(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
