The French were located in the continental interior while the English were located along the Atlantic seaboard. The interior was closed to settlement due to hostilities between France and Britain. Former Seaboard colonies had become separate culture hearths primary source areas and innovation centers. The New England Culture Hearth influenced southern and western margins of the Great Lakes westward to Oregon and Washington reflecting New England s architecture and village patterns. Goods and people move freely within and between regions of the country.
Relative isolation is uncommon, but it does exist.
Nearly 20 percent of all Americans change their residence in any one year. Although much of this residential migration is local in nature, it does result in substantial interregional population movement. Until the last decade of the 19 th century, there was a strong westward population shift toward frontier agricultural lands. The focus of opportunity then changed and migration shifted to urban areas. Such employment is much more flexible in its location, and there has been a more rapid growth in such employment in areas that appear to contain greater amenities.