370 Percy Wells Bidwell 



their generalizations were carefully drawn from all the evidence 

 presented, we must inquire whether the conditions observed were 

 typical of those prevailing over New England as a whole, or whether 

 the observations were limited to some particularly favored regions. 

 As a matter of fact, we know that but very few of the travelers through 

 New England left the beaten track of the stage-coach routes from New 

 York to Boston. They came up to New Haven along the shores of 

 the Sound. There they had a choice of routes; they either continued 

 along the shore to Newport and Providence, and thence across Bristol, 

 Plymouth or Suffolk Counties to Boston, or branching off to the north- 

 east to Hartford and then following the Connecticut Valley up to 

 Springfield, they turned due east and reached Boston by way of 

 Worcester. Except for the stretch between Springfield and Worcester, 

 both of these routes passed through towns which were favored by 

 exceptional opportunities for trade and often, as, for instance, the 

 towns in the Connecticut Valley, by especially fertile soil as well. 

 It is no wonder that travelers' conclusions, based on this sort of 

 selected evidence, were so favorable. 



Wealth was Equally Distributed. 



Perhaps another explanation of the optimistic strain, so habitual 

 in travelers' descriptions of economic conditions prevailing in New 

 England at this time, is that they mistook equality in the distribution 

 of wealth for ease in production. That the two ideas were closely 

 connected in their minds is evident. Lambert, for instance, says of 

 the inhabitants of the central part of Connecticut: "The generality 

 of the people live in easy independent circumstances; and upon that 

 footing of equality which is best calculated to promote virtue and 

 happiness among society. "^ Of the inhabitants of Hampshire County, 

 Massachusetts, Dwight says: "They are also, as a body, industrious 

 and thriving, and possess that middle state of property, which so 

 long, and so often, has been termed golden; .... Few are 

 poor, and few are rich. "^ In another place the same author remarks: 

 "Great wealth, that is, what Europeans consider as great wealth, 

 is not often found in these countries. But poverty is almost un- 

 known."^ 



1 Travels, II. 304. 



2 Travels, II. 254. 

 ^ Ibid. I. XV. 



