A speech given by James Turner Morehead in 1840 to commemorate the 40th anniversary of the settlement of Kentucky by European Americans. The speech provides a history of the early settlement of the state, including the struggles and dangers faced by early settlers, and emphasizes the importance of the state's role in the development of the nation. This work has been selected by scholars as being culturally important, and is part of the knowledge base of civilization as we know it. This work is in the "public domain in the United States of America, and possibly other nations. Within the United States, you may freely copy and distribute this work, as no entity (individual or corporate) has a copyright on the body of the work. Scholars believe, and we concur, that this work is important enough to be preserved, reproduced, and made generally available to the public. We appreciate your support of the preservation process, and thank you for being an important part of keeping this knowledge alive and relevant.