By 1790, the western boundary of the young United States had reached the eastern edge of the Appalachian Mountains—roughly 255 miles inland from the Atlantic. With a population nearing 4 million, an overwhelming 90% of Americans were farmers, forming the backbone of the nation’s economy and expansion.
Just a decade later, wagon trains and caravans carried ambitious settlers westward into the Tennessee and Ohio Valleys. By 1815, the invention of the steamboat revolutionized transport, opening vast new frontiers for agricultural development.
The westward movement not only defined America’s physical expansion but also transformed its agricultural landscape—marking a pivotal chapter in our farming heritage.
📅 That’s today’s American Agriculture History Minute.
🎙️ Mark Oppold reporting.