Big River
Historical Notes
The story of Big River, and of The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn
takes place, probably sometime in the 1840s. Here are some events of the period.
From around 1800 to 1860 the main transportation link between the midwestern
states (or "western states", as they were called then) was the
Mississippi River. Farm products would be floated down the Ohio and
Mississippi on rafts, and then the boatmen would walk back on such roads as
Natchez Trace. With the advent of the riverboat, most traffic used
these. It was not practical to carry grain across the Appalachian
mountains: a horse or mule would have to eat all the grain it could pull in a
wagon just to make it over the mountains!
Around 1860, a rail network was complete in the northeast and midwest.
Although rail transportation cost more per mile than riverboat transporation,
the distance to the coast was less, and railroads were more reliable; less
subject to weather. From this time the midwestern states were bound more
closely to the northeast than to the south.
Presidents of the United States
- Andrew Jackson--1829-1837
- Martin Van Buren--1837-1841
- William Henry Harrison--1841
- John Tyler--1841-1845
- James Knox Polk--1845-1849
Admission of States to the Union
- Maine: 1820 (carved out of Massachussets)
- Missouri: 1821 (formed from part of the Missouri Territory, which
consisted of all of the Louisiana Purchase area north the present southern
boundary of the present state of Missouri. The admission of Maine and
Missouri was part of the famous Missouri Compromise, which kept the
balance of free and slave states in the union, and also prohibited slavery
north of 36° 30' N, the southern boundary of Missouri.
- Arkansas: 1836 (from the eastern portion of Arkansas Territory, the
western portion reverting to unorganized status, and henceforth reserved for
Indians, and called "Indian Territory". At the time, the
population of Arkansas really didn't justify admission of a state, but
Michigan was clamoring for statehood, and Arkansas was admitted to preserve
the balance of slave and free states.)
- Michigan: 1837 (from Michigan Territory; In 1836 the western part
of the Michigan Territory was organized as Wisconsin Territory.)
- Florida: 1845 (from Florida Territory, which had been aquired from
Spain in 1819)
- Texas: 1845 (annexation of the independent Republic of Texas.
This annexation precipitated the war with Mexico.)
- Iowa: 1846 (from Iowa Territory, the remainder of which was
organized [1849] as Minnesota Territory, with a portion of Wisconsin
Territory)
- Wisconsin: 1848 (from Wisconsin Territory [organized 1836].
In 1838, the western part of the territory was organized as Iowa Territory.
After Wisconsin became a state, the remaining portion of Wisconsin Territory
was added [1849] to Minnesota Territory; the admission of Wisconsin brought
the free-slave state numbers back into balance.)
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