THE EARLY REPUBLIC

THE GROWTH OF AMERICAN COMMUNITIES FROM COAST TO COAST

By 1800 2/3rds of the population still lived within 50 miles of the coast Typically lived on farms in or small towns

It took two days to get from NYC to Philadelphia; 4 days to Boston Horse & carriage only went 3-4 mph

Population was increasing rapidly 1790-1800 pop. went from 3.9M-5.3M By 1850 population spread from Atlantic to

Pacific

THE GROWTH OF AMERICAN COMMUNITIES FROM COAST TO COAST

Greatest population boom occurred west of the Appalachians Kentucky (1792) and

Tennessee (1796) were the first trans-Appalachian states admitted to the Union

THE GROWTH OF AMERICAN COMMUNITIES FROM COAST TO COAST

The most important cities in the east were the Atlantic seaports Charleston, Baltimore, Philadelphia, New York, Boston

A NATIONAL ECONOMY

In 1800, 94% of Americans lived in communities of less than 2,500 Middle states:

Four or five families would farm the same piece of land for themselves or others

Most crops were grown for home use, and most goods such as clothes and tools were made at home

Surpluses were sold within the local community (only 20% were sent out of town)

AGRARIAN SOCIETY

• Farmers had two concerns:• To provide food and common

comforts for their households

• To achieve long-term security and to pass that on to sons

NORTHERN FARMS

TRANSPORTATION CHANGES

THE NATIONAL ROAD

ROBERT FULTON AND THE CLERMONT

THE ERIE CANAL

I’VE GOT AN OLD MULE AND HER NAME IS SAL

Improvements in speed and economy made the northern market economy possible-- by 1840, improved transportation

had made a market revolution