They settled in river valleys because they wanted their crops and soil to be rich and eaiser to water their plants.
According to Richard Neustadt landmark book,"Presidential Power" he argued that the president's most fundamental power is the power to persuade. He said "Effective influence for the man in the White House stems from three related sources: first are the bargaining advantages inherent in his job with which to persuade other men that what he wants of them is what their own responsibilities require them to do. Second are the expectations of those other men regarding his ability and will to use the various advantages they think he has. Third are those men's estimates of how his public views him and how their publics may view them if they do what he wants."
The Gibbons v. Ogden court case in a nutshell:
Ogden had a monopoly on operating steamboats on the Lower Mississippi.
Gibbons, who had a federal liscence to operate steamboats, tried to start business there and was sued by Ogden.
The ruling was that Gibbons would be allowed to operate there, which gave precedent to federal law over state law.
