“Street vendor” roots in early American history

(Partial book review):

Hawkers and Walkers in Early America, Richardson Wright.

Geography played an important part in peddling because of the mountain ranges in the Northern states forcing people to form small settlements/communities for survival. In the Southern states, people spread out onto large plantations. Therefore, the North did more manufacturing whereas, the South was the agricultural breadbasket for many decades. The majority of exchanging goods was done by the traveling peddlers/vendors/salesmen.

            Usually Specializing Vendors traveled local, or far and wide. By 1830, the peddler's were using wagons with multiple products, not just a packhorse or a trunk full of small-specialized goods. Good peddlers would often arrange to participate in the spring or fall country fairs. In May and November farmers brought livestock, others brought household goods made at home to sell and barter. Entertainment at the fairs usually was sporting events and even music.

 Peddlers started out young and resourceful just to survive the journey from one small-town to the next. Often they had to feed themselves, sleep in the open air (homeless?), and avoid Indians and wild beasts. It was common knowledge that some peddlers were scoundrels but most were hard working and the better ones, after traveling the country for a few years, made small fortunes. They were also often the Main Source of distant News between different areas of the country. 

After a few years of traveling, many of the more successful and entrepreneurial peddlers would select the best thriving community to settle in. Finding a wife from the local population, they would then start a general store thereby securing his families now respectable place within the Merchant Class of society leaving behind the reputation of swindler, scoundrel, or con-man that only a few were truly a part of.

This was an excellent book for a broad spectrum understanding of the benefits peddlers brought to the growth and building of our country in its early history.

 Reference

 Hawkers and Walkers in Early America, this book was written by Richardson Wright and re-published by Ungar Publishing in New York in 1985 but was originally copyrighted in 1927 by J.B. Lippincott Co. 

Tags – street vendors, peddlers, review, entrepreneur, homeless, news, informal, formal, merchant class