Forging the National Economy AMH2010Chapter14
Themes Westward Movement Immigrants Industrial Revolution Infrastructure
Westward Movement Half the American population was under the age of 30. The demographic center of America kept moving west, 1840 its was the Allegheny Mountains and by the civil war it was Ohio. Land pressures: - Tobacco land was exhausted. - Cotton leached the soil. -Solution: Move West. Depression– economic problems?, lost your farm? Move west.
March of the Millions As the American population moved west it doubled every 25 years. By 1860 there were 33 states, 4 th most populous country in the West. 43 cities could boast a population of 20k or more. Over urbanization brought crime, disease, and rat etc… Europe was running out of room, population doubled in 19 th Cen. American Letters Journey took 10 to 12 days by steamship.
Irish 1840s– Potato Famine, 2 million died. Tens of thousands flee Ireland for America, they mainly settle in Boston and New York City. Anti-Irish sentiment among Anglo-Saxons - No Irish Need Apply. - Paddy stereotype: hard drinking, hard fighting, and irresponsible. Competed with blacks for low paying labor jobs - race riots between black and Irish. politics
Germans Germans fled to America after the Democratic revolutions of Germany had failed in Wealthier than the Irish - brought more goods with them - better educated - brought money - job experience Mainly settled in Mid-West, especially Wisconsin.
Germans Continued Gave America: - Conestoga wagon, Kentucky Rifle, Christmas tree, beer. - Yeah Beer!!! Socked the Anglo-Saxons - Lived in close knit German speaking communities. - orderly farms - Drank huge quantities, even on Sunday.
Nativism Fear that the incoming hordes of immigrants would “outbreed, outvote, and overwhelm the “native stock.” Anti-Catholic bias, Irish, some Germans - Church schools upset Protestants - Lurid tales of hanky-panky - Anti-Catholic rioting Ethnic stereotyping
Industrial Revolution Britain “the world’s workshop.” Factory system spread to America within a generation. However, Americans were slow to embrace the machines: - Land was cheap - people did not want to be cooped up in a smelly factory. - scarce labor - this was the case until the immigrants came.
U.S. Manufacturing Employment, 1820–1850
Factory System Samuel Slater “father of the factory system”. Developed in England. Memorized machine plans and snuck off to America. Centered on Textiles. Put together the first efficient machine to put cotton together. Eli Whitney– Cotton Gin. Instead of easing slavery it increased it because the demand for cotton was great around the world.
Wage Slaves Old way: Master, journeyman, apprentice Master knew workers, personal interest New way: Forman & workers Impersonal Labor as factor in production dehumanizing worker Child labor
Working Conditions 12 hour day, 6 days Starvation wages No job security No workman’s comp or benefits No retirement
Women Middle class women’s work: married > housewife Single > teacher Working class Servants, laundress And factory If woman at home, husband a success If woman works, husband a…
Canals Canals 1825 > Erie Canal 363 miles 5 mph Transit time from 20 days to 6 Cost from $100 ton to $5 ton Canals in E and Midwest
Railroads 1828– B&O 1860– 30k miles of track, 75% in the North. Early railroads were dangerous, a threat to canals. However, they went were canals could not. Problems: different gauges, many short lines. Solution: standardization Consolidation.