The North People and Industry
Innovation New development or invention Machines allowed stuff to be mass-produced By 1860, the NE made 2/3 of manufactured goods in US More roads and wider canals Better steamboats, quicker ships Could transport goods quicker and cheaper
Railroads Brits had 1 st steam powered train in 1829 Tom Thumb is 1 st train in US ,000 miles of RR tracks ,000 miles Connected businesses and consumers easy Helped Midwest grow
Communications Telegraph used electric signals to send messages Samuel Morse sent message using “.” and “-” in 1844 to and from DC to Baltimore People could communicate in minutes, not days
Farming John Deere invents steel-tipped, not cast iron plow Allowed farmers to cut through hard soil Cyrus McCormick invents mechanical reaper Could harvest quicker and plant more
Factories Average workday was 11.4 hours in 1840 Dangerous and hot/cold conditions No child labor laws:12 hours/day, 6 days/week Trade Unions-group of workers w/ same job Strikes- Employees quit working to protest Women were discriminated against, treated unfairly and paid ½ what men earned
Growth Major cities grow near rivers: St Louis, Pittsburgh, Cincinnati, Louisville linked farmers of Midwest w/ Northeast Immigration grew fast Irish Famine-food shortage sent many here Many also came from Germany Immigrants faced discrimination
Immigration