The Westward Movement The American West- the most typically American part of America Young America- half of all Americans were under the age of 30 Life in the West was grim for American families Poorly fed Ineffective housing Disease, depression and early death Self- reliance
The March of Millions Around 1850 the population was doubling every 25 years. By 1860 there were 33 states. America was the fourth most populous nation in the world. Cities were rapidly developing as were problems of sanitation and sewage removal. Irish and German immigrants poured into America in the late 1840s. They fled famine and persecution and sought jobs, land, food, freedom of religion and no aristocracy. New transatlantic steamers brought people here in 12 days.
The German 48ers and Irish Immigrants German immigration Millions came to America from 1830-1860s because of crop failures and political revolutions Often settled in the midwest Abolitionist Supporters of public education (Kindergarten) Bier Did not assimilate quickly Irish Immigration Came as a result of Black Forties and Irish Potato Famine Moved to eastern cities (Boston / New York) Got quickly involved in politics Often illiterate / Catholics Built the railroads Set up ancient Order of Hibernians
Flare- ups of An?- foreignism Nativists were against the new Americans The Irish were discriminated against in the work place and were forced into the worst jobs Catholic churches and schools burned in Philadelphia in 1844
American Party The American or Know- Nothing Party fought for immigration restriction Mass violence
Took America an entire generation to begin Industrial Revolution- why so slow? The War of 1812 and various tariffs encouraged the development of factories and manufacturing England would attempt to dump cheap goods on America and tried to maintain a monopoly on manufacturing technology Industrializa?on
Marvels of Manufacturing Samuel Slater, The Father of the American Factory System built first mill (1791) in Pawtucket, RI with support of Moses Brown 1 st efficient American machinery for spinning cotton thread Only problem?
Eli Whitney s CoFon Gin Built in 1793 (only 10 days to build) 50 times more effective than picking cotton by hand King Cotton: increased demand for cotton = increased need for more slaves Both North and South prospered. EXPLAIN.
Industrial Revolu?on in New England: Why? New England favored as an industrial center for many reasons: Soil discouraged farming, manufacturing more attractive Dense population would provide labor and accessible markets Shipping brought in capital, seaports key for imports/ exports Rapid rivers (Merrimack) provided water power for machines By 1860-400 million lbs of southern cotton through New England
Marvelous Inven?ons Interchangeable Parts Eli Whitney Mass production of muskets for the U.S. Army Widely adopted by 1850 Became the basis of modern mass- production (assembly line) Did Whitney s inventions make the Civil War inevitable?
Sewing Machine Elias Howe in 1846, perfected by Isaac Singer Boost to Northern industrialization- became the foundation for the clothing industry Telegraph Samuel Morse in 1844 (Washington DC to Baltimore) By eve of Civil War- telegraph wires spanned the continent- revolutionized communication 1790-1800: 306 new patents on inventions 1850-1860: 28,000 new patents
Early Working condi?ons in Factory system led to impersonal relations Wages were low, hours were high Immigrants work cheaply Unsanitary conditions Child labor (1820- half of all workers under the age of 10) Unions were not strong (lots of scabs used) 1842 Commonwealth v. Hunt Mass. Supreme Court case legalized unions but scab labor meant unions would develop slowly factories
Women and the New Economy Factory girls Women worked in mills before marriage Other opportunities were in nursing, domestic service, teaching Roles of women changing: Marry for love, not chosen by parents Families became smaller, more child- centered Cult of domesticity
Western Farmers and the Breadbasket of the World The Midwest- America s breadbasket. Cincinnati was the porkopolis of the West John Deere Steel plow in 1837 Sharp and lightweight (replace oxen w/horses) Cyrus McCormick Mechanical mower- reaper Workload- 5 men in 1
Effects of Farming West- Move from subsistence farming to large scale specialized cash- crop agriculture Would be harvesting a larger crop than the South Problem- West was landlocked, needed transportation to get the goods to the East.
Changing Transporta?on to move goods West to East and South Lancaster Turnpike (hard surfaced road) brought goods from Philadelphia to Lancaster, Pa. Federal government built Cumberland or National Road from Maryland to Illinois
Fulton s Folly Robert Fulton invented the steamboat (Clermont) in 1807. Caused an increase in trade & opened up the West & South
Clinton s Big Ditch The Erie Canal connected Lake Erie to Hudson River. Reduced food prices and led to cities to be developed in New York area Birth of Syracuse and Rochester, NY
Locomo?ves The first railroad was introduced in 1828. It was the Baltimore and Ohio railroad. By 1860 30,000 miles of track laid, mostly in North Better gauges, better brakes, safety, and the Pullman sleeping palace
Clipper Ships and the Pony Express Clipper Ships- could outrun any steamer (w/a breeze Pony Express- established in 1860- St. Joseph, MO to Sacramento, CA Died out after 18 months Clipper Ships and Pony Express symbolized a dying technology of wind and muscle- the future: machines
Effects of the Transporta?on Revolu?on A continental economy had emerged Each region in US had now specialized in a particular type of economic activity South- cotton for export to New England & GB West- Grain & livestock to feed factory workers in the East & Europe East- machines and textiles for the South & West
The Market Revolu?on Subsistence farming of the colonial days into a national network of industry and commerce Americans buying more goods than making Home was now a place of refuge from work instead of center of economic production Widening the gap between rich and poor Large amount of immigrants to find opportunities