Trade Competition and Route Development in Georgia and the Carolinas, 1740-1900

Abstract

The “ideal-typical” sequence model of transportation development has been widely referenced, but its application outside of its original African context has not been well tested. A graphical analysis is employed to evaluate the utility of the concept in explanation of the evolution of the transportation network in the Piedmont and Coastal Plain sections of Georgia and the Carolinas from the mid-eighteenth century to the late nineteenth century. The historical geography of transport expansion in this area appears to support the general parameters of the ideal-typical sequence and provides useful material for instruction related to the national standards for geographic education.