DISTRIBUTION OF AMERICAN GENIUS 



i95 



cent, above New York, the state outside of New England coming next in 

 rank. 



There is another test to which the figures may he subjected. There 

 may conceivably be some relation between the educational advantages 

 offered in cities and the proportion of eminent men developed in any 

 population. The champions of environment as the modifying factor in 

 life insist that the influences of city life go far to outweigh heredity 

 qualities. Therefore, since the northeastern portion of the United States 

 was the original center of educational activity, and since it now contains 

 the largest proportion of city population, it might well be expected to 

 produce the largest proportion of eminent persons. 



There were twenty-seven cities which reported a population of more 

 than 20,000 in 1850. A separate tabulation for these gives an excellent 

 idea of the proportion of eminent persons born in city and rural districts. 

 In passing, it is interesting to note that of these twenty-seven cities, 



4 were in New England, 

 10 were in the Middle Atlantic States, 

 4 were in the East North Central States. 



The other six geographical divisions of states have but nine of the 

 twenty-seven cities. 



Table V 



Eminent Persons who were Born in the Cities of the United States which 



had a Population of 20,000 or over in 1850, with the Per Cent, of 



the Total Population of the United States living in 



those Cities in 1850 and in 1880 



During the entire period under consideration, these twenty-seven 

 cities contained from one twelfth to one eighth of the population of the 

 United States. The proportion of the total population of the United 

 States living in these twenty-seven cities was, 



In 1850 8.7 per cent. 



In 1 860 11.2 per cent. 



In 1870 12.8 per cent. 



In 1880 13.1 per cent. 



