Eight of the nation’s 24 largest cities and towns were located in the South.

Context of the question

This question usually appears with a map or table of U.S. cities from the early national period (often around the 1790 census), asking students to count how many of the 24 largest urban centers were in the southern states. When that exercise is worked through, the total number of those largest places identified in the South comes out to eight.

Why this matters

  • It highlights how early American urban growth was concentrated more heavily in the North, with a smaller but significant share of large cities emerging in the South.
  • It also helps illustrate regional economic and demographic differences that would continue to shape U.S. history in the decades after 1790.

Answer: eight southern cities or towns out of the nation’s 24 largest.

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