeastern coast was probably visited about the year A.D. 1000 and subsequently by the Northmen (see Vineland), and other navigators may in the following five centuries have sighted parts of the coast; but the existence of the American continent was unknown to the world at large until after Columbus's discovery in 1492. In 1497 John Cabot reached the coast of America, probably in the neighborhood of Cape Breton. The Portuguese Cortereal explored the coast southward from the Gulf of Saint Lawrence in 1500-01, and probably from as early a date as 1504 fishermen from Normandy and Brittany frequented the shores of Newfoundland. In 1513 Juan Ponce de Leon explored a portion of Florida in a romantic search for the fountain of youth; and in 1520 some Spanish vessels from Santo Domingo were driven upon the coast of Carolina. During the following year, through the conquests of Cortés (q.v.) and his followers, Mexico, including the territory later known as Texas, New Mexico, and California, became a province of Spain. In the same decade Verrazano explored the coast between North Caro-
