Forging the National Economy Chapter 14
1.Population growth 1800 = 5.5 million to 33 million by states to 33 states by 1861 Expansion of cities 2.Flow of Immigration – 1830’s to 1860’s Why? Potato famine and European problems Irish German 48er’s Hated by “Nativists” 3. Transformation of American Industry Industrial Revolution – why? American System Sectionalism Industrial pioneers
Americans marched quickly toward west very hard w/ disease & loneliness Frontier people were individualistic, superstitious & ill-informed Westward movement molded environment tobacco exhausted land “Kentucky blue grass” thrived
5.3 million Population Growth from 1620 to 1860
High birthrate accounted for population growth Population doubling every 25 years Near 1850s, millions of Irish, German came Beginning in 1830, immigration in the US soared
Irish escape famine in their country Causes Millions of Germans arrived and settled in the Midwest Settled mostly in urban areas of the Northeast Event U.S. experiences Huge influx Of immigrants. Effects Produced feelings Of nativism among Many Americans Know-Nothing Party Was started to prevent Immigrants from Holding office
Irish Potato Famine Main ports of entry – New York, Philadelphia, Baltimore, and Boston Irish were too poor to move inland and farm so they stayed in the cities Boston did not particularly like the Irish – catholic, illiterate, poor “No Irish need apply!” Ancient Order of Hibernians Benevolent society to help Irish Spawned “Molly Maguires” (miners union) Gradually improved and became active politically NY’s Tammany Hall, Irish political machine
Most Germans came due to crop failures Germans better off than Irish, came west, many to Wisconsin A few were political refugees from collapse of democratic revolutions in 1848 German contributions include Kentucky rifle, Christmas tree, kindergarten, and abolitionists Some Americans were suspicious because they tried to preserve language, culture and lived in separate communities, and drank beer
Sources of Immigration,
Sources of Immigration,
Settlements of Immigrants Irish in Northeastern cities: New York and Boston Germans would settle in Midwest
American “nativists” feared 1840s & 1850s invasion of immigrants Took jobs, grew Roman Catholicism Catholics built their own schools, were #1 denomination by : Nativists form Order of the Star-Spangled Banner, developed into “Know-Nothing” party Wanted immigration restrictions Nativists occasionally violent, burned Boston convent (1834) Philadelphia Irish fought back, 13 killed in several days of fighting (1844)
The “Know-Nothings” [The American Party] Nativists. Anti- Catholics. Anti- immigrants. Nativists. Anti- Catholics. Anti- immigrants Secret Order of the Star- Spangled Banner created in NYC.
Know- Nothing Party: “The Supreme Order of the Star-Spangled Banner” Know- Nothing Party: “The Supreme Order of the Star-Spangled Banner”
A shift from goods made by hand to factory and mass production Technological innovations brought production from farmhouse to factories Invented in Britain in 1750; smuggled to U.S. Beginning of US Factory System US slow to embrace factory system Scarce labor Little capital Superiority of British factories
Resourcefulness & Experimentation Americans were willing to try anything. They were first copiers, then innovators. Americans were willing to try anything. They were first copiers, then innovators 41 patents were approved 4,357 “ “ “ 1800 41 patents were approved 4,357 “ “ “
Eli Whitney’s cotton gin revolutionized the cotton industry. He is also noted for the concept of mass production and interchangeable parts by creating dyes for pistols and rifles. Very important early pioneer in America’s industrial revolution. The invention which changed the South, cotton and slavery.
Cotton gin invented in times more effective than hand picking Raising cotton more profitable South needs slavery more than ever for “King Cotton” HNew England factories flourish with Southern cotton
Cotton Gin Increased exports for the South Planters became rich Increased demand for slaves Effects
Eli Whitney’s Gun Factory Interchangeable Parts Rifle
1830s, Industrialization grew throughout the North… Southern cotton shipped to Northern textile mills was a good working relationship.
Built first textile mill in 1793 in Pawtucket, Rhode Island. Born in England on June 9, 1768 and worked in British factories. Slater came to US to make his fortune in the textile industry. Slatersville Mill was the largest and most modern industrial cotton mill of its day "Father of the American Factory System." Samuel Slater was the "Father of the American Factory System."
With industrial revolution, large impersonal factories surrounded by slums full of “wage slaves” developed Long hours, low wages, unsanitary conditions, lack of heat, etc. Labor unions illegal 1820: 1/2 of industrial workers were children under 10
1820s & 1830s: right to vote for laborers Loyalty to Democratic party led to improved conditions Fought for 10-hour day, higher wages, better conditions 1830s & 1840s: Dozens of strikes for higher wages or 10-hour day 1837 depression hurt union membership Commonwealth v. Hunt Supreme Court ruled unions not illegal conspiracies as long as they were peaceful
Americans beat the British at their own game, made better factories Francis C Lowell (a British “traitor”) came over here to build British factories met up with Boston mechanic, Paul Moody Together they improved the mill and invented a power loom that revolutionized textile manufacturing
Lowell Mill
Lowell Girls What was their typical “profile?”
Lowell Boarding Houses What was boardinghouse life like?
Lowell Mills Time Table
Irish Immigrant Girls at Lowell
Early Textile Loom
The Lowell System Lowell, Massachusetts, 1832 Young New England farm girls Supervised on and off the job Worked 6 days a week, 13 hours a day Escorted to church on Sunday
1850: 10% of white women working for pay outside home Vast majority of working women were single Left paying jobs upon marriage “Cult of domesticity” Cultural idea that glorifies homemaker Empowers married women Increased power & independence of women in home led to decline in family size
Industrialists and Inventors Development or Invention Samuel Slater Francis C. Lowell Eli Whitney Samuel F.B. Morse steamboat Textile machine Mass production of textiles Interchangeable parts Telegraph; Morse code Robert Fulton
John Deere & the Steel Plow
Cyrus McCormick & the Mechanical Reaper
Samuel F. B. Morse 1840 – Telegraph “WHAT GOD HATH WROUGHT”
Cyrus Field & the Transatlantic Cable, 1858
Elias Howe & Isaac Singer 1840s Sewing Machine Elias Howe & Isaac Singer 1840s Sewing Machine Perfected by Singer Gave boost to northern industry Became foundation for ready-made clothing industry Led many women into factories
From left to right: Eli Whitney (cotton gin, interchangeable parts), Robert Fulton (steam boat), Thomas Edison (light bulb), Cyrus McCormick (reaper), Richard Hoe (automatic printing press)
Industrialization Railroads: enabled trains to travel fast and go wherever track was laid Steamboats: made river travel more reliable Erie canal: connected the Hudson River at Albany to Lake Erie at Buffalo N.Y Manufacturing went from hand tools to large complex machines Interchangeable parts transformed One-by-one process into a factory Process. Telegraph quickly sent Messages over long-distances National Road: major east-west Highway that reached from Cumberland, Maryland to Wheeling, Virginia (now West Virginia) Skilled artisans gave way to Workers organized by tasks Factories replaced home- based Work manufactures sold wares nationwide
Bad roads made transportation highly unreliable The National Road begun in 1811 and completed by 1832 Connected Maryland to Illinois. Built by US government
Cumberland (National Road), 1811
Population shift because of westward expansion the West demanded transportation. The Land Act of 1820, gave the West its wish by authorizing a buyer to purchase 80 acres of land at a minimum of $1.25 an acre in cash Erie Canal started in 1817 and completed in 1825 NY Governor DeWitt Clinton built the Erie Canal Connected New York City from Hudson River with the Great Lakes and the West Clinton’s Big Ditch Other canals follow Navigable rivers and the steamboat the first steamboat on western waters was in 1811.
H 1807, Fulton's Clermont, was the first commercially successful and reliable steamboat. Steam boat would revolutionize water travel. H The steamboat was often the only mechanical means of river travel and freight transportation from 1808 through H 1807, Fulton's Clermont, was the first commercially successful and reliable steamboat. Steam boat would revolutionize water travel. H The steamboat was often the only mechanical means of river travel and freight transportation from 1808 through 1930.
Erie Canal System
Principal Canals in 1840
Help unite the country as well as improve the economy and the infant industry. Because of the British blockade during the War of 1812, it was essential for internal transportation improvements.
1850 to 1860, RR proved most significant development toward national economy Americans demanded transcontinental railroad to California. Completed by 1869.
The “Iron Horse” Wins! (1830) 1830 13 miles of track built by Baltimore & Ohio RR By 1850 9000 mi. of RR track [1860 31,000 mi.]
1800 to 1850: Roads, canals, navigable rivers with steamboats were the main modes of transportation to 1860, RR proved most significant development toward national economy Competition between Railroads and Canals Obstacles opposition from canal backers danger of fire poor brakes difference in track gauge meant changing trains
, Pony Express connected East-West Telegraph instantly sent messages across US Attraction of many large capital investments and encouraged risk taking in the US economy People moved faster and country expanded Unifying spirit among fellow country men A need for a transcontinental railroad that connected east to west
Telegraph revolutionized communication Would replace the Pony Express by 1861
ECONOMIC? SOCIAL? POLITICAL? FUTURE PROBLEMS?