When the first British colonist traveled to America, they sailed in a fairly direct westerly course that brought many of them to the northern Atlantic Coastal Plain. Along the coastline they found numerous islands, peninsulas, bays and river estuaries. These natural harbors would become the main ports of shipping and immigration (An Outline of American Geography).

Although the Fall Line was an impediment to water travel for the early colonists, it was a good source of po

New York was located on a natural harbor and at the beginning of the easiest route through the Appalachians (the Hudson river). As the interior was settled and economic activity increased, New York became the port that benefited most from the growing trade between Europe, the Caribbean, and America.

The increase in trade spurred an increase in manufacturing that was centered in the growing cities of the Fall Line. As urban industry grew the demand for labor increased. Many immigrants from Europe arrived, boosting the populations of the cities and creating a diverse mixture of cultures. Service activities, wholesale and retail businesses, and shipping all grew and provided for further urban expansion.

Wheat production and flour milling were the most important industries of the early colonies and Philadelphia was the number one flour exporting city of America. The shipping and milling merchants became wealthy and powerful. They dominated the Pennsylvania government.

The rich farmland of the Chesapeake fueled the growth of Richmond and Baltimore. When it was found that tobacco could be grown there, these two cities became the ports from which the finished product was shipped to Europe

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