The Distribution of Population in the American Colonies in the Revolutionary Period

Both the numbers of the population of the American colonies in 1775 and the distribution of that population have long been the object of speculation. It is the purpose of this study to draw some conclusions as to the number of people in each colony, to show by means of maps the location of that population, and to explain its concentration and distribution. Like other ambitions, this one has been modified by conditions and by circumstances.The growth of population in the American colonies interested colonial governments mainly in order that they might know how heavy the tax levy need be to meet the necessary expenses of the year, and how many soldiers they could count upon in case of Indian attack. The most determined efforts to discover the number of people in the colonies came from the Lords of Trade, and two of the stock questions sent out to the governors were, "How many people are there in the colony?" "Has the population declined or increased in the last ten years ?" Conscientious governors felt the need of census returns in order to answer these question accurately; governors less careful about the accuracy of their replies sent estimates based upon the number of taxables.

Name thesis:degree_name

Ph.D. (doctoral)

Level thesis:degree_level

Dissertation

Discipline thesis:degree_discipline

Demography

Grantor

University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

Year dc:date

1931

Author dc:creator

• Sutherland, Stella Helen

• Revolutionary period
• American colonies
• Colonial governments

Language dc:language

eng