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The Backcountry (Chapter 4, Section 4)
• Climate: Climate/resources varied, depending
on latitude (region begins at the fall line)
• People: Scots-Irish (clan system) and Native
American groups
• Agriculture: Self-sufficient small trappers &
farmers raising hogs/cattle/ corn
• Trade/Industry: local, region’s rough
roads/rivers made wide spread trade difficult
• Slavery: Not used
• Religion: Traditional Scots-Irish
(Catholic or Anglican)
• In the south,
the
backcountry
began at the
Fall Line.
Geography of the Backcountry
• A region of dense forest
and rushing streams in or
near the Appalachian
Mountains.
• The Appalachians Stretch
from Eastern Canada
south to Alabama.
• West of the
Fall Line was
a broad
plateau
l t
called the
Piedmont.
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Early Settlers
• The first settlers were traders who came to
trade with Native Americans.
• Farmers soon followed but clashed with
Native Americans over land.
• It was easy for a family to start a small farm
because the Backcountry provided water, and
logs that settlers could use for cabins.
• The Backcountry gained a reputation as a wild
place.
Scots‐Irish Settlers
• The Scots‐Irish fled to America by the
thousands. Like in their native land, they
formed large groups of families called clans.
• Backcountry settlers started a westward
movement that would play a critical role in
American history.
Contact Brings Conflict
• The English colonists of the Backcountry also
came into conflict with the Spanish and
French.
pp
• Native American found themselves trapped
between the growing colonies of France,
England, and Spain.
• Sometimes contact between Backcountry
settlers and Native Americans resulted in
violent conflict.
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