LESSON VII THE NORTHEASTERN SECTION It has been seen that our country is very large, and that its parts differ greatly in land surface, climate, and products. The occupations of the people also differ. In studying these occupations it is best to think of the country as divided into sections, and to study each section by itself. For this purpose we shall divide the United States into four sections. They are the Northeastern Section, the Southern Section, the Central Section, and the Western Section. We shall begin our study with the Northeastern Sec tion. This was the first section settled by the white people. It includes the six New England States, also New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Delaware, and West Virginia. It is one of the greatest manufacturing regions in the world. There are cities and towns with many mills and factories all through the section. The presence of abundant waterpower and rich coal and iron fields have had much to do with its growth. For many years waterfalls furnished the power needed to turn the wheels of the mills. To-day this waterpower is also used to make electricity, which may be sent to run the machinery in mills hundreds of miles away. Some mills are run by steam power produced by burning coal. Coal for this purpose may be easily obtained from the Appalachian Mountain coal fields. Machines used in factories are made of iron and steel. Again the northeast is fortunate, for there are great quantities of iron ore in the mines of Pennsylvania and West Virginia. These favorable conditions have resulted in a great variety of manufactures. There are in this section more than 289,000 manufacturing establishments employing over 9,000,000 wage earners.1 The amount of the goods produced is enormous. Thousands of bales of wool and cotton are spun and woven into cloth every year. One cotton mill produces more than two miles of cloth in a minute. This mill alone, if it worked full time, would produce more than a million miles of cloth in a year. Besides great quantities of cotton and woolen goods boots, shoes, jewelry, and articles made from wood, iron, steel, and other metals are manufactured. They are sent all over the world. The mills have greatly increased the population of this section. Some of the cities are already crowded. Many of the states, although not as large as the states of the West, have many more people. Manufacturing, then, is the most important business of the Northeast. There are many other industries, however. Farming is done. Tobacco, fruits, hay, grain, potatoes, and other vegetables are raised. 1 Census of 1920. Dairying is another important industry, especially in Vermont. Fishing has always been an important industry. Boston is one of the greatest fish markets in the world. Oil, gas, and salt are also found. Questions and Topics for Discussion What are the four sections into which we have divided the United States? What is the purpose of so dividing the country? What states does the Northeastern Section include? Give three reasons why there is so much manufacturing in the Northeastern Section. How has the waterpower been used? In what other way is it being used to-day? What effect has the presence of coal and iron had? In what have these favorable conditions resulted? Tell about the amount and variety of goods produced every year. What about the population in this section? Write upon the board the name of the most important business of the Northeast. Name some of the other industries. Is your native land a manufacturing section? LESSON VIII GREAT CITIES OF THE NORTHEAST NOTE TO TEACHER. Compare the great cities of the Northeast with the cities of the pupil's native land. Compare the chief occupations in each. Compare the opportunities for earning a living in the city in which the pupil now lives, with the opportunities in his native land. In the last lesson we learned that the Northeastern Section of the United States is one of the great manufacturing regions of the world. There are more cities and large towns here than in any other area of the same size in the country. Give three reasons why this is true. Most cities are alike in many ways. They have many streets streets where people live, and business streets. Crowds pass back and forth from shops, schools, and offices. In nearly all cities there is some manufacturing, and trade is carried on by rail and water. We shall speak here of only a few of the largest cities in the Northeastern Section. New York City New York City is the largest city in the United States. Next to London it is the largest city in the world. It is located on the Atlantic seacoast, at the mouth of the Hudson River. It has an excellent harbor, where the largest ships in the world may dock. Many great railway lines center in New York, entering the city from every direction. The Erie Canal and the Hudson River are valuable waterways that connect it with the West. The excellent harbor, the many railroads, and the waterways make it easy to carry on trade with the interior of our own country, and with foreign countries. This opportunity for trade has led to the growth of New York as our greatest manufacturing and commercial center. New York leads in the manufacture of clothing, although nearly every manufactured article needed by man is made in or near the city. |