Prologue

Dedicated to the Big Brains of MR, Charlie and Bob B

The striking characteristic of the social condition of Anglo-Americans
Is its essential Democracy.

Alexis de Tocqueville Democracy in America (1834)

Prior to upgrades in the 1880 Census statistics tracking America’s development from a small colonial settlement to a global power were hard to find. This book captures a thirty year quest to locate the best data available and present it in clear fashion both for students and scholars alike.

Students and even scholars of early American history typically encounter great difficulty in finding statistical databases that help explain the nation’s development into a global superpower. This book reflects years of digging out the best data available and presenting it in clear fashion.