A canoe, keelboat, flatboat, or later a steamboat could transport far more people and cargo than wagons traveling over rough terrain. Communities naturally developed along waterways because rivers made trade and communication possible.

Families often rose early. Fires were tended, meals prepared, and daily tasks planned before the heat of the day arrived. Depending on the region and the family's circumstances, breakfast might include corn-based foods, beans, squash, wild game, or whatever had been preserved from previous harvests.