North and South Chapter 13

The North’s Economy  Influenced greatly by technology and industry. Mass Production became common and soon factories would take over 2/3 of the countries goods.  Transportation was greatly improved. Steamboats were developed – they carried both passengers and goods. Steam Locomotives would fail, but soon after engineers would improve their engines.

Machine belt…

The North cont…  Railroads Between rail roads would gradually connect making a track uniting the Midwest and the East. Railroads also played a role in industrialization and settlement of the Midwest.

Communication in the North  The vast growth of industry called for a faster method of communication. The telegraph, which transports electrical signals, filled that need. Soon Morse code, a series of dots and dashes that represent letters of the alphabet, was developed. Finally a faster version of the printing press was developed to spread the news.

Farming in the North  Not only were the factories improved, but so were the farms of the North. Various heavy-duty farming machines were developed to stand up to the tough soil of the prairies. Cash Crops, selling part of your crop for cash, now became a much bigger idea.  With the development in transportation farmers were able to sell their crops to more distant locations.

The People of the North  With the development of factory systems the conditions inside worsened. Workers worked longer hours, accidents became more common, machinery in factories was unstable, factories were at uncomfortable temperatures, wages were low. In 1830’s the workers began to organize against these conditions.

Greater attempts to organize  With the fear of factory growth Trade Unions, organization of workers with the same trade or skill, began to form.  Unskilled workers, those who did not have a particular “talent” also banned together in an effort to fight working conditions.  In New York skilled workers would go on strike, however it was not legal to strike in all states.

African American Workers  Although slavery was mostly gone from the North discrimination was not. Free African Americans generally were not allowed to vote, attend public schools, and obtain the same jobs as whites. They took the lowest paying jobs there were to offer.

Women Workers  Employers also discriminated against women workers. They were paid less than men were for the same exact job. They were excluded from many unions. Some women would form together to make their own union. Many early efforts of women to gain equality in the work place were failed.

Immigrants in the North  Between there was a large tide of Immigrants who flooded the cities of the North who worked for long hours and low pay. The largest group of Immigrants at this time came from Ireland, because a potato famine caused many to leave their homes for America. The second largest group was the German immigrants.

Immigrants changing the nation  These immigrants changed the character of the united States. They brought their languages, religion, customs and ways of life with them. Many Catholic immigrants came in with the new flow – not many had taken residence in the North yet. However, some Americans believed that the immigrants were changing the character of the United States too much.  The Immigrants too would face discrimination and prejudice.

The South Land/Economy  Cotton crop had grown large and soon became the leading crop. Cotton –This was the “King” and the main topic of conversation in the south. The leading crop was revolutionized with the invention of the cotton gin. The removal of the Native Americans from the southeast allowed for the cotton crops to expand. The demand for cotton in Great Britain kept the cotton fields filled and flowing.

Industry? I think not!  Although industry was flourishing in the North the South stayed mainly Rural. The south’s economy became increasingly different from the north’s economy.  One reason was the boom of cotton sales and growth.  Another reason was because southerners had their money in land and slaves, there was not much left to put towards industry.

The South…  Some factories did open based on the fear that the South might become too dependent on the North for manufactured goods.  The transportation grew slowly Their railways were short and slow growing.

The South’s People  Small farmers who did not own slaves made up a majority of the white, male population. They owned and farmed their own land.  Not all southern whites owned their own land. Tenant farmers were farmers that rented or worked someone else's land.  Large Plantation owners generally lived comfortably in large farm homes. They generally measured their wealth by the number of slaves they owned.

The South’s People  The Women- Plantation wives were generally in charge of watching over the enslaved people.  The African Americans- They faced many tough days.  They had to worry about being sold and separated from their loved ones.  They had to endure misery and pain.  They worked long hard hours in various weather conditions.  They were ALWAYS busy doing hard labor, women and children included.

The South’s People cont…  Some Slaves resisted- The Slaves would rebel against their masters.  They fought against the poor treatment and harsh work they were forced to do.  The cities in the south were populated with a variety of different people. Free African Americans White city dwellers Some enslaved workers