The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1906-04-15
iii.

this volume than that which depicts the
state Of society in the United States between
1880 and 1901. The increase OF population
from 1895, 21a in 1870 to 6,3C8. <sS in 1900
was due chiefly to births, for immigration
had been cut of by the Revolution and
although many. efforts were made to at
tract it again with the return OF peace
the estimated annual immigration was
not more than 1000 persons. 1t was not
considerable until after the War OF 1912.
About 95 per cent. Of The inhabitants lived
in villa ges or In the open country. The
Atlantic Coast region was one vast stretch
of forest and farms. On the river banks
neal the coast, especially in the South.
much of the and had been cleared for
cultivation. In the interior the cleared
patches were small Everywhere the in
habitants we're looking for the most fertile
landslide great farmers for river low
ground" the medium farmers for creek
alow ground the small farmers for the
meadows which lay between the upland
hills, The land which it did not pay to
| clear was left to the dominion OF the forest.
Through the great woodlands the roads
were few and badly constructed. The
people who lived in the occasional clearings
| along them were too poor 10 build good
roads, and the infrequent trips they made
to the world beyond them did not justify
the necessary outlay. Their lives were
isolated, natural and free. They we're
poorly educated, ignorant of the problems
| OF the world and flercely democratic. These
people far o~utnumbered the wealthy
farmers along the lower courses OF the
rivers. They were the backbone Of the
Je~ffersonian Democracy Of the country
On the other hand, the great planters OF
the South dominated the communities in
which they lived; they were most numerous
along the coasts, where the lands were
| richer. They were people of education,
and their ideals we're broader than those
OF the men of the interior. Many Of them
we're Republicans on philosophical grounds
| and because they favored France, but the
majority we're Federalists. All OF them,
whatever their politics. we're ~aristocrats
In their social ideals -,, ',r
When we turn to the Middle States we
| find that a medium class OF small farmers
constituted the mass Of the population.
Thew we're less isolated than the jewellers
in the interior parts Of the South, for In the
| Middle States the forests had succumbed
more extensively to the axe OF the settler
Distances from the large seaports were
not so great, and roads were tolerable.
Education was somewhat moro advanced,
| churches were more numerous, ideas were
less provincial. In New England the
primeval forest had disappeared in a much
larger measure, chiefly because Of the lum-
Der and shipbuilling industries. VIII
laees were grouped along the edges OF The
--.zlz ool xarin,,a ANAL afraana
and around them lay little farms, upon
| which, with much labor, the food oil the
community was raised. The country was
| thickly settled compared with other sec
tons. roads were better, houses were more
attractively built, and the educational
spirit was more generally diftused than
anywhere else in the country.
Most of the considerable towns were
north Of the Potomac. 1t ia true that
| Charleston had a population OF about $4,000
in 1880, and was the centre of a large trade
in rice and slaves, but Savannah was still
a small place. At the date named. Rich
mond, the largest town OF Virginia, num-
bered only S,76l inhabitants; Norfolk,
Petersburg and Alexandria were the only
, other towns in the State which had a popu-
lotion Of 1000 or more. In North Caro-
| lima not a town Of that size existed. In
! 100 the northern citieN we're led by Phila-
| delphia, with a population Of $4,000. Many
things combined to give it a rapid growth,
! an that in 1900 it had 10000 inhabitants.
New York, next in size, rose from $4,000 In
,7ao TO 10000 a decade later. Boston,
which had long been one Of the most re-
markable OF colonial cities, showed signs Of
lagpine. From 1890 to 1900 it's population
Increased only from IL, 1000 to $4,000. The
dav had not vet arrived when 1t would be-
come the fiscal centre Of New England man
ufactures. One OF the most remarkable
features Of town development in the period
under review was the growth OF Baltimore.
Long q sleepy colonial community, It sud
| denly awakened to great activity. From
~ 600 in 1880 it expanded, largely through
the development Of the Susquehanna VAL
lev. to "a. 500 at the end Of a single decade.
In size and trade 1t then surpassed Boston.
II seems strange now to be told that in 1870
Virginia was not only the most populous
State. but contained almost twice as a
inhabitants as the next largest, Pennsyl-
vapia. and that New York was exceeded
not only by those two CONFERENCE.-The,
hut also by North Carolina Inc Massa-
chusetts, and was somewhat closely APP
preached by South Carolina and Connecti-
cut. Virginia, indeed, lacked only $4,000
Of having in 100 as many inhabitants az all
the New England States which joined in the
adoption of the Constitution. Under the
circumstance it is scarcely surprising that
OF the first five Presidents four should have
been citizens Of the Old Dominion.
Between 1900 and 1901 the trar sportation
Of heavy articles was confined chiefly to
water routes. At the he ad Of navigation
on zach river a small town would be found
whence roads ran into the interior. The
advantages Of water trar sportation turned
tho attention Of progressive men to the
buildirg of canals, of which a few had been
fairly begun by the end OF the eighteenth
century. Travellers usually went by stage
coach. and where the country was thickly
settled they might travel as rapidly as was
then practicable in the rural sections OF
Europe. For instance, from Bargor to
Baltimore they could mako four miles an
hour on an average. South OF the latter
point the roads were bad and conveyances
were uncertain. Everywhere the coaches
- 49, - 18th kt-L .{Ix-