Land, Business, Technology

As we close the chapter, let's compare our current map with the one from the previous chapter. Both are shown at the same scale, but the map from 1750 looks tiny by comparison. What a change, in just 100 years!

In 1750 there are scarcely any cities, and no settlements at all west of the great mountain barrier, or much below Virginia. By 1850, new states extend west beyond the Mississippi River, and south into Florida.

But the biggest change is in technology. River steamboats and steam locomotives now crisscross the entire country east of the Mississippi. This marks the end of America's adolescence. Adulthood is next.
Population growth, 1750-1850 map

  Pushing West
The American population is growing at an astonishing rate, increasing more than 30% every 10 years. Almost all the pioneers heading west are coming from the original 13 states. New immigrants arriving from Europe play almost no role. This is home-grown expansion, fueled in equal part by the availability of virgin land, and the means to get there by train and steamboat.

Government land sales, 1800-1860

  Land, Dirt-cheap
The rapid settlement of western lands is encouraged from the start by the national government. Unable to manage all the land transactions itself, the government instead surveys the land, divides it into large blocks, and then sells off these blocks for almost nothing. Even so, the minimum block size is far too large for a single family, so land speculators move in first. They form 'land companies' that later sell off lots of just a few dozen acres, to individual settlers.


Manufacturing and Investment, 1850 map

  Railroads Lead the Way
The top chart shows the most common manufacturing businesses in 1850. The top four categories involve either textile mills (wool and cotton) or iron (castings and wrought iron). The map shows that manufacturing activity (YELLOW highlights) is centered New England, with its many textile mills. The lower chart shows that the great bulk of new investment is being channeled into railroads, either existing or under construction. Commercial banking comes next, surpassing both mills and iron.