The Northeast
Tatum Tinsley-1st period
Physical Characteristics
The Northeast is known for its beautiful landscape. The unique combination of precipitation, type of soil, and varieties of trees that thrive in this region make it possible for it to give off its breathtaking fall colors.
Natural Resources of the Northeast
Compared to other regions. the Northeast has a very limited amount of natural resources. This regions thin, rocky soils are a challenge to the area's farmers. Apart from the coal-rich areas of Pennsylvania, the region has few mineral resources. They only have one major resource which has turned it into a center of trade and industry-its waters. Since Colonial times, people of the Northeast have engaged in commerce and fishing.
A Leader in Industry
The Northeast has many rivers, including the Connecticut and the Hudson that have both been vital to its history. The abundant precipitation, about 35 to 50 inches a year, combined with the hilly terrain, keeps the rivers of the region flowing swiftly. Industrialists converted the power of these rivers into machine power by using water wheels. Throughout the 1800's factories were built along the region's rivers. The factories produced cotton cloth, shoes, and other goods that were sold across the United States. By the early 1900's the Northeast was the most productive manufacturing region in the world.
The Megalopolis
Young people from the Northeastern countryside all fled to factory towns to take industrial jobs. Europeans also immigrated to the U.S. for jobs, and by 1850 the population doubled. Many also came to escape political oppression and economic hardships. Today, many people in the Northeast are descendants of these earlier immigrants who came by sea. By the 1960's the area from Boston to Washington D.C. earned a new name- "MEGALOPOLIS"- coming from Greek Roots meaning "a very large city." About 40 million people now live in this megalopolis.