CHAPTER 9 SECTIONALISM, 1820-1860
THE NORTH The Northeast and the Old Northwest were bound together by transportation routes This section experienced rapid economic growth based on commercial farming and industry Most populous section of the US due to high birth rates and immigration
THE INDUSTRIAL NORTHEAST Industry was originally centered in the textile industry By the 1830s, northern factories were producing everything from tools to clocks to shoes Workers became dependent on wages earned in factories Low pay, long hours, and unsafe working conditions led to the organization of labor unions One notable victory for labor unions in Commonwealth v. Hunt[1842] where the Supreme Court ruled that peaceful unions had the right to negotiate labor contracts
THE INDUSTRIAL NORTHEAST During the 1840s and 1850s, most states in the North passed laws establishing a 10-hour work day Other improvements continued to be limited by: 1. Periodic depressions 2. Employers and courts that were hostile to unions 3. An abundant supply of cheap immigrant labor
THE INDUSTRIAL NORTHEAST As the population grew, so did the slums Crowded housing, poor sanitation, infectious diseases, and high crime rates Nevertheless, new opportunities in the factories continued to attract Americans from farms and immigrants from Europe
THE INDUSTRIAL NORTHEAST 250,000 African Americans lived in the north [1% of the population] Represented 50% of all free African Americans Could maintain a family and sometimes own land No economic or political equality Immigrants will begin to replace them at jobs they had held since the Revolution Used as strikebreakers
THE AGRICULTURAL NORTHWEST By the 1850s, this region was closely tied to the other northern states because of: 1. Military campaigns by federal troops that drove American Indians from the land 2. The building of canals and railroads that established common markets between the Great Lakes and the East Coast
THE AGRICULTURAL NORTHWEST Crops of corn and wheat were very profitable New inventions: 1. Steel plow [John Deere] 2. Mechanical Reaper [Cyrus McCormick] Led to more efficiency and farms planting more acres, only needing a few hired hands at harvest Part of crop used to feed cattle and hogs, grain for whiskey and beer Grain shipped to cities to avoid spoilage
THE AGRICULTURAL NORTHWEST 1830s through 1850s, nearly 4 million people from northern Europe arrived by ship in the seacoast cities of Boston, New York, and Philadelphia Immigration surge the result of: 1. Inexpensive and relatively rapid ocean transportation 2. Famines and revolutions in Europe 3. Growing reputation of US offering economic opportunities and political freedom Immigration strengthened US economy by: 1. Providing a steady stream of cheap labor 2. Increased demand for mass-produced consumer goods
THE AGRICULTURAL NORTHWEST Half of all immigrants [2 million] were from Ireland 1845-1852 Irish Potato Famine Faced discrimination because of their Roman Catholic religion Hard workers who competed with African Americans for domestic and unskilled jobs Many entered local politics, joined the Democratic Party [which had long traditions of anti-british feelings and support for workers]
THE AGRICULTURAL NORTHWEST In the late 1840s and early 1850s, economic hardships and failed democratic revolutions caused more than 1 million Germans to seek refuge in the US Most moved westward in search of cheap, fertile farmland and generally prospered
THE AGRICULTURAL NORTHWEST Many native-born Americans were alarmed by the influx of immigrants, fearing the immigrants would take their jobs These nativists were Protestants who distrusted the Roman Catholicism practiced by the Irish and many of the Germans The Supreme Order of the Star-Spangled Banner was a secret anti-foreign society created in opposition to immigration
THE SOUTH Agriculture was the foundation of the Southern economy Tobacco, rice and sugarcane were important cash crops, but the chief economic activity was the production and sale of cotton
THE SOUTH Mechanized mills coupled with the cotton gin made cloth affordable throughout the world Before 1860, the world depended on Britain s mills for its supply of cloth, and Britain depended on the South for its supply of cotton fiber New land was constantly needed, as the high cotton yields required for profits quickly depleted the soil By the 1850s, cotton was 2/3 of all US exports Cotton is King In the 1800s, apologists for slavery used historical and religious arguments to support their claim that slavery was good for both slave and master Peculiar Institution of slavery
THE SOUTH The cotton boom was responsible for a fourfold increase in the number of slaves, from 1 million in 1800 to nearly 4 million in 1860 In parts of the Deep South, slaves made up as much as 75% of the total population Fearing slave revolts, southern legislators added increased restrictions on movement and education to their slave codes
THE SOUTH Conditions of slavery varied from one plantation to the next Some were humanely treated, while others were routinely beaten All suffered from being deprived of their freedom Families were separated Women were vulnerable to sexual exploitation However, slaves maintained a strong sense of family and religious faith
THE SOUTH Slaves contested their status through work slowdowns, sabotage and escape 1822 Uprising led by Denmark Vesey 1831 Uprising led by Nat turner The results were quickly and violently suppressed However, the uprisings gave slaves hope, drove southern states to tighten already strict slave coeds, and demonstrated to many the evils of slavery
THE SOUTH By 1860, 250,000 free African Americans in the South Many were emancipated during the American Revolution Some were mixed children that were freed Others achieved freedom through self-purchase Most free blacks lived in cities where they could own property Were not equal, could not vote, and were barred from certain jobs Constantly in danger of being kidnapped by slave traders, they had to show legal papers to prove their free status
THE SOUTH Wealth in the South was measured in terms of land and slaves Whites observed a strict hierarchy with aristocratic planters at the top and poor farmers/mountain people at the bottom Planter aristocracy owned at least 100 slaves and 1,000 acres. They maintained their power by dominating the southern legislatures and enacting laws that favored their economic interests Social Hierarchy in the South (As a result of slavery) Planation Aristocracy Small Yeoman Farmers Poor Landless Whites Slaves
THE SOUTH Poor Whites ¾ of the South s population who owned no slaves and could not afford rich river-bottom farmland. Instead lived in the hills as subsistence farmers. These hillbillies or poor white trash defended slavery hoping that one day they could own slaves and profit
THE SOUTH Developed a unique culture and outlook on life Slavery was the focus of political thought Largely a feudal society where the planter elite followed a code of chivalrous conduct including a strong sense of honor, the defense of womanhood, and paternalistic attitudes toward all who were deemed inferior, especially slaves
THE SOUTH Education was valued by the upper class Accepted professions: farming, law, ministry, and the military Lower classes did not have education available past the early elementary grades Slaves were strictly prohibited by law from receiving any instruction in reading or writing This was done to reduce the risk of rebellion
THE WEST By 1850, most American Indians were living west of the Mississippi River Those to the east had either been killed by disease, died in battles, emigrated reluctantly, or had been forced to leave their land by treaty or military action
THE WEST Sioux In the Great Plains, the horse allowed tribes like the Sioux and Cheyenne to become nomadic hunters following the buffalo They could easily move away from advancing settlers or oppose their encroachments by force Cheyenne
THE WEST The West represented the possibility of a fresh start for those willing to venture there It became a place promising greater freedom for all ethnic groups: American Indians, African Americans, European Americans, and eventually Asian Americans
THE WEST Daily life for white settlers consisted of hard work from sunrise to sunset Lived in log cabins, sod huts, or other improvised shelters Disease and malnutrition were far greater dangers than American Indians Often lived many miles from the nearest neighbor Isolation, endless work, and rigors of childbirth resulted in a short lifespan for women
The Age of Jackson, 1824-1844 Ch.10
How did the voting requirements change in this 30 year period? Democratic Trends in the early 19 th century
Voter turnout 1820-1860 What is a good voter turnout in today s society? 2000 54.2% 2004 60.4% 2008 62.3% 2012 57.5% 2016 -?
Why the increased democracy? White male suffrage increased Political party nominating committees Voters choose their state s Presidential electors Spoils system After winning an election, a political party gives government jobs to its voters as a reward for supporting the party and ensuring the victory
Why the increased democracy? Rise of Third Parties Popular campaigning [parades, rallies, floats, etc.] Two-party system returned in the 1832 election: 1. Dem-Rep. -> Natl. Rep. [1828] -> Whigs [1832] -> Republicans [1854] 2. Democrats [1828] Intense distrust of Eastern establishment, monopolies & special privilege His heart & soul was with the plain folk Belief that the common man was capable of uncommon achievement.
First Presidential Run Election of 1824 Jackson ran against: Henry Clay John Quincy Adams John C. Calhoun William H. Crawford No one won a majority of the electoral votes -> the Corrupt Bargain the House voted in John Q. Adams as President
Election of 1824 The Corrupt Bargain Five regional candidates ran No one received an electoral majority Decision is turned over to the House of Representatives John Q. Adams is elected after gaining support from Henry Clay [rival candidate] Andrew Jackson won the popular vote, but did not win the presidency
Election of 1828 Wanted to recreate the old coalition [Jefferson] of: Northern famers and artisans Southern slave owners Farmers with small land holdings He created the Democratic Party from the remains of Jefferson s old party
The new Jackson Coalition Planter Elite in the South People on the Frontier Artisans [competition from factory labor] State politicians -> spoils system Immigrants in the cities
Tariff of abomination Tariff of 1828 -> higher tariffs on imported raw materials [wool and hemp] Supported by Jacksonians to gain votes from farmers in NY, OH, KY The South was adamantly against it They were negatively impacted -> American textiles and taxed English goods were more expensive!
Nullification Calhoun argued the Tariff of 1828 was unconstitutional He argued each state has the right to veto or nullify acts of the federal government that encroach on state rights
Webster-Hayne debate 1830 Daniel Webster responded to this nullification theory The Constitution provided for resolution of disputes between the federal government and the states Supremacy Clause = states do not have the power to nullify federal laws
Nullification South Carolina undertook to nullify the Tariff of 1828 and the Tariff of 1832 Force Bill 1833 Authorizes the President to use whatever force necessary to enforce federal tariffs Resolution of conflict: Compromise Tariff -1833 Will gradually reduce the rates of the tariff rates
Destruction of the 2 nd BUS Nicholas Biddle - President of the Bank of US He applied for the re-charter of the bank 4 years early in hopes of forcing Jackson to make an unpopular decision in an election year; wanting to cost him the election Jackson vetoed the bill
Opposition to the 2 nd BUS Soft Money [Paper] State bankers felt it restrained their banks from issuing bank notes freely Supported rapid economic growth & speculation Hard Specie Felt that coin was the only safe currency Didn t like any bank that issued notes Suspicious of expansion & speculation
The monster is destroyed! Pet Banks State banks chosen by the Federal government to receive surplus funds Chosen on the spoils system 1832 extension of the 2 nd BUS vetoed 1836 bank charter expires 1841 bank went bankrupt
Response to Indian Removal Act 1830 authorized Jackson to negotiate with Native Americans in the Southern US for their removal to federal territory west of the Mississippi River in exchange for their homelands Cherokee Nation v. Georgia Supreme Court ruled they did not have jurisdiction to hear the suit as the Cherokee are a domestic dependent nation Jackson responded: John Marshal has made his decision, now let him enforce it Trail of tears [1838-1839]
WHIGS Election of 1832 Less concerned about the widening gap between rich and poor. Opposed liberal capitalism because they believed it would lead to economic chaos. Strong national govt. to coordinate the expanding economy was critical. Opposes Indian removal. Favored tariffs. Supported a National Bank. DEMOCRATS Felt the widening gap between rich and poor was alarming. Believed that bankers, merchants, and speculators were non-producers who used their govt. connections to line their own pockets. Govt. should have a hands-off approach to the economy to allow the little guy a chance to prosper. For Indian removal. Oppose tariffs. States rights. Oppose federal support for internal improvements. Opposed the National Bank.
Two- Party System
Concept Questions What were the national political parties founded in the US in the early 1820s and 1830s? What were their major beliefs? What were the major issues debated during this time period in history?
Results of specie circular Land speculators in the West created wildcat banks [pet banks] that fueled inflation This led to all future federal land being bought with gold or silver only Banknotes lose their value [paper currency] Land sales plummeted Credit not available Businesses begin to fail Unemployment rose The Panic of 1837!