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

2. 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

3. 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

4. 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

5. 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

6. 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)

7. 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

8. 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

9. 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

10. 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

11. 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

12. 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

13. 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

14. 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

15. 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

16. 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

17. 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

18. 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

19. 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

20. 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

21. 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

22. 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

23. 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