The Northeast and South each held about half of the U.S. population in 1790. As the Midwest opened to settlement, it gained an increasingly large share of the population due to migration from the Northeast and South, as well as international migration. By 1890, the Midwest held its largest share of the population. The 20th century saw continued declines in the shares of the population living in the Northeast and Midwest alongside gains in the South and West. This data visualization shows population distribution by region between 1790 and 2010.

Population Expansion and Distribution in the United States: 1790-2010

Students will use a data visualization tool to understand shifts in the U.S. population distribution from 1790 to 2010.