Reform, Religion and Culture

Economic Standings At this time America is an overwhelmingly agricultural nation Very limited transportation- 20 days to send a letter from Maine to Georgia Primitive farming and manufacturing o Domestic system- most items created by individuals working at home

Developments 1807-Robert Fulton tests the first steamboat- the Clermont- both water and land transport 1830s-40s- Samuel Morse and other inventors develop the telegraph- transmits electrical impulses over wire- Morse code Despite initial resistance- America became the world leader in industrialization in the 1820s and 30s.

Industrialization Industrialization- development of industry on an extensive scale Companies began adopting labor saving machinery- more product at a lower price American system of manufacturing- Eli Whitney- inventor of the cotton gin- manufacturing interchangeable parts

Agriculture Cash crops- not raised for sustenance, but to sell the excess for profit- cotton, tobacco, rice, sugar, flax, etc. New technology- iron plow, scythe, etc. Decrease in labor- people moving to the cities for manufacturing work

Early Labor Reform Factory System-centralized system of manufacturing- employees supervised by employers, each worker with limited skill Opportunity for unmarried women- freedom not offered to them in other realms of life Corruption and mistreatment of workers- Samuel Slater example

Early Labor Reform Unfair pay for many hours hours a day, 6 days per week -$ First labor unions- protect worker rights Labor and business o They are dependent on each other but their interests are opposed to each other Main goal at this time- 10 hour work day o Did achieve some shortening- 11.5

Moral Reform Growth of the cities led to more crime and moral decay Temperance- movement against liquor- blaming it for violence and abuse- anti-liquor societies Crime, capital punishment, imprisonment for debt- all criticized Mental illness- Dorothea Dix- work with mentally ill inmates- attempt to improve conditions and work towards cure

Education Reform Increased call for general public education Horace Mann- lead the fight for government to support public education- teacher training, curriculum, corporal punishment

Women’s rights No access to college or professional occupations A wife had no legal identity apart from her husband- could not sue or be sued, could not make a contract or own property, couldn’t gain custody of children in a divorce Early 19th century- first women’s colleges, many women chose not to marry, new opportunities in factories and schools.