Worlds of North and South Chapter 13 Sections 1-4

Industry in the North Farming - John Deere invents a lightweight plow made of steel rather than iron. This made it easy for one horse to do the work of several Cyrus McCormick created a reaper that could do the work of five men by itself. These products lowered the price of farm goods.

John Deere’s 1 st Steel Plow

The Telegraph 1844 Samuel Morse patents the telegraph. This was a wire that transmitted electiric impulses. Morse created a code of dots and dashes that matched the alphabet. The first wire is run from Washington, D.C. to Baltimore, MD.

Morse’s Telegraph

“What Hath God Wrought” This was the first message sent by telegraph. Soon companies linked the entire country with wires and now we could communicate daily with people in different parts of the country. We are truly linked. Good or Bad?

Railroads  The early railroads were powered by horse drawn carts.  1829 an English family developed a steam powered engine that powered a train to 30 mph.  Tom Thumb a steam powered train was setup to race a horse drawn carriage. (the preferred mode of transportation)  Thumb broke down and the horse won, but the trains were here to stay.

Improved Transportation  Transportation inside our borders was improving.  Transportation outside our borders needed work.  John Griffiths launches a new kind of ship.  Yankee Clipper - these narrow ships with tall masts made trade across the world much faster.  But, they are short lived soon the steam engine makes ships as popular as trains.

Life in the Industrial North Factory life is nearly unbearable people were treated horribly, but the increase in immigration made them expendable. Skilled Workers are replaced with unskilled workers who assembled parts of products for mass distribution and sale. How do the skilled workers fight for their jobs?

Unions Skilled workers united to form trade unions. The unions made it harder to ignore these workers. They demanded shorter workdays, higher wages, and better conditions. If their demands were not met they would strike, or refuse to work.

Workers Get Change During the 1840’s workers began to win changes. 10 hour workday The right to strike Unskilled workers were not able to get the same benefits. Women workers also lobbied for better conditions and some were successful.

Immigration A person who enters a new country for the purpose of settling permanently. Between 1840 and million immigrants settle in the new world. They provide an endless supply of unskilled workers.

Irish In the 1840’s a potato famine caused a famine in Ireland million Irish immigrate to the US. Most settled in cities like Boston or New York. The took almost any job available, making it nearly impossible for unskilled laborers to strike.

The Germans 1850 – 1860 over 1 million Germans immigrate to the US. Revolutions had broken out all over Germany causing many to leave. Those who could afford it settled on farms in the Midwest. The rest lived in large cities.

Reaction to Immigration Some Americans dislike the idea of immigration. Nativist – Americans who wanted to keep America only for native-born American citizens. Desired to limit voting rights to only those who had lived in America for 21 years instead of the required 5 years.

The Know-Nothings In the 1850’s the Nativist created a political party called the Know-Nothings Presidential elections saw a know- nothing candidate win 21% of the popular vote. The party died out but many Americans still believed that immigrants were not entitled to the same rights.

African Americans in the North Although African Americans were free in the North they did not enjoy the same rights. Many faced Discrimination – a policy or attitude that denies rights to a group based on race.

King Cotton 1793 Eli Whitney invents the cotton gin. 1. Increases the production of cotton. 2. Increases the demand for cotton. 3. Increases the demand for slave labor cotton production increases from 6000 bales to 2 million bales. Although slave trade with Africa was illegal the planters purchased slaves from brokers in the US.

No Industry Needed Cotton, Tobacco, Rice, and Sugar were the main southern crops. Most southerners decided to invest in slaves rather than factories. Industrial growth is nearly non-existant in the southern states. This caused the south to become dependent on the north for finsihed products.

Cotton Gin

The Cottonocracy

Life in the South  Cottonocracy  Planter someone who owned at least 20 slaves. 1 in 40 families qualified.  2. Small Farmers were people who owned land, but no slaves. Some owned 1 or 2 slaves, but worked right next to them in the fields.  3. Poor whites rented land for small farms and raising animals. Enjoyed the same rights as whites regardless of their station in life.

African Americans in the South  200,000 free blacks live in the south.  They are viewed as a threat to the whites in the south.  Slave life – most lived in small shacks on the land they worked.  From the time they were teenagers until they died they worked long days without rest.  Some became skilled workers on larger plantations, but could not live free lives.

Slave Codes Laws meant to keep slaves in line. 1. Could not leave the plantation without permission. 2. Not allowed to possess guns. 3. Not allowed to gather in groups of more than three. Whites feared rebellions

Family Life Many slave families were separated because they were sold to distant plantations. The idea of an extended family or families that include aunts, uncles, cousins, and others thrived despite these conditions.

Rebellion 1831 Nat Turner led a major revolt in Virginia. A preacher, he led his followers to kill more almost 60 whites. Whites killed several slaves in pursuit of Turner, who they eventually caught and hanged. Causes an increase in fear among whites.