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By Kurt Vidmer

For my final research project, I will be analyzing the role that trading routes and trading posts played in the exchange of information during the antebellum United States. Although I will research information from around the country, I will work to pay particular attention to trade in the Southern region of the United States. With trade playing a large role in the American economy in the antebellum period, trading routes and posts served as somewhat of unofficial mail and information services for merchants and consumers. As my research continues I wish to deeper divulge into the role of trade as means of communication.

The initial primary source that I chose to analyze is an 1837 map entitled “United States”, created by William C. Woodbridge. This map includes all states east of Missouri, while also including western territories. What makes this map particular relevant to my research project is that it includes trading posts and forts, along with cities, universities, missionary stations, and Indian villages. Because it shows trading posts and forts, I can use this map to begin locating where certain trading posts are located, and use this information to analyze trends that may exist as far as post locations. Also, because this map provides names of the shown trading posts and forts, I can begin to research the individual trading posts and the type of people and products that each post consisted of. My end goal is to be able to find inventory and product lists of merchandise that went through individual posts in an effort to see specifically what type of information was being past through these trading posts and routes.

After thoroughly analyzing this map, I noticed some very interesting trends in relation to trading post locations. By far, Georgia, and specifically southern Georgia had the most trading posts and forts set up. Fort Scott, Fort Gaines, Fort Early, and Fort Hawkins were all located in Georgia. An expected characteristic that all of these trading forts had in common were that they were all located on rivers. There were also two trading forts located in Alabama, with Fort Jackson and Fort Stodard. These two were also located upon rivers. This helps to confirm my initial hypothesis that rivers would play a large role in the spread of communication and merchandise from post to post. Due to the fact that the majority of canals were formed in the north, due in large part because of the Great Lakes, natural bodies of water were vital for transportation in the southern United States.

However, there were also some characteristics about this map that surprised me. First off, there were hardly any trading posts located in North Carolina, South Carolina, and Virginia. This is confusing to me because I assumed that there would be many trading posts aligned along the southeastern coast to play a role with the trade from Europe. Yet as shown in the map, there were many more trading fort locations located in much closer proximity to the Gulf than the Atlantic. Also, even though the map says that it contains information about Indian Village locations, there are very few locations noted on the map, and none of which are in close proximity to any of the trading posts. This leads me to believe that Woodbridge did not have very accurate data on Indian locations because this map was published before the “Trail of Tears”, so it is almost certain that there were Cherokee villages located in Georgia and the Western Carolinas, yet the map does not indicate any such locations. It is my estimation that trading forts would have some relation to Indian Villages in attempt to maintain and control trade during this period, so in my future research, I will attempt to clear up this issue.

Overall, this map was a good starting point for me to begin locating trading posts and forts in America, and specifically to Southern United States. I will continue to press my research to find more specific and detailed locations, as well as information about the types of products being transported and traded.

Bibliography

Woodridge, William C. Geographical & statistical map of the United States. Hartford: 1837.