Possibly so. Note I underspecified which times of yore.
Does this observation apply equally to 1990s as much as 1890s? Both are in the distant past depending on your vantage point.
Must be some crossover point for when the era of the rugged individual ended and we all became tethered to urban life by the belly button. I would think living in the boonies has never been easier nor safer what with all the progress, but guess not.
You specified a time "before cities" in the US. I assume you're ignoring Native American civilizations, in which case we'd be talking about the era between the late 1500s and mid-1600s.
> I would think living in the boonies has never been easier nor safer what with all the progress, but guess not.
I'm sure it's safer than it's ever been. The risk of randomly suffering and dying is low. Does that mean it's an acceptable risk for most people? Probably not, especially if they have children.
Does this observation apply equally to 1990s as much as 1890s? Both are in the distant past depending on your vantage point.
Must be some crossover point for when the era of the rugged individual ended and we all became tethered to urban life by the belly button. I would think living in the boonies has never been easier nor safer what with all the progress, but guess not.