Final answer:
The U.S. population was 5 million in 1800 and grew to over 325 million by 2017, with the most rapid growth occurring between 1800 and 1850 due to various demographic, economic, and political pressures. The shift from rural to urban living significantly influenced the rate and distribution of the population growth.
Step-by-step explanation:
The population of the United States in 1800 was about 5 million people. Two centuries later, the U.S. population had grown significantly, with over 325 million people living in the nation by 2017. The American population saw the most rapid growth between 1800 and 1850, expanding from roughly 5 million to over 20 million within that fifty-year period. This rapid increase was driven by several factors, including demographic, economic, and political pressures.
Key events such as the rapid western expansion of the 1840s resulted from the need for more land due to the growing population. This expansion was also politically and economically motivated, with citizens eager for the available inexpensive land in the West and politicians wary of foreign powers staking claims in these territories. Additionally, improvements in healthcare, agricultural efficiency, and the demographic transition which saw decreased death rates and high birth rates contributed to the population growth in the U.S. and globally.
By the 20th century, the United States transitioned from a rural to a more urbanized society, with increased urban living depicted in census data that reflected the dramatic and continuous shift from rural to urban population distribution. The birth rates, immigration, urbanization, and other factors continued to shape the population growth trajectory of the country.