The Worlds of North and South

Introduction – Eli Whitney The three areas differed in their economies, transportation systems, and societies A Problem The Idea Man Complaints from planters/farmers: Cotton grew well in the South Cleaning the seeds out of cotton fibers was a big problem A slave picking out seeds by hand could clean only a few pounds a day Using cheap slave labor, there was little profit in raising cotton Eli Whitney Invented a machine to: Manufacture nails more quickly than making them by hand Manufactured hat pins and men’s canes While tutoring in the South Came up with the idea of the Cotton Gin Will have different effects on the North and South

Northerners adapted to Geography of the North Northerners adapted to geographical differences by creating different industries and ways of making a living Climate Natural Features All the Northern states experienced four distinct seasons Most northerly states Had colder winters and shorter summer growing seasons than states farther south, such as Pennsylvania and Ohio. Jagged New England coast Had hundreds of bays and inlets -- perfect for use as harbors Shipbuilding, fishing, and commerce flourished in this are Inland from the sea Narrow, flat plain with a thin covering of rocky soil Farming was not easy here Instead, many people turned to trade and crafts Others moved west in search of better farmland.

or the clearing of forests Geography of the North Natural Features Natural Features Negative Effect: Deforestation, or the clearing of forests   New England’s hills rose sharply above V-shaped valleys carved by steep streams New Englanders found that they could make money by harvesting timber Wood was used for shipbuilding and in trade with other countries Farther south in New York, Pennsylvania, and New Jersey Rivers deposited rich soil over the plains Areas supported themselves by farming Central Plains, a large, forested region drained by the Ohio and Mississippi rivers Have some of the best agricultural soil in the world Settlers cleared the forests to make way for farms

Cities and towns all started by rivers Geography of the South Cities and towns all started by rivers Climate Natural Features Southern states enjoyed mild winters and long, hot, humid summers Plentiful rainfall and long growing seasons made this a perfect place for raising warm-weather crops Along the coast, the plains were dotted with swamps and marshes Ideal for growing rice and sugarcane Indigo was grown on the dry land above the swamps, and tobacco and corn were farmed farther inland Above the plains rose the Appalachians Carved farms and orchards out of rolling hills and mountain hollows Most people in the South were farmers Southerners used natural resources in other ways as well Other Professions Lumber Gathered fish, oysters, and crabs

Economy of the South The Beginning The Beginning South’s economy was based on agriculture Most white Southerners were agrarians who favored a way of life based on farming Rich plantation owners, did not have to do the hard work of growing crops themselves Most white Southerners worked their own small farms Plantation owners used slaves to grow such cash crops Tobacco Rice Sugarcane Indigo Use of slaves had begun to decline (1790’s) Europeans were unwilling to pay high prices due to the decline Cotton was a promising crop Had a hard time making a profit Had to find a time efficient way of sorting the seeds from the cotton Discouraged planters were buying fewer slaves, and even letting some go free

Economy of the South The Beginning Eli Whitney Whitney had an idea Took a job tutoring children on a Georgia plantation Observed the way cotton was cleaned by hand Whitney had an idea “If a machine could be invented which would clean the Cotton with expedition [speed],” he wrote his father, “it would be a great thing . . . to the Country.” Six months later Cotton Gin

Economy of the South The Impact of the Cotton Gin Expanding Demand for Land and Slaves  Whitney’s “cotton engine,” called the cotton gin for short Purpose:  used rotating combs to separate cotton fiber from its seeds Effect: a single worker could clean as much cotton as 50 laborers Cotton was the South’s most important crop Became the U.S. leading exported good Raising cotton in the same fields year after year soon wore out the soil Result: went West for more soil Whitney’s hopes: lighten the work of slaves Instead, it made slavery more important to the South than ever Slavery rose from 500,000 to more than 3 million Southerners putting money into land and slaves, the South had little interest in building factories Tredegar Iron Works in Richmond, Virginia Made ammunition and weapons for the U.S. army, as well as steam engines, rails, and locomotives

Economy of the North Industrial Revolution The Growth of Industry in the North Began in England in the late 1700s Came to United States in the early 1800s A shift from making things and doing work by hand to making things and doing work with machines Francis Cabot Lowell Saw how machines worked in England Used fast-moving streams to turn a wheel = energy Lowell memorized the design of the British machines Built one of the first American textile factories, along the Merrimack River outside Boston Factory combined spinning and weaving machinery in the same building

Industrial Revolution Economy of the North The Growth of Industry in the North The Growth of Industry in the North Workers Hired young women, very eager to make money A.K.A: “Lowell Girls” Worked 12-15 hour days Sundays off Steam Power Effect: Allowed for factories to be built anywhere – does not have to be along a river Eli Whitney’s new concept Interchangeable parts Could assemble products even more cheaply by making them from identical parts This era is known as the Industrial Revolution New inventions and manufacturing methods made goods cheaper and more plentiful Concept: Build it faster, more quantity, charge less, make a profit Technology hurt the work force E.X. Elias Howe’s sewing machines Machines could do more work and faster than seamstresses Effect: people lost jobs

Economy of the North The Growth of Industry in the North Factory owners Tended to favor a strong national government Promoted improvements in manufacturing, trade, and transportation Southern Fears Did not like the new wealth in the North Big Fear: Northern interests might grow too powerful and threaten the South’s way of life

Northern economy boomed Economy of the North Northern economy boomed By 1860: Northern economy was 10x’s greater than the South Machines Make Agriculture More Efficient Machines Make Agriculture More Efficient Industrial Revolution Effects New machines increased the rate at which agricultural goods could be produced Cyrus McCormick Built a machine called a reaper 28 times faster at cutting grain than a single man using a scythe Built a reaper factory in Chicago, Illinois Used the interchangeable parts idea – production boomed John Deere Invented the steel-tipped plow Reduced the amount of labor needed to plow a field Made it easier to plant and harvest large quantities of wheat

Transportation in the North Building Better Roads Fast Ships and Canals First attempt for improvement 1806, Congress funded the construction of a National Road across the Appalachian Mountains Purpose: Connect the new western states with the East Improvement stop Monroe argued that spending federal money for a state’s internal improvements was unconstitutional (strict constructionist) River travel was still faster and cheaper than travel by land Going upstream was difficult Steam engines would solve the problem  Robert Fulton (1807) Raced the Clermont upstream on the Hudson River Showed speed and efficacy for its time

Transportation in the North Fast Ships and Canals Traveling by Rail Erie Canal 1817, New York hired engineers and workers to build a 363-mile canal from the Hudson River to Lake Erie Because of its success – other states built canals Clipper ships Fast sailing ships – food would not spoil Cut ocean travel time in half Led to increased Northern trade with foreign ports around the world. The future Inspired by the success of steamboats Advantages Trains traveled faster than steamboats Could go wherever tracks could be laid—even across mountains Railroads were the North’s biggest business

Transportation in the South Rivers, and More Rivers People and goods continued to move on rivers Channels of Southern rivers made water travel easy and relatively cheap Slave docks Slaves loaded cotton bales directly onto steam-powered riverboats Cotton boom made New Orleans one of the largest cities in the South Once the cotton reached the sea Loaded onto sailing ships headed for ports in England or the North Towns and cities sprang up along waterways Little need for roads or canals to connect these settlements Southerners opposed bills in Congress that would use federal funds for internal improvements Did not want to benefit the North Some railroads were built in the South Transported cotton to North Half the rail lines of the North

Society in the South Social Classes Slavery Question Top: Rich plantation owners Middle: White farmers and workers Bottom: African Americans—mostly enslaved Situation As long as the slave economy could be preserved Little incentive to make progress economically or culturally Religion was affected South churches: preached it was ok to enslave Opposite of the churches in the North Separated North from South further

Society in the South White Southerners The Majority of Whites Small group of wealthy plantation owners Controlled: The economy and politics of the South Enjoyed a leisurely way of life Filled with parties and social visits Education Sons – went to Universities and colleges Daughters – raised to be wives and hostesses Most white families Owned some land Only about one in four owned even one slave The majority worked their own fields Made most of what they needed themselves 10 percent of whites were too poor to own any land They rented rugged mountain or forest land and paid the rent with the crops they raised Many white children were illiterate

Society in the South African Americans in the South African Americans in the South Small minority of the African Americans were free blacks Had to do the following: Wear special badges Pay extra taxes Live separately from whites Occupations: Craftspeople, servants, or laborers Majority of African Americans in the South were slaves Worked as: Cooks, carpenters, blacksmiths, house servants, or nursemaids Majority were: Field hands who labored from dawn until past dusk

Society in the North Urban Sprawl Cities are growing rapidly African Americans in the North Cities are growing rapidly People still live on farms (7 out of 10 people) Big cities like New York, Philadelphia, and Boston are growing rapidly Jobs are there Cities of the North Unsanitary No sewers or paved streets Disease spread rapidly Blacks in the North were free, they were not treated as equal to whites Limitations: Could not vote Hold office Serve on juries Attend white churches and schools African Americans often worked as laborers or servants Due to employers would not hire them

Society in the North Immigrants Arrive in the North Immigrants Arrive in the North Between 1845 and 1860, four million immigrants came to the United States From Ireland and Germany People of Ireland left due to a potato famine Germans left due to failed revolutions Many lived in the cities where jobs were offered Resentment Americans resented the Irish the most They were Roman Catholic The United States was mostly Protestant at the time Accepted very low wages This took jobs away from native-born workers More than one-third of all U.S. immigrants came from Ireland