1. Chapter 8 Section 2
The Northern Section

2. Two regions
Populous northeast- New England, New York, New Jersey, & Pennsylvania
Old Northwest- Ohio, Indiana, Illinois, Michigan, Wisconsin, & Minnesota

3. Farming in the Old Northwest
Ideal growing ground for corn, wheat, & other grains
New innovations
John Deere’s steel plow could cut through the heavy soil

4. Cyrus McCormick’s mechanical reaper made harvesting grains less labor intensive & more profitable
Farmers had to use the grains quickly or they would spoil
Fed to animals that produced other things

5. Many specialized businesses arose to handle the processing, transport, & selling of farm products
Slaughterhouses, distilleries, shipping companies, & banks
Fueled the growth of cities

6. Industries of the Northeast
Most people still lived in rural areas
More started working in urban factories
More growth of industry than farming

7. Coal in PA
Top producer in ships, iron, lumber, leather, textiles, & glass
Massachusetts
Carpet, bricks, & shoes

8. Lowell hired young, unmarried women to run their spinning & weaving machines
Owners promised them a moral environment & stable income

9. Made about $3.25 for a 72 hour week in 1830’s
Deduct $1.25 for room & board
Women were willing to work for ½ the price of men
Replaced by Irish in 1840’s

10. Many people moved looking for work
The Growth of Cities
Many people moved looking for work
Urban life differed greatly from the colonial times
Workers spent more time away from the household

11. Families often had no support in times of need
Filled by hospitals & schools
Growing number of urban poor people lived in areas with cheap run down housing
Known as tenements

12. Cities couldn’t handle the rapid population increase
Many lacked sewage systems & reliable sources of fresh water
These urban areas acquired wealth & political influence gained from being creators of industry

13. Labor Disputes in Factories
Early industries aimed to make a profit at the expense of workers
Paid little & didn’t provide a healthy working environment
Workers go on strike

14. Complained about long hours & low wages
Occurred as early as the 1700’s- sailors & dockworkers
strikes took place

15. 300,000 people joined union by 1830’s Soon died out
The First Labor Unions
National Trades Union 1834
300,000 people joined union by 1830’s
Soon died out
Factory owners obtained court rulings that outlawed labor organizations