1. Coming to Terms With The New Age 1820’s-1850’s

2. Patterns Immigration Most were Irish or German
Between , the population jumped from 1.6 % to 11.2%
Industry welcomed immigration
Life was difficult (harsh living and working conditions)

3. Immigration
Irish
Potato Famine- 1.5 million emigrated to the United States
Crowded in cities
Most came to New York and Boston
Developed their own communities- by making money
German
Concentrated in the middle Atlantic Sates (Pennsylvania)
Small farmers or artisan
Clustering
Many cities had a little Germany

4. Urban America Between 1820-1860 urban population grew from 6% to 20%
5 largest cities: New York, Philadelphia, Baltimore, Boston, New Orleans
“Instant Cities”
Walking Cities: traveling by foot which was ill suited to the rapid urban growth of the early 19th century

5. City Living Conditions
Gap between rich & poor was apparent
1% of the nation’s population owned 40% of its’ wealth
Poor sanitation led to disease
1830: urban riots broke out against Catholics and free blacks
1845: city police force was created to keep order
1830: ½ million of free blacks
Employment decreased for black men from
Wealthy began to lose political power

6. Industrial Movements 1833-1837 strikes in New York city
Skilled workers banned together across craft lines to improve working conditions
General Trade Unions of New York- organized 40 strikes
1825- Boston carpenters demanded a 10 hour day Length of the working day
reflected the growing gap between workers and the new middle class
New system of machine politics

7. Social Control Ideas of reform spread though word
Three characteristics of the reforms: traditional methods were inadequate, belief in basic goodness of humans, moralistic dogmatism
Lyman Beecher
Woman supported it

8. Education
Reformers believed children were born innocent; needing encouragement to succeed
1827-Mass. Made public taxes to support the schools
North and West more kids went to school
Spread of public education created first real career opportunities for woman
Catherine Beecher Woman would create a friendly atmosphere
Horace Mann created a uniform curriculum and teacher training

9. Moral Reform American Temperance society- against alcohol
Woman groups stressed harms of alcohol
Campaigns against prostitution-Female Moral Reform Society
Asylum movement- demanded humane treatment of insane

10. Utopianism Utopian communities Shakers-oldest Utopian group
Foundation of Mormons & Millerites
Charles Fourier-separate work
Joseph Smith founded the Mormon Church

11. Antislavery Missouri Compromise American Colonization Society
Black Antislavery movement
William Lloyd Garrison published The Liberator
Theodore Weld- created Antislavery Society
Abolitionist group began to split: while some pressed for civil equality others didn’t accept social equality

12. Women’s Rights From middle class
Grimke sisters- first female public speakers (against slavery)
Seneca Falls Convention of 1848
Woman fought for political, legal, social equality
fought separate spheres argument