Section 2 – pg 264 The North Transformed Chapter 7 Section 2 – pg 264 The North Transformed

Pg 264 Northern Cities American cities have always been the center of commerce and culture Early cities were small NY had a population of 33,000 in 1790 Currently has 8.34 million

Growth of Cities Pg 264 In the 1800s, US cities grew The Industrial Revolution caused urbanization, growth of cities due to movement of ppl from rural area As the cities along the eastern coast became crowded, newly arriving immigrants headed west Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania had about 23,000 ppl in 1840 10 yrs later it had doubled German and Irish immigrants raised Louisville, Kentucky’s population ‘til it was bigger than Washington DC’s by 1850

Urban Problems Pg 265 Growing cities faced many problems Filthy streets, no good sewage systems, no clean drinking water, easy spread of disease City wide fires Most structures were made of wood Volunteer firefighters were often poorly trained and equipped Insurance companies paid firefighters to save insured buildings Rival firefighting companies often ended up fighting each other instead of the fires

The Growth of Northern Industry Pg 265 The Growth of Northern Industry New inventions revolutionized communications Telegraph: a device that used electrical signals to send messages quickly over long distances

Pg 265 The Telegraph Samuel F.B. Morse’s invention worked by sending electrical signals over a wire Code used shorter and longer burst of electricity Morse Code: each letter of the alphabet is represented by its own mix of short signals (dots) and long signals (dashes)

Telegraph soon became a part of American life Pg 266 In 1844, Morse sent the first message to his assistant in Washington D.C. Telegraph soon became a part of American life Thousands of miles of wires were strung across the nation Factories in the East could communicate with their markets in the West in a matter of hours rather than weeks

Advances in Agriculture Pg 266 Advances in Agriculture The mechanical reaper made it easier for farmers to settle land Invented by Cyrus McCormick Cut stalks much faster than humans Allowed farmers to cultivate more land and harvest their crops with fewer workers

Improvements in threshers also sped up the harvesting of grain Pg 266 Improvements in threshers also sped up the harvesting of grain Threshers separate the grains of wheat from their stalks Wheat grains are ground into flour Eventually the mechanical reaper and the thresher were put together in a machine called a combine

Advances in agriculture also affected industry Pg 266 Advances in agriculture also affected industry Farm laborers who had been replaced by machines went to cities to work in shops and factories Many cities, like Cincinnati, grew as both agricultural and industrial centers

Advances in Manufacturing Pg 266 Advances in Manufacturing Other inventions revolutionized the way goods were made In 1846, Elias Howe patented a machine that could sew seems in fabric The sewing machine made it possible to produce clothing in higher amounts Clothes became cheaper Modest people were able to dress as well as the wealthy

Pg 266 By 1860, factories in New England and the Middle Atlantic states were producing most of the nation’s manufactured goods That year America had over $1 billion invested in business 90% was invested in businesses in the North

A Transportation Revolution Pg 266 A Transportation Revolution Improvements in transportation spurred the growth of American industry As transportation became easier and faster, factories could make use of raw materials from farther away Allowed factory owners to ship their goods to distant markets

Steamboats and Clipper Ships Pg 267 Steamboats and Clipper Ships In 1807 Robert Fulton used a steam engine to power a boat Clermont was the first practical steamboat 133 ft long and had wooden side paddles that pulled it through the water

Side paddles steamboats were not well suited for ocean travel Pg 267 Side paddles steamboats were not well suited for ocean travel In 1850, a new type of American ship appeared, the clipper ship Called the Yankee clippers World’s fastest ships By the 1850s, Great Britain was producing oceangoing steamships These ironclad steamships were faster and could carry more cargo

Pg 267 Railroads Railroads did the most to tie together raw materials, manufacturers, and markets Steamboats had to follow the paths of rivers, which could freeze in the winter Railroads could be built almost anywhere America’s first railroad, the Baltimore and Ohio, was in 1828 Cars were drawn along the track by horses In 1830, Peter Cooper built the first American made steam locomotive By 1840, abt 3,000 miles of railway track had been built in the US

A New Wave of Immigration Pg 267 A New Wave of Immigration The American population grew rapidly in the 1840s Millions of immigrants entered the US, mostly from western Europe Many came to buy cheap land Many came b/c they could no longer survive at home

The Irish Famine Pg 268 Ireland had long been under British rule Potato was the basic food for most of the population In 1845, a fungus destroyed the potato crop, leading to famine (wide spread starvation) Years following was called the Great Hunger More than a million starved to death About a million left Ireland

Most of the Irish immigrants that came to the US had worked on farms Pg 268 Most of the Irish immigrants that came to the US had worked on farms In the US men found work doing the lowest paying jobs in construction or laying railroad track in the East and Midwest Young Irish women were often employed as household workers

German Newcomers Germans came to America during this time as well Pg 268 German Newcomers Germans came to America during this time as well Many had taken part in revolutions against harsh rulers When revolutions failed, the Germans fled to the US Most settled in the Ohio Valley and the Great Lakes region

Reaction Against Immigrants Pg 268 Reaction Against Immigrants Some Americans worried abt the growing foreign population Nativists: ppl who wanted to preserve the country for white, American-born Protestants Especially opposed Irish immigrants b/c most were Roman Catholics One group of nativists in NY formed a secret group When asked abt about their secret order, members would reply, “I know nothing” Became known as the Know-Nothings Became a political party In 1856, their candidate won 21% of the vote Soon after, the party split over the issue of slavery

African Americans in the North Pg 269 African Americans in the North More than immigrants, African American in the North faced discrimination The denial of equal rights or equal treatment based on race, religion, culture, or nationality Slavery had mostly ended in the North by the 1800s Free AAs were joined by more from the South Freedom did not mean equal treatment Not allowed to vote, work in factories, or work in skilled trades Many employers preferred to hire white immigrants then AAs

White newspapers often portrayed AAs as inferior Pg 269 Prejudice against AAs led to racial segregation of schools and public facilities Formed own churches White newspapers often portrayed AAs as inferior AAs responded by starting own newspaper Freedom’s Journal: established in 1827 in NY Editor, John B. Russwurm, had been one of the first AAs to graduate from an American college