The Evening statesman. [volume] (Walla Walla, Wash.) 1903-1910, 1909-03-31
CENTURY OF GROWTH
IN THE UNITED STATES

an aggregate population of 3,9OO,00
occupying more than 100000 square
miles of territory. In 1850 more than
half of the inhabitants were in the
New England colonies and most of the
date the proportion in New England
steadily declined, and the proportion
in the southern colonies increased.
Colonial Population of Cities.
! Three cities-New York, Philadel-
! phia. and Boston-have continued 10
only in the number of their inhabitants
but also jim prosperity and influence
From its founda ion in 1880 until the
middle Of the eighteenth century, Bos-
ton was the most populous town in
/ the American colonies. Philadelphia
(including suburbs) then took the lead,
which it retained until it in turn was
passed by New York, after the estab-
Flishment of constitutional govern
ment. Hence each of these three cities
at some period has been the leader in
population.
Ali of the great area lying south Of
the Potomac must be regarded as hav-
ing been distinctly rural in the colo
NAL period. In North Carolina, one OF
the larger commonweal hs, even as
late as 1890 no community existed in
which the population exceeded 1000 in
habitants.
In 100 the aggregate population of
the three leading cities-Boston, New
York, and Philadelphia-wa aproxi-
mately 1880. Ninety years later the
aggregate population of these three
cities was $4,000, having increased six
fold. In 1900 the population Of the
three cities mentioned was 1921, 791.
An increase of $4,000 in the first CEN
fury of existence is therefore to be
compared with an increase of $780,
900 in the second.
Statistics and Comparison.
The tables and text which appear in
this report form the first systematic
analysis of the returns of the first
census of the United States. Compare
sons have been made, especially with
1900, in order to show a century of
change, and also in some ms ances
with the returns at intermediate CEN
suses where the facts have proved to
be especially significant.
The population of the United States
increased nine: eenfold from 1890 to
1900; and nearly tenfold in the area
enumerated at the first census. The in
crease of the New England states has
been slightly more than fivefold, that
of the middle states fifteenfold, and
of the southern states a little more
than skiold.
OF 3,171,0 900 white persons enumerat-
ed in 1890, approximately two million
survived thirty years later, In 1850
$4,000 survived; in 1880, 1850, ana
in 1900, % persons, reporting their
ages as 10 years and over, still sur
vived. 1t is possible, therefore, that at
the twelfth census there were still liv-
ing persons enumerat ed at the first
census. taken one hundred and ten
years before.
At the first census but six cities re-
ported a population of approximately
5000 Inhabitants Compared with this
number in 1900 there were 2S6 cities
and towns in the same area having a
population of 500 or more. In Rhode
Island alone, the smallest of all the
states, there were more cities of 5000
Inhabitants than there were in the
entire United States in 1890.
The aggregate population of all
cities in the area enumerated in 1890,
which in 1900 reported more than So