1. Industrial Revolution
Eventually created more regional divide between North and South.
North – Embraced technology
South – Clung to tradition

2. Population Grows Early immigration to U.S. had been slow
Too many wars and insecurity about U.S. future
Immigration increases after Napoleonic Wars
Economic hardship in Europe
Atlantic travel safer, more frequent, and cheaper
Immigrants settle in eastern cities
Large, cheap labor source for growing industry
“Native” Americans migrate west for cheap land
Medical advancement = larger population
Women have less children, but more survive

3. New Transportation More Turnpikes, but they were slow
Steamboats interconnect major cities, but limited to major rivers
Not fastest route, geographic problems, still costly
Canals could create direct routes, mules could pull cargo faster
Erie Canal: connect Lake Erie to New York City
Great lakes would connect New York to Chicago
New York ultimately surpasses New Orleans as top port city.

4. Canals Replaced by Railroads
Baltimore & Ohio (B&O) Railroad was the first company to develop rail lines.
Private companies had to pay – states wanted to protect their canals
Ambitious entrepreneurs and local gov’ts began paying for railroads
nearly 3,000 miles of track laid
Northeastern states laid FOUR TIMES more track than the South

5. Communication Telegraph – invented by Samuel Morse (Morse Code)
Lines accompany every railroad – connect small towns easily
Associated Press (AP) – collection of writers that share news through telegraph
Rotary Press sped the printing process = daily newspapers
Largest newspapers mostly located in North = more informed population

6. Corporations Increase
States changed corporate charter laws
Could now start corporation by simply paying fee
Limited Liability Laws
Investors could only lose the amount they invested
Encouraged more people to invest in corporations
Textile factories in New England – use waterwheel power
By 1860 – Amount of manufactured goods = agricultural goods
1.3 million factory workers – 900,000 in north.

7. Technology Advances
Turret Lathe – cut screws and metal parts, sped production process and innovations.
Whitney’s interchangeable parts – clock making, steam engines, farm tools, sewing machines, bicycles, etc…
Greater use of coal = factories away from rivers.
Better farming tools = more crops with less help
Can afford to feed more people in cities with less farmers
Cities recruit entire families to work in mills
Lowell Girls: farm girls in Massachusetts, recruited to work in textile mills

8. Working Conditions Still better than European factories
Initially very good
Example: Lowell girls were standard – clean factory, nice boarding houses, and chaperones to protect the girls.
Boom and bust cycle of markets caused conditions to deteriorate.
Efforts to unionize or strike were met with such resistance, they usually failed.
Still better than European factories

9. Northern Aristocracy Industrialists from northeast consolidate wealth
Technology, resources, cheap labor, geographic location
Could use their wealth to influence gov’t policies
Smaller aristocracy of the south was tied to land
Less influence in national politics.