1. Human Geography of the United States Shaping an Abundant Land
Chapter 6
Human Geography of the United States
Shaping an Abundant Land

2. History and Government of the United States 6.1
The Untied States is the third largest country in both size and population
The United States is a nation of immigrants
Nomads crossing Beringia and the Bering Sea
Native Americans, Athapascans, Aleuts and Inuit
Spanish arrived in the 1500s: seeking Gold and other treasure
St. Augustine, FL is the oldest permanent European settlement in the USA
France: Came in the 1600s for fish and fur
England: Came to settle colonies
European settlement often displaced Native Americans
With “secret” biological weapons of mass destruction: diseases

3. First contact of Europeans with the Americas led to the greatest ecological events in history

4. Establishing the Union
English won land from the French during the French and Indian War (1763)
Colonists fought the British efforts to make them share paying for the war
Colonists won the Revolutionary War ( )
US expanded with the Louisiana Purchase (from France) of 1803
Land west of the Mississippi to the Rockies
Early immigration was from Western Europe to the Northeast

5. Sectionalism
The different economic systems that developed in each section of the US led to competing interests
Northeast: Industry and trade
Southeast: Cash crop agriculture based on slavery
West: Staple crop agriculture, mining and livestock
One result was the Civil War
Fought
North won

6. In the second half of the 1800s, millions of Americans were on the move
Settlement expanded westward
During the same period, immigrants poured in from Europe
During the 19th century, the USA transformed from a rural agricultural nation to an urban, industrial one

7. Migrants Immigrants First in wagon trains (a six-month journey)
Then via railroad (also used to move products back to eastern markets)
The US Government removed many Native Americans from their lands: by treaty or by force
By 1890, the frontier was fully settled
Immigrants
Some moved west
Others settled in the growing eastern cities: New York, Boston, Pittsburgh, Cleveland, Detroit, Chicago
They were joined by many who moved to the cities from rural areas to work in textile, steel, food processing and other industries

8. As the 20th century began, the USA was the most powerful country in the Western Hemisphere
Up to this point the US was practically self-sufficient
Beginning with the Spanish American War, and through World Wars I & II, the US became the strongest world power

9. Self-sufficient We produced most of the food we needed
We also produced most of the manufactured goods we needed
We were protected from foreign conflicts by two large oceans

10. The final half of the 20th century was a time of rapid social change
Movement:
Large numbers of families moved to suburbs
Many moved west and south to warmer climates
Immigrants continued to flock to the USA
The 60s and 70s
Civil Rights movement
Feminist movement
Students and others protested the Vietnamese War
Technological change
Computers revolutionized the workplace
Providing services and informational technology surpassed industrial production in importance

11. The United States & Globalization
The US became the world’s greatest economic power
The rest of the world competes with the US as they develop economically
Many industrial jobs have been exported to other countries
The USA led the non-communist nations during the Cold War
When communism in Europe collapsed in 1991, the US became the world’s sole superpower

12. Government: the United States is a Presidential Federal Republic
The current governmental form comes from the Constitution of 1787
People are governed through elected representatives
Separation of Powers between Legislative, Executive and Judicial branches
The president is NOT a member of the legislature
Congress (Legislature): House of Representatives and Senate
The 50 states also have legislative, executive and judicial branches and exercise powers not specifically granted to the federal (national) government)

13. Economy and Culture of the United States 6.2
The United States is the leading economic power
The US economy is run largely on free-enterprise (free market, capitalist) system

14. World Leader Free enterprise
As the leader in agricultural and industrial goods, the US accounts for 10% of all world exports
The US benefits from available resources, a skilled labor force and a stable political system
Free enterprise
Private ownership of capital (resources, technology and businesses)
Seeking profit (with little government control)
In an open market, following the laws of supply and demand

15. An agricultural and industrial giant
The US not only feeds itself, but also helps to feed the world
Different part of the US provide different products
Midwest and South: crop farming
West: Livestock

16. US farms produce 40% of the world’s corn 20% of its cotton
10% of its wheat, cattle and hogs

17. The industrial output of the US is larger than any other country
Advances in technology revolutionized industry and led to new products and methods

18. Leading industries: Industrial centers:
petroleum, steel, transportation equipment, chemicals, electronics, food processing, telecommunications, consumer goods, lumber and mining
Industrial centers:
Originally along the Atlantic Coast near the Great Lakes
Recently to Urban centers in the South and the Pacific Coast
Some have become identified with certain products: Detroit (automobiles), Seattle (aircraft) and Northern California-Silicon Valley (computers)

19. Postindustrial economy
Service industries (producing a service rather than a product)
Nearly three-fourths of American workers work in the service sector
Information processing, finance, medicine, transportation, and education
Known as postindustrial economy
The US leads the world in both exports and imports
Exports: raw materials, agricultural products, and manufactured goods
Imports: automobiles, electronic equipment, machinery and apparel
Our chief trading partners are Mexico and Canada
Many US corporations engage in business worldwide and are called multinationals

20. Because the USA is a nation of immigrants, it is a nation of different races and ethnicities
English is the dominant language
Religious freedom is guaranteed by the Constitution

21. Diversity Language Religions About 70% trace their ancestry to Europe
Latinos, mostly with roots in Central and South America, make up about 13%
African Americans: about 12 %
Asian Americans: 4%
Native Americans: 1%
Language
Spanish #2
Most immigrants have spoken their original language until they have learned English
Religions
85% Christians (56% Protestant; 28% Catholic)
Jews and Muslims account for about 2% each

22. Arts and Popular Culture
Native Americans made pottery, weavings and carvings
Europeans brought artistic traditions of their homelands
Truly American styles developed in the 1800s
Paintings of the expansive landscape
Scenes of American life on both the frontier and in the cities
Skyscrapers shaped world architecture
Today: motion pictures, popular music
Hollywood
African influence: jazz, blues, gospel, rock and roll, hip-hop
Southern (European ancestry) influence: country, bluegrass

23. American Life today More than 280 million people live in the USA
80% live in cities
50% of American Adults are employed
America has always valued education
Americans enjoy a high amount of leisure time
Not all Americans live well

24. American Dream Urban Workforce Education
Most enjoy a high standard of living
Despite ethnic diversity, they generally live and work together
The pursue what attracted their ancestors: “The American Dream”
Urban
Shift to suburbs made possible by the widespread ownership of automobiles
Highways, expressways, railroads and airlines aid mobility
Workforce
Half of them are women
70% work in the service sector
Education
Compulsory, free education (90% in public schools)
2,300 private and public colleges and universities

25. Leisure time
Sports: Baseball, football, golf, soccer, tennis, skiing, and extreme sports
Engaged in hobbies, visit museums and libraries, watch television and movies
More recently spending time on the computer, surfing the Internet or playing videogames
Poverty
How to bring them into the mainstream, while still maintaining the incentive to excel?

26. Subregions 6.3

27. Subregions of the United States 6.3
Northeast
5% of the land area, but 20% of the population
Six northern states: Vermont, Maine, Massachusetts, Connecticut, New Hampshire, and Rhode Island make-up New England
Pennsylvania, New York and New Jersey are known as the Middle Atlantic States
One of the first areas settled by Europeans
Served as the “Gateway” for many immigrants

28. More Northeast The first activities were fishing and farming
Coastal and inland waters turned the region into a heart of trade, commerce and industry
Many “rustbelt” industries have moved to the “sunbelt” or overseas
The nations first Megalopolis developed in the Northeast: “Boswash”

29. Heart of commerce and trade
The Northeast is one of the most industrialized and urbanized regions in the world
New York, Philadelphia and Boston developed into major international trade centers
Coal, iron and oil fueled industrialization
Although the Middle Atlantic States have rich farmlands, New England is too hilly and rocky to grow crops easily
Boswash
500 miles form Boston to Washington, D.C.
Washington is the Nation’s capital
New York is the nation’s cultural and financial centers

30. Midwest America’s heartland The nation’s “breadbasket”
20% of area and 25% of population of the US
Mostly flat plains, with numerous waterways
Great Lakes, Mississippi River and its tributaries
The nation’s “breadbasket”
Fertile soils, adequate rainfall, and a favorable climate enable farmers to produce more food and feed more people than any comparable area in the world
Agriculture is the foundation for many of the region’s industries
meatpacking, food processing, farm equipment, and grain milling

31. More Midwest
Its central location and excellent waterways make the Midwest a trade and distribution center
Chicago is the cultural, financial and transportation “hub”
Others are also located near large bodies of water:
Cleveland, Detroit, Milwaukee are on the Great Lakes;
Cincinnati, St. Louis, Minneapolis, St.. Paul, and Omaha developed along rivers
Changing face of the Midwest:
Number of farms is declining;
Cities are growing;
Industries are moving to the sunbelt and overseas

32. The South 25% of area and 33% of population
11 of the sixteen states were part of the Confederacy during the Civil War
Like the Northeast, the South was an early destination for immigration
Its mix of cultures comes from
early European settlement,
imported slave labor,
and later immigration of Mexicans into Texas, French-Canadian “Cajuns” and Creoles to Louisiana
Once a rural, agricultural area, the South is rapidly changing and its cities growing

33. Agricultural economy was built upon cheap, slave labor
Cotton, tobacco, fruits, peanuts ad rice
Industrial development was made possible by the widespread use of air conditioning and the vast stores of energy resources
Oil, gas, coal and water
Major industries: petroleum, steel, chemicals, food processing, textiles, electronics
Climate draws tourists and retirees
Atlanta is the “hub” of the New South
Other major cities: Miami, Tampa, St. Petersburg, New Orleans, Houston, Dallas, Ft. Worth and San Antonio
Along with its neighbors to the west, known as the “sunbelt”

34. The West (Hey, that’s us!)
50% of the area, 20% of the population
People settle where landforms and climate are favorable
Deserts are sparsely settled, yet California is the most populous state
The West is the most rapidly growing region
Los Angeles is the West’s cultural and commercial center

35. Developing the West Helped by air conditioning and irrigation
The Colorado River has been diverted to serve many areas (except Mexico)
Las Vegas, Tucson and Phoenix, as well as L.A.
Economic activities: farming, ranching, food processing, logging, fishing, mining, oil refining, tourism, filmmaking and the production of computers
The West has many good harbors that make foreign trade—especially with Asia—important:
Los Angeles/Long Beach, Seattle, San Francisco, San Diego