1. Forging The National Economy 1790-1860
Pageant Chapter 14

2. 1a. Immigration and Urbanization
Between 1790 and 1860, the country went from 13 states to 33.
The population had grown by roughly 10x between 1790 and 1860.
Today’s population is roughly 310 million; so we’ve grown another 10x since 1860
Immigration skyrockets during this time

3. The United States –

4. The United States – 1860

5. 1b. Immigration and Urbanization
The Irish and the Germans were two main groups that immigrated to the United States in the mid-19th century.
The Irish
Came b/c of the potato famine of the mid-1840s
worked on canals and railroads
lived in slums
active in American politics
The Germans
Also came to the U.S. b/c of crop failure
Also active in American politics
Settled in and set up farms
Congregated into “colonies” and tight groups

6. 1c. Immigration and Urbanization
These immigrant groups caused fear and suspicion in some Americans:
The Protestant majority was concerned about the Roman Catholics who were coming in from Europe
Catholic schools began popping up throughout the country in the 1840s
“Nativists” (people who didn’t like immigrants) eventually formed their own political party – the Know-Nothing Party
Anti-Foreignism

7. 2. Industry and the Factory System
Industrial Revolution – began in Britain in the mid 18th century
It spread from Britain to the other parts of the world, and hit America in the 1830s-40s
Why?
1) The U.S. stayed agrarian much longer, workers were scarce because they were still farming.
2) Consumers were scarce as well, there just wasn’t a large domestic market of buyers who were interested in manufactured goods.

8. 2. Industry and the Factory System
Eli Whitney – few men have been so pivotal in American History
Inventor of interchangeable parts and the cotton gin (1793) – the “Father of the Factory System”
Whitney’s cotton gin prospered both the North and South but also contributed to the tension that will lead to the Civil War
1) The gin increased cotton production, leading the South to increase dependency on slave labor and agriculture
2) The gin made the Northern states industrial powerhouses

9. Eli Whitney

10. 3a. Workers and Women
The Industrial Revolution meant the decline of workshops and master craftsman and the rise of factories and common laborers. What were some major differences between the two?
1) Craft shop – More personal, and more pride was taken in the work that was done.
2) Factory – Impersonal, no pride in the work, no real craftsmanship but products were produced much faster and cheaper

11. 19th Century Italian Leather Craftsmen

12. 19th Century Collar Factory

13. 3b. Workers and Women
Women were pulled into the workforce during the Industrial Revolution
Women could escape life on the farm by getting jobs at factories such as first water-powered textile mill in Lowell, Massachusetts.
Many women were recruited for caring services such as nursing, and also teaching.
Upon marriage, women were expected to leave the work force and go back home – the cult of domesticity
Def. – the customary view that a woman’s primary job is to be a homemaker.
Reaction – As the teacher of the home, the woman commanded great power and influence over the American household.

14. 4. Transportation
1800 – People, letters, and goods could only move as fast as people could walk, or horses could run.
The Industrial Revolution will change this dramatically with roads, canals, railroads, and steam engines
The Cumberland Road, or National Road, was started in 1811
The steamboat – invented by Robert Fulton, allowed people to travel on the water more efficiently
The Erie Canal – a HUGE innovation for America
Pushed through in 1817 by New York Governor DeWitt Clinton
Connected the Atlantic Ocean to the Great Lakes; greatly benefited New York City.

15. Cumberland Road – The 1st Highway From Washington, D. C
Cumberland Road – The 1st Highway From Washington, D.C. – Vandalia, Illinois

16. Erie Canal Route

17. 4. Transportation 1828 – The first American railroad is built
By 1860 – the Midwest is shipping most of its raw materials to the North for manufacturing.
The South continued specializing in cotton, and other cash crops and remained agrarian
By the time the Civil War comes around, the North controls 85% of the country’s industry and has double the railroads.
Advantage: North

18. Major RRs in the U.S

19. 5. Market Revolution
By 1850, the United States was completely different
The U.S. went from small scattered farms during the colonial period to a large network of industry and commerce in the mid-19th century
Millions of immigrants are packing their bags for the U.S.
“Rags to Riches” stories are still few, but people were generally happy and classes didn’t really clash during this time…why?
1) America was still a wide open country filled with unorganized land for the taking
2) Wages rose 1 percent every year from