The Writings of Thomas Jefferson, Vol. 2 (of 9): Being His Autobiography, Correspondence, Reports, Messages, Addresses, and Other Writings, Official and PrivateJefferson, Thomas
History
The Writings of Thomas Jefferson, Vol. 2 (of 9): Being His Autobiography, Correspondence, Reports, Messages, Addresses, and Other Writings, Official and Private
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 north-east to south-west, and rising the one above the other to the
Alleghany 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 the air, then, will never be softened by
culture.
Whether in the plain country between the Mississippi and Alleghany
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.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
Reviews
Reviews
No reviews yet
Be the first to share your thoughts on this work.
Elsewhere in the archive
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account