And when times were good… they sold extra goods for money.
Meanwhile, small cities like Philadelphia were growing rapidly. Ships came and went, carrying goods across the world — tobacco, rice, fur, and more. In return, they brought back tea, glass, and other items people needed.
Trade created jobs. People worked on docks, built ships, opened shops, and learned skilled trades. Slowly, towns and cities became centers of opportunity.
At first, immigrants stayed close to people from their own countr