were four extensions of population through as many gaps in the Appalachian barrier, constituting the four main paths along which migration westward first took place: the Mohawk Valley in New York, the upper Potomac, the Appalachian Valley, and around the southern base of the Appalachian system. Four outlying groups beyond the mountains, with perhaps a twentieth part of the total population of the nation,—one about Pittsburg, one in West Virginia, another in northern Kentucky, and the last in Tennessee: all determined in situation by river highways—bore witness to the qualities of strength and courage of the American pioneer. Finally, there were in 1790 about a score of small trading or military posts, mainly of French origin, scattered over the then almost unbroken wilderness of the upper Mississippi Valley and region of the Great Lakes.
Twelve decennial censuses taken since that time (1800–1910) have revealed the extraordinary spread of population over the present area of the country (see Census: United States). The large percentage of the population, particularly of the great urban centres, that is established to-day in the river lowlands, reflects the rôle that water highways have played in the peopling of the country. The dwindling and growths of Nevada down to the present day, and to not a slight degree the general history of the settlement of the states of the Rocky Mountain region, are a commentary on the fate of mining industries. The initial settlement of the Pacific coast following the discovery of gold in California in 1848, and of the eastern base of the Rocky Mountains after the discovery of gold in 1859, illustrates the same factor. The Mormons settled Utah to insure social isolation, for the security of their theological system. A large part of the Great Plains to the east of the Rockies was taken up as farms in the decade 1880–1890; abandoned afterwards, because of its aridity, to stock grazing; and reconverted from ranches into farms when a system of dry farming had proved its tillage practicable. The negro more or less consciously moves, individually, closer into the areas whose climate and crops most nearly meet his desires and capabilities as a farmer; and his race as a whole unconsciously is adjusting its habitat to the boundaries of the Austroriparian life zone. The country's centre of population in 110 years moved more than 500 m. westward, almost exactly ialong the 39th parallel of latitude: 9.5 degrees of longitude, with an extreme variation of less than 19 minutes of latitude.
Growth of the Nation in Population.—If the 19th century was remarkable with respect to national and urban growth the world over, it was particularly so in the growth of the United States. Malthus expressed the opinion that only in such a land of unlimited means of living could population freely increase. The total population increased from 1800 to 1900 about fourteen fold (1331.6%).[1] The rate of growth indicated in 1900 was still double the average rate of western Europe.[2] In the whole world Argentina alone (1869–1895) showed equal (and greater) growth. At the opening of the century not only all the great European powers of to-day but also even Spain and Turkey exceeded the United States in numbers; at its close only Russia. At the census of 1910, while the continental United States population (excluding Alaska) was 91,972,266, the total, including Alaska, Hawaii and Porto Rico, but excluding the Philippine Islands, Guam, Samoa and the Canal Zone, was 93,402,151.
| Census Years. |
Continental United States, exclusive of Alaska. | |||||||||||||
| Population enumerated. | Number of foreign immigrants entering in preceding decade. |
Areas (excluding water), in square miles. | ||||||||||||
| Population within area of 1790. |
Population within added area. |
Total population. | Total area. | Settled area. | ||||||||||
| Number. | Dec- ennial incr- ease per cent. |
Total. | Area acquired in preceding decade. |
Area with not less than two persons per sq. m. |
Total area covered by census. |
Density of population. | ||||||||
| Estimated area of isolated settlements beyond the general frontier. |
Total. | Of area with not less than two persons per sq. m. |
Of entire census area. | |||||||||||
| Area of 1790. |
Added area. |
Whole area. | ||||||||||||
| 1790 | 3,929,625 | — | 3,929,214 | — | — | 819,466 | — | 239,935 | 13,850 | 417,170 | 16.4 | 9.4 | — | 9.6 |
| 1800 | 5,247,355 | 61,128 | 5,308,483 | 35.1 | — | 819,466 | — | 305,708 | 33,800 | 434,670 | 17.4 | 12.6 | 0.2 | 12.2 |
| 1810 | 6,779,308 | 460,573 | 7,239,881 | 36.4 | — | 1,698,107 | 878,641§ | 407,945 | 25,100 | 556,010 | 17.7 | 16.3 | 0.8 | 13.0 |
| 1820 | 8,293,869 | 1,344,584 | 9,638,453 | 33.1 | 250,000† | 1,752,347 | 54,240|| | 508,717 | 4,200 | 688,670 | 18.9 | 19.9 | 2.4 | 13.9 |
| 1830 | 10,240,232 | 2,625,788 | 12,860,692* | 33.5 | 143,439 | 1,752,347 | — | 632,717 | 4,700 | 877,170 | 20.3 | 24.5 | 4.3 | 14.5 |
| 1840 | 11,781,231 | 5,288,222 | 17,063,353* | 32.7 | 599,125 | 1,752,347 | — | 807,292 | 2,150 | 1,183,870 | 21.1 | 28.2 | 7.1 | 14.4 |
| 1850 | 14,569,584 | 8,622,292 | 23,191,876 | 35.9 | 1,713,251 | 2,939,021 | 1,186,674¶ | 979,249 | 38,375 | 1,519,170 | 23.7 | 34.9 | 5.3 | 15.2 |
| 1860 | 17,326,157 | 14,117,164 | 31,443,321 | 35.6 | 2,598,214 | 2,970,038 | 31,017** | 1,194,754 | 107,375 | 1,951,520 | 26.3 | 41.5 | 5.7 | 16.1 |
| 1870 | 19,687,504 | 18,870,867 | 38,558,371 | 22.6 | 2,314,824 | 2,970,038 | — | 1,272,239 | 131,910 | 2,126,290 | 30.3 | 47.2 | 7.6 | 13.4 |
| 1880 | 23,925,639 | 26,263,570 | 50,155,783 | 30.1 | 2,812,191 | 2,970,038 | — | 1,569,565 | 260,025 | 2,727,454 | 32.0 | 57.4 | 10.6 | 18.4 |
| 1890 | 28,188,321 | 34,791,445 | 62,947,714 | 24.9 | 5,246,613 | 2,970,038 | — | 1,947,280 | — | 2,974,159 | 32.2 | 67.6 | 13.6 | 19.2 |
| 1900 | 33,533,630 | 42,749,757 | 75,994,575* | 20.7 | 3,844,420 | 2,970,138 | 100 | 1,925,590 | — | 2,974,159 | 39.5 | 80.4 | 16.7 | 25.5 |
| 1910 | — | — | 91,972,266* | 21.0 | 7,753,816‡ | — | — | — | — | 2,974,159 | — | — | — | 30.9 |
|
*Excludes persons of the military and naval service stationed abroad (5318 in 1830; 6100 in 1840; 91,219 in 1900). |
In 1790 there were about 600,000 white families in the United States. Speaking broadly, there were few very rich and few very poor. Food was abundant. Both social traditions and the religious beliefs of the people encouraged fecundity. The country enjoyed domestic tranquillity. All this time, too, the land was but partially settled. Mechanical labour was scarce, and even upon the farm it was difficult to command hired service, almost the only farm labourers down to 1850, in the north, being young men who went out to work for a few years to get a little money to marry upon. A change was probably inevitable and came, apparently, between 1840 and 1850.
The accessions in that decade from Ireland and Germany were enormous, the total immigration rising to 1,713,251 against 599,125 during the decade preceding, and against only 143,439 from 1820 to 1830. These people came in condition to breed with unprecedented rapidity, under the stimulus of an abundance,
