AMERICA’S ECONOMIC REVOLUTION Chapter 10 AMERICA’S ECONOMIC REVOLUTION

The Changing American Population Population Patterns Post 1812 1790: 4 million, most east of the Appalachians 1840: 17 million, 1/3 west of the Appalachians (between Apps and Mississippi River)

The Changing American Population During the first half of the nineteenth century, the United States grew more rapidly in population than Britain or Europe?

The Changing American Population Between 1820 and 1840, the population drastically increased Faster rate than Europe industrial centers of NE and NW (Midwest) public health improved, higher birth rate, lower mortality

The Changing American Population Immigration: increased rapidly during and after 1830s lower transportation costs, econ. opportunity in U. S. Immigration and internal migration led to increased populations in urban cities NE farming was less profitable 1810 NY was largest U.S. city

The Changing American Population Agricultural econ. of Midwest led towns/villages/trading posts to become big cities 1860 U. S. pop. greater than Great Britain (rivaling France and Germany)

The Changing American Population Largest number of immigrants came from Germany and Ireland: Germany: German industrial rev. caused poverty collapse of liberal rev. of 1848 Tended to move to the Northwest single males farmers/business (Cincinnati) wealthier than Irish Accustomed to the “Continental Sunday’’ drank huge quantities of an amber beverage called bier

The Changing American Population Largest number of immigrants came from Germany and Ireland: Irish: English rule Potato famine 1845-1849 move to eastern cities unskilled workers young women, domestic and factory work little to no money

The Changing American Population Cont. immigrants meant to some: cheap labor pop. that would translate into higher dem,and for goods increased pop. would translate into more political influence Nativism: Distrust and dislike of foreigners; favoring “Native-born” Americans Wanted to stop or slow the influx of immigrants

The Changing American Population Cont. Reasons for Nativism: Immigrants would work for lower wages Belief that immigrants were destroying America and its culture Fear of the Catholic Church and Pope “Stealing” votes (immigarnts voted for the Democrats)

The Changing American Population Cont. Examples of Nativism: Native American Assoc. 1837, Native American Party 1845 Supreme Order of the Star-Spangled Banner (“Know- Nothings” or the American Party) NINA

The Changing American Population Cont. Nativism: ban Catholics from office restrict naturalization literacy tests for voting feared that these foreigners would "outbreed, outvote, and overwhelm the old “native stock"

Transportation, Communications, And Technology Taking a turn from the Turnpike Era (1790’s-1820’s) Steamships helped but... farmers/merchants clamored for more direct route lower production and transportation costs 1820s saw an increase in canals expensive to build for private cos. (NE States took the lead) NY – Erie Canal: construction 1817-1825, 363 miles, Albany to Buffalo “Clinton’s Big Ditch” Built by Irish “Paddies” Gave NYC access to Chicago

Transportation, Communications, And Technology

Transportation, Communications, And Technology New York gained the most from the new transportation routes built in this era?

Transportation, Communications, And Technology Canals also stimulated settlement in the Northwest Ohio River and Lake Erie connected increased white settlement NY dominated trade Sectionalism grew

Transportation, Communications, And Technology Railroads had so many advantages over canals that, where free competition existed, they almost always prevailed?

Transportation, Communications, And Technology Railroads: 1820’, 30’s not that much of a factor primarily connected water routes Baltimore and Ohio - 1830 Problems with early railroads? Different gauges on tracks Frequent accidents and erratic schedules not cost effective to compete with canals

Transportation, Communications, And Technology Cont. 1850s saw a huge increase in railroad development track lines tripled, NE mainly but all regions grew “Trunk Lines” – shorter lines consolidated into longer lines Helped decrease importance of canals NE connected to Midwest and beyond (Chicago)

Transportation, Communications, And Technology Cont. Mississippi River less of an influence on west north/south economies less connected Funding for railroads: State, local and federal governments, (and foreign investors) State and local through $ Federal through land grants

Transportation, Communications, And Technology Cont. Morse Code: magnetic telegraph lines ran along RR communication between cities N and NW (South excluded) Samuel Morse James K. Polk’s nomination for the Dem. Party in 1844 1860 Western Union

Transportation, Communications, And Technology Cont. Journalism: 1846 Richard Hoe’s steam cylinder rotary press 1846 Associated Press most newspapers/mags in N (sectionalism)

Commerce and Industry Business grew pop. increase transportation innovations new practices Indiv. and merchant businesses still operated but… Growth of corporations: Increased in 1830s (relaxed laws made them possible by paying a fee)

Commerce and Industry Limited Liability: Credit Stockholders would only lose value of stock if the corporation failed Credit businesses relied on it state banks not as stable stifled growth

Commerce and Industry Emergence of the Factory: pre 1812, most mfg. in homes or small scale NE, water power 1860’s value of mfg. goods equalled value of agricultural goods stifled growth Mfg. of machine tools (tool and die) tools/parts to make the machines wider use of interchangeable parts

Commerce and Industry Technological advances: Use of coal: Interchangeable parts – Eli Whitney Used for bicycles, sewing machines, typewriters, etc. Charles Goodyear: Rubber Elias Howe and Isaac Singer: Sewing machine (250 stitches/minute) Use of coal: Allowed factories to move away from water Cities began to grow to mine coal (Pittsburgh)

Commerce and Industry mid 1800’s mfg. replacing trade for merchant class merchant class opening factories textile corporations growing

Men and Women at Work Farm land in MW, mechanization of machinery Advancements in transportation allowed farmers to ship goods to all regions of the country Leads to an increase in specialization of industry NE farmers less of a need NE flocked to factories some industries brough entire families others sought young females

Men and Women at Work When compared to working conditions in European industries, the Lowell mills were a paradise for working women?

Men and Women at Work “Lowell System” (aka Waltham System) Young, single women (farmers’ daughters) would work in a factory Boardinghouses for workers, curfews, churches High wages (relative)

Men and Women at Work “80% of Factory Workers in Lowell and Waltham Mills were female conditions were hot, humid long hours

Men and Women at Work Why did the “Lowell System” decline? monotonous job Panic of 1837 hurt wages Union of Factory Girls Assoc. strikes immigrants that worked for less competitive market made it difficult to keep high standards

Men and Women at Work and the children? In 1820 half the nation’s industrial workers were children under the age of "Spindle Cities" "Whipping Rooms"

Men and Women at Work Cont. Immigrants, low-skill level, low wages Construction Gangs of immigrants helped build the infrastructure Immigration helped lead to a decrease in working conditions Many Americans were not concerned with conditions for immigrants “piece rates” vs. daily wages

Men and Women at Work Cont. Factories displaced skilled artisans (embodiment of republican independent worker) Early unions: early 19th century organizations and labor unions occasionally 1820’s/30’s skilled craftsmen unions Common law viewed most early unions as “an illegal conspiracy” financial panic hurt movement

Men and Women at Work Cont. Commonwealth v. Hunt (1842): Massachusetts Supreme Court case that stated unions were legal strikes were lawful (provided their methods were “honorable and peaceful") Other states soon agreed Unions did not gain more power until the late 19th century

Men and Women at Work Cont. Union ineffectiveness immigrant labor for replacements ethnic divisions capitalists had more econ., social, and political power

Men and Women at Work Cont. Women were not included in unions “Free Labor” Northern workers viewed freedom as an absence of slavery Northern workers disliked slavery for two reasons: Lack of freedom Took away jobs Free African Americans had little freedom as well Not considered legal citizens

Patterns of Industrial Society Comm. and industrial growth did equate into avg. income of Americans getting higher but… Urban areas saw high poverty rates Many were immigrants and often homeless Economic growth not shared equally: Slaves, Native Americans, unskilled workers were left out

Patterns of Industrial Society Free blacks in the North faced severe difficulties: Could not: Vote Attend public schools Use public services

Patterns of Industrial Society Geographic Mobility: “Safety-valve” theory – Frederick Jackson Turner: In times of economic crisis, Americans could always move west to the frontier

Patterns of Industrial Society Middle-Class Life fastest growing class land no longer necessarily equated to wealth cultural movement cast-iron stoves, women stayed home, better diets (iceboxes)

Patterns of Industrial Society Cont. Families farms to cities jobs, not land, important uh, about that inheritance family size impacted (by circumstance and design) Men and women had increasingly different social roles men-wage earners women-”guardians of domestic virtues”

Patterns of Industrial Society Cont. Women could almost never obtain a divorce “Cult of Domesticity”: Women and men had “separate spheres” Women were encouraged to stay home and raise children and instill moral values, religious instruction custodians of morality

Patterns of Industrial Society Cont. Single women did not have many occupational choices: Teachers, nurses, and domestic servants Except for teaching and nursing, work by women outside the household gradually came to be seen as a lower-class preserve. Middle class/affluent women did not have to work

Patterns of Industrial Society Cont. Leisure: Scarce except for wealthy Sundays only days off...reserved for church Sporting events increased “there’s a sucker born every minute”

The Agricultural North Old Northwest (OH, IL) specialized in meatpacking Cincinnati! (Porkopolis) Chicago Specialization in Agriculture: The typical white citizen of the Northwest was the owner of a reasonably prosperous family farm West: Livestock and dairy South: Cashcrops North and Mid-Atlantic – wheat, fruits, and vegetables

The Agricultural North Population grew in the "Old Northwest" sought fertile land for farming Ohio:   1800=45,000  1820=581,000 1840=1.5 million Michigan:  1810=5,000 1840=212,000  

The Agricultural North Agricultural inventions: John Deere: steel plow Cyrus McCormick – mechanical reaper Helped with harvesting wheat Rural Life: Church played a large role – brought the community together