Chapter 14 Forging the National Economy, 1790–1860

I. The Westward Movement Frontier life was hard! People were often poorly fed, barely clothed, and living in makeshift houses. Period literature focused on “rugged individualism.” Pioneers in reality were often in over their heads and needed help from their neighbors for barn raising and upon their government for internal improvements.

Map 14.1 Westward Movement of Center of Population, 1790–2010 The triangles indicate the points at which a map of the United States weighted for the population of the country in a given year would balance. Note the remarkable equilibrium of the northsouth pull from 1790 to about 1940, and the strong spurt west and south thereafter. The 1980 census revealed that the nation’s center of population had at last moved west of the Mississippi River. The map also shows the slowing of the westward movement between 1890 and 1940—the period of heaviest immigration from Europe, which ended up mainly in East Coast cities. Map 14-1 p277

II. Shaping the Western Landscape Ecological imperialism – exploiting the natural resources of the west. Trappers almost eliminate the beaver. Hunters annihilate the buffalo herds. Traders drive the sea-otter population to near extinction. Yet Americans during this period revered nature and its beautiful. Inspiring literature and paintings of the wild.

Major Dougherty’s Indian Agency on the Missouri River, by Karl Bodmer, 1833 The Swiss-born and Paris-trained artist Karl Bodmer painted this scene while accompanying German Prince Maximilian on his expedition across the American West. From St. Louis, the party traveled up the Missouri River by steamboat under the protection of John Jacob Astor’s Fur Company. Bodmer painted scenes along the way, especially of Indians and their surroundings. Trading posts like this one both promoted commerce with the Indians and served settlers heading west. p278

III. The March of the Millions Urban population explodes… In 1790 two cities had 20,000 people. By 1860 there were forty-three. Unfortunate side effect of over populization Smelly slums Inadequate police Impure water Sewage Rats Improper garbage disposal

Figure 14.1 Population Increase, Including Slaves and Indians, 1790–1860 Increasing European immigration and the closing of the slave trade gradually “whitened” the population beginning in 1820. This trend continued into the early twentieth century. Figure 14-1 p279

Why such an increase in population? High birthrate After 1840’s huge increase of immigrants. Primarily Irish and German

Table 14-1 p279

IV. The Emerald Isle Moves West Irish potato famine Rot attacked the potato, which they became dependent upon and about 2 million perish. Tens of thousands flee to America. Scorned by the proper Protestants Forced to live in cramped vile slums Hated for stealing native workers jobs Race riots with African Americans… competition to get off the bottom of the barrel.

Political machines like New York’s Tammany Hall… With little recourse, the Irish were forced to stay in the cramped urban slum. However, they soon became very powerful politically by gaining control of political machines because of their vote. Irish Americans increased by nearly 2 million between 1830 -1860.

V. The German Forty-Eighters Many Germans make their way to America most being uprooted farmers, displaced by crop failure. Many made their way to the mid-west. Unlike the Irish, many Germans possessed enough money to push toward more fertile ground (like wisc.) Germans supported public schools, stimulated art and music, and were outspoken champs of freedom. They became enemies of slavery during the civil war.

VI. Flare-ups of Antiforeignism Many believed the incoming horde of immigrants would outbreed, outvote, and overwhelm the “native” stock. Not only were they taking jobs, but the majority of Irish and minority of Germans were Roman Catholics. To protect their children from protestant indoctrination in public schools, they began constructing all Catholic schools in the 1840s. In response to the influx of immigrants, “Native” Americans formed the Order of the Star-Spangled Banner, a.k.a. Know-Nothings party.

Nativists sought strict restrictions on immigration and naturalization for laws. Immigrants were making America one of the most racially varied places in the history of the world… no wonder cultural clashes began to occur. The main reason these clashes weren’t worse was due to a bustling economy. Immigrants could arrive without jeopardizing the wealth of others.

VII. Creeping Mechanization As immigrants began to pour into America in the 1840s, the American Industrial Revolution took off. The value of factory outputs did not exceed farms, however, until well past the middle of the century.

VIII. Whitney Ends the Fiber Famine Samuel Slater The “Father of the Factory System” in America. A 21 year old mechanic from Great Britain. He basically memorized the plans for some machinery, and escaped to America. He built the machine and in 1791 operated the first efficient American machine to spin cotton thread. Handpicking cotton was so expensive that American-made cotton cloth was rare. Eli Whitney, an American mechanic, invented a device to separate the seed from the short-staple cotton fiber, called the cotton gin. Using this machine was fifty times more effective than the handpicking process

South and North both prospered due to cotton. Almost overnight raising cotton became highly profitable, and the South was tied to King Cotton. Slavery had been dying out, but with the revived interest in raising cotton came a revived interest in slaves. South and North both prospered due to cotton. The South raised it and the North spun it. Places like New England became industrial centers, primarily because their stony soil made it difficult to cultivate a crop, which made manufacturing all that more attractive.

Francis Cabot Lowell’s Mill, Waltham, Massachusetts, 1826 and Cotton Industry; Carding, Drawing, and Roving; Engraving, 1835 Built in 1814, Lowell’s mill (left) was a marvel of manufacturing efficiency. It combined all phases of production, including spinning and weaving, under one roof. The mill’s labor force (right) was composed primarily of young women from the local farming communities. p288

Francis Cabot Lowell’s Mill, Waltham, Massachusetts, 1826 and Cotton Industry; Carding, Drawing, and Roving; Engraving, 1835 Built in 1814, Lowell’s mill (left) was a marvel of manufacturing efficiency. It combined all phases of production, including spinning and weaving, under one roof. The mill’s labor force (right) was composed primarily of young women from the local farming communities. p288