Memoir, Correspondence, and Miscellanies, From the Papers of Thomas Jefferson, Volume 2Jefferson, Thomas
History
Memoir, Correspondence, and Miscellanies, From the Papers of Thomas Jefferson, Volume 2
Jefferson, Thomas
United States -- Politics and government -- 1775-1783; United States -- Politics and government -- 1783-1865
We are led naturally to ask, where the progress of our sea breezes will
ultimately be stopped? No confidence can be placed in any answer to
this question. If they should ever pass the mountainous country which
separates the waters of the ocean from those of the Mississippi, there
may be circumstances which might aid their further progress, as far as
the Mississippi. That mountainous country commences about two hundred
miles from the sea coast, and consists of successive ranges passing
from northeast to southwest, and rising the one above the other to the
Allegany Ridge, which is the highest of all. From that, lower and lower
ridges succeed one another again, till having covered, in the whole, a
breadth of two hundred miles from southeast to northwest, they subside
into a plain, fertile country, extending four hundred miles to the
Mississippi, and probably much further on the other side, towards the
heads of the western waters. When this country shall become cultivated,
it will, for the reasons before explained, draw to it winds from
the east and west. In this case, should the sea breezes pass the
intermediate mountains, they will rather be aided than opposed in their
further progress to the Mississippi. There are circumstances, however,
which render it possible that they may not be able to pass those
intermediate mountains. 1. These mountains constitute the highest lands
within the United States. The air on them must consequently be very cold
and heavy, and have a tendency to flow both to the east and west. 2.
Ranging across the current of the sea breezes, they are in themselves,
so many successive barriers opposed to their progress. 3. The country
they occupy is covered with trees, which assist to weaken and spend
the force of the breezes. 4. It will remain so covered; a very small
proportion of it being capable of culture. 5. The temperature of its
air, then, will never be softened by culture.
Whether in the plain country between the Mississippi and Allegany
mountains, easterly or westerly winds prevail at present, I am not
informed. I conjecture, however, that they must be westerly: and I
think with you, Sir, that if those mountains were to subside into
plain country, as their opposition to the westerly winds would then be
removed, they would repress more powerfully those from the east, and of
course would remove the line of equilibrium nearer to the sea coast for
the present.
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