1. National Economy

2. Population Growth,
Between 1800 & 1825 the U.S. population doubled
It doubled again by 1850
Reasons
High birth rate
Immigrants from Europe after 1830, especially Germans and Britons

3. Transportation Roads Canals Pennsylvania’s Lancaster Turnpike, 1790’s
Success stimulated other private toll roads
Few interstate roads built due to opposition
National, or Cumberland Road
Canals
Erie Canal, 1825
Success stimulated more canal building which resulted in:
Lower food prices in East
More immigrants going West
Stronger economic ties between East & West

4. Transportation Steamboats Railroads 1807 Clermont, Robert Fulton
Commercially operated steamboat lines soon developed
Railroads
First railroads in late 1820s
Stimulated growth of western towns:
Cleveland, Cincinnati, Detroit, & Chicago

5. Growth of Industry 19th Century
Began in early 19th Century
Surpassed agriculture by mid-century
World leader by end of the century!!!

6. Industrial Growth Mechanical inventions Corporations Factory system
Patent laws encouraged inventors
Eli Whitney
Cotton gin
Interchangeable parts
Corporations
New York, 1811, first corporation law
Other states followed
Facilitated the raising of large sums of money
Factory system
Samuel Slater, 1st U.S. factory, 1791
The embargo, War of 1812, & tariffs allowed factories to proper
New England led American industry

7. Industrial Growth Labor Unions
Lowell, Massachusetts employed young farm women
Imitated by other factories until mid-century when began hiring immigrants
Unions
Trade (craft) unions organized as early as 1790s
Widespread discontent among factory workers
Long hours
Low pay
Poor working conditions
Early unions wanted 10 hour workday

8. Industrial Growth Obstacles to labor unions
Immigrant replacement workers
State laws outlawing unions
Frequent economic depressions with high unemployment

9. Commercial Agriculture
Early 1800s farming became more commercial
Cheap land & easy credit
New markets back East due to transportation improvements
Cotton
Eli Whitney’s cotton gin made cotton more profitable than any other crop
Southerners purchased new land and new slaves
Cotton was sold to British textile factories