CHAPTER III

THE SITE OF THE COMMUNITY

IN beginning our study we must remember that the people and the locality both contribute something to make our community what it is.

The geographical features of the land enter into the life of the community in many ways. In its relation Importance to the land, we may compare the growth of a of the land community to the growth of a plant. The plant derives its support from the soil. Some kinds of plants flourish in one kind of soil, other kinds in other soils. In the case of all plants, their size and fruitfulness depend not merely on the kind of seed sown, but also on the character of the soil. It is the same with communities. Whether a community shall live or die may depend entirely on the character of its site.

The importance of the character of the land is seen clearly in the account of the founding of the community in the first chapter. The site of a community is not always selected so carefully as in that case; but the influence of the site is always important.

Natural geographical conditions usually determine where large cities shall grow. Nature seems to have planned the mouth of the Hudson River as the

In deter

where cities shall grow

mining site of the greatest city on the Atlantic coast. A good harbor, like that of Boston or San Francisco; the junction of two navigable rivers, as at Pittsburg or St. Louis; the falls of a river, checking navigation

and affording water power, as at Minneapolis or Louisville; the head of a river estuary, as at Quebec or Philadelphia; the center of a rich region where roads naturally cross, as at Indianapolis - all these are conditions favoring, if not determining, the growth of large communities.

The health of a community depends in many ways on the character of the land. Low, flat regions are likely to be unhealthful. Sluggish streams and lakes In relation that tend to become stagnant breed disease. to health The supply of drinking water is an important matter, and often depends on the character of the underlying rocks into which wells are dug. These geographical influences become of the greatest importance in cities where the population is dense, for the artificial drainage may be good or bad according to the character of the natural drainage; and the water supply is in much greater danger of pollution in the city than in smaller communities. A stream which is naturally clear and sparkling may become, in the heart of a city, a foul breeding place of disease.

Climate is also one of the conditions that influence community life. A little thought will show how climate may determine the mode of life-the character of Influence of the houses, the form of clothing, and even the climate nature of the sports and amusements of the people.

The influence of natural resources on the forms of industry and on the growth and prosperity of communities is so clear that it is not necessary to dwell Influence upon it. Can you not think of some cities in of natural

resources

the United States that are celebrated for industries which depend on the presence of important natural resources?

In many rural communities the farmers are almost completely isolated from one another during a part of the year

Influence

because the roads are impassable, owing to a soil which forms a deep mud, or to the flat and swampy character of the land. This condition interferes with the of surface social, business, and intellectual life of the farmfeatures ers, and influences their relations with one another in many ways. An unusually hilly site may affect the social and the business life of a city. A river and its branches may divide a city into parts more or less distinct and with differing characteristics. Such a city is Chicago, with its North, West, and South Sides.

geography on the development of Virginia

Virginia is a good example of how the land may shape the character and the history of a large community. The Influence of development of this colony and state was determined to a remarkable extent by conditions of climate, soil, and surface which encouraged the cultivation of the tobacco plant. This industry required large plantations, which were distributed along the shores of the navigable rivers, of which there were many. These rivers were large enough to permit the ocean vessels of that time to pass some distance up their courses. Therefore each planter had his wharf, at which he loaded his tobacco for shipment and received manufactured goods from abroad. These conditions discouraged the growth of cities, and the population remained almost wholly rural. An abundance of cheap labor was necessary, and hence slavery gained a foothold. The scattering of the population over wide areas made it difficult for the people to come together at a common meeting place, so that the township organization with its government by town-meeting, such as was found in New England, was impracticable, and the county system of government developed instead (see chapter XXI).

The character of our national community depends in a large measure on the character of the land. Rich resources have made our land a place of opportunity to all.

The home

East of the Rocky Mountains, at least, the of our country is well fitted geographically to be the nation home of a single great nation rather than of many small ones. The whole region from the Rockies to the Alleghanies is closely bound together by river systems. The navigable rivers in early days, and the conditions which have made the building of railroads easy in later times, have hastened the settlement of the country. Our situation between the two great oceans has protected us from foreign aggression, and it has also given us a great advantage in the commerce of the world. Our geographical conditions. have been favorable to the development of a great nation, united under common interests and common laws. Yet we have had many geographical difficulties to overcome. "For the creation of the nation the conquest of her proper territory from Nature was first necessary. . . . A bold race has derived inspiration from the size, the difficulty, the danger of the task."

FOR INVESTIGATION

1. a. If you live on a farm or are well acquainted with one, make a sketch map of it, showing position of highlands, lowlands, marshes, timber, streams; also, houses, barns, roads, bridges.

b. Did the features of the land determine the location of the buildings? Of the roads and bridges? The drainage of the farm? The kinds of crops raised on different parts of the farm?

c. Has the character of the land influenced the life of the farmer's family in any way? (Bear in mind climate, the change of seasons, the presence of woods, good or bad roads; and think of their effects upon going to school or church, amusements, social life.)

2. Can you discover any advantages in the site of the town in which you live, or in the one nearest to your home, that determined its location? How?

3. Make a map of the site of your town or city showing the natural drainage; i.e. the streams into which the land is drained. Is the drainage good or bad? Is it equally good in all parts of the city?

4. What are the natural resources of the region in which your community is situated? How have they influenced the life of the community?

5. Are the geographical conditions in your community favorable to good roads in the country districts? Explain fully. How does this influence the life of the towns? Of the farmers?

6. Is you community divided into districts or regions by any natural features (hills, streams, etc.)? Can you show any results of this fact upon the life of the community?

7. What geographical conditions affect your supply of drinking water?

8. Is your state noted for any particular industries? If so, what geographical conditions have helped to make it so?

9. What geographical difficulties had to be overcome in the development of your state? How has the government helped to overcome geographical difficulties?

REFERENCES

The teacher should see that the work in this chapter is correlated with the pupil's work in geography.