Question

Discussion: The early challenges of the United States

We sometimes forget just how fragile the early American Republic was in both a political and economic sense. What do you believe was the greatest challenge for any young entrepreneur in the United States during the period from 1800 to 1820? Focus on a single issue (I'm sure many of you will have different opinions) and state why you conclude the way you do. Try to be concise ... answers should be 100 words or less and respond to at least two other posts ... quality trumps quantity!

Answer 1

In my opinion the greatest challenge for a young entrepreneur in the United States during the period from 1800 to 1820 was that of transportation. There was no infrastructure in place and people could either travel by ship or horses. During this period the only practical way for people to trade was the natural waterways. For instance in 1805 Lewis and Clark performed their expedition by canoe down the Missouri river and purchase 30 horses from the Shoshone. They also had to trek down the Bitterroot mountains through the snow. This made the trade and transport difficult as well as time consuming.