1830-1860
The years between 1830 and 1860 witnessed a remarkable expansion of the
United States in area, population and wealth. By the annexation of
Texas and by treaties with England and Mexico, nearly a million square
miles of territory were added to the national domain and the western
boundary was pushed to the Pacific Ocean. The total number of people
increased in the thirty years from 12,866,020 to 31,443,321; the total
wealth from about $2,000,000,000 to more than $16,000,000,000. It was a
period of great prosperity for all branches of industry. As the tide of
settlers swept over the fertile lands drained by the Mississippi River
and Great Lakes, the agricultural production of the country increased
with amazing rapidity. The production of corn in 1859 was almost
1,000,000,000 bushels; of wheat and oats 175,000,000 bushels each, and
of cotton 4,300,000 bales, while the live stock of the country that
year, including, among other animals, 25,000,000 cattle, 22,000,000
sheep and 33,000,000 swine, was valued at $1,000,000,000. The
exploitation of the mineral resources of the nation was carried on more
rapidly. From 300,000 tons of coal mined in 1830, the quantity grew to
13,000,000 tons in 1860; the iron mines turned out 1,000,000 tons of
ore in 1860, the copper mines 7,000 tons and the lead mines 15,000
tons, while the production of gold in the far West, which began in
1849, averaged $55,000,000 annually during the following ten years.
Manufacturing likewise grew in importance, the value of its products
rising to nearly $2,000,000,000 in 1859. The tendency toward a
territorial division of industry was accentuated during this period.
Cotton cultivation became more than ever the dominant industry of the
entire South; most of the manufacturing was done in the New England and
Middle Atlantic States; the Northern Central States were devoted
primarily to the production of grain and live stock.
The development of the country was accompanied by the construction of
transportation facilities to care for the expanding trade. A large
number of important canals were completed; the Ohio River was joined to
Lake Erie; Pittsburgh and Philadelphia were connected by a rail and
water line; the Illinois River was connected with Lake Michigan at
Chicago; the St. Mary's Falls Canal was built to aid the navigation of
the Great Lakes, and many other waterways of lesser importance were
constructed. Railroads grew rapidly in favor and as time went on they
were built in increasing numbers and the construction of canals was
practically abandoned. Before 1840 over 2,800 miles of track were laid
and by 1850 the mileage amounted to 9,000. The decade from 1850 to 1860
was a period of extensive railway construction, especially in the
Northern Central States, where more than 10,000 miles were built. Early
in the decade the trunk lines of the Eastern States were pushed across
the mountains and through railway connection was established between
the Mississippi Valley and the Atlantic Ocean. New York was connected
with Chicago by a direct rail route in 1853, and with St. Louis in
1855, and in 1858 a railroad reached the Missouri River. In the South,
roads were built into the interior from all the important cities on the
Atlantic and Gulf coasts. In 1860 there was a total of 30,626 miles of
railroad in the entire country.
With the growth of population and wealth, the diversification of
industry and the development of canals and railroads, there was a great
increase in internal commerce. The trade of this period consisted of a
few well-defined currents flowing between certain sections. A large
volume of products, mainly agricultural, went from the Central States
to the East, and a traffic of less volume but of greater value moved in
the reverse direction. There was a heavy internal movement from the
Northern to the Southern States and a light movement from the South to
the North. Aside from these movements, there was an over-land trade by
pack-horse and wagon with the Far West which became of particular
importance after the discovery of gold. For the sake of greater
clearness, these different currents of trade will be considered
separately in the order named.