Growth and Expansion

The Industrial Revolution Began in mid-1700s in England. A period when machinery and technology changed how people worked and produced goods. Began in New England around 1800 Had water sources= power Had natural resources like coal and iron Had a large population to work

1785 steam engine provided power for cotton mills Spinning wheel, water frame, and power loom from England changed textile industry 1785 steam engine provided power for cotton mills 1793 Eli Whitney’s cotton gin = work of 50 men Factory system developed: bringing manufacturing steps together under one roof Increased efficiency Reduced cost

Agriculture Expands 1820s, more than 65% of Americans were farmers NE: small farms, local produce S: mostly cotton, slaves, large crops Sent cotton to factories in NE W: pork and cash crops like wheat and corn Cities and towns grew as a result of factories and trade: largest near water (power source)

City life Wood or brick buildings Unpaved roads Free roaming animals No sewers: disease spread Fires happened easily BUT cities had JOBS, steady income, cultural opportunities Many people left farms and got jobs

Moving West 1790 4 million people in US 1820 10 million people in US, 2 million living west of Appalachians It was difficult to get there: needed roads! 1806 approval for National Road, but stopped construction during War of 1812 Finally finished 1820

River travel was becoming popular Steamboats made travel faster But going against current was slow, and most rivers flow N-S Canals: man-made waterways connecting rivers Biggest of the canals was the Eerie Canal, 363 miles long Canals and new national roads led to a wave of people leaving the east coast, four new states created = VT, KY, TN, OH After War of 1812 = IN, IL, MI, AL, MO

Politics in the 1800s James Monroe was elected in 1816, and the country loved him; political differences seemed to disappear for the moment “Era of Good Feelings” But factory systems in the north, farms in the south, and pioneers in the west had different needs and wants: slavery and national policies were hot topics Sectionalism: loyalty to a region MO Compromise 1820: tried to keep the balance between N&S= MO entered as slave state, ME was free

Foreign Affairs Prez. Monroe signed two treaties with England Limiting their naval vessels in Lake Eerie and making a “no weapons” zone along the border of Canada Set the boundary of Louisiana Terr., made it a DMZ = no armed forces Spain gave up Florida, but got Texas Monroe Doctrine 1823 to protect America from European invasion: existing Euro colonies were ok, but no NEW ones (still in place)