1. ACOS #10: Describe political, social, and economic events between 1803 and 1860 that led to the expansion of the territory of the United States.

2.  Famine – a widespread shortage of food.  Reform – an action that makes something better.  Temperance – the decision to drink a small amount of alcohol or none at all.  Injustice – unfair treatment that abuses a person’s rights. Something one person does to another that is wrong.  Reform – change for the better.

3.  Immigrants  People had been moving to North America from European countries since the 1500’s.  Between 1840 and 1860, the number of immigrants increased significantly.  About 4 million Europeans came to the United States during this time.  Almost half of these immigrants were Irish. About one- third were German and the rest came from other European countries. are people who move to another country to live.

5.  Many immigrants came to America for land and job opportunities.  Thousands left Germany because of war and crop failures.  After arriving in American, many Germans settled in the Midwest where land was plentiful.  Some German immigrants found jobs in mid-western cities such as Chicago, St. Louis, and Milwaukee.

6.  The Irish Potato Famine caused many Irish people to leave their country.  A famine  Potatoes were the main source of food for the poor in Ireland.  When a disease destroyed Ireland’s potato crop in 1846, more than a million Irish people died. is a widespread shortage of food.

7.  When most immigrants arrived in American, they did not have enough money to buy land or to leave the port cities in which they landed.  Irish men and women settled in the port cities and found work in factories, as household servants, and/or builders of canals and railroads.  Some Americans disliked the immigrants because their customs were so different.  Some Americans thought the immigrants were taking jobs they could have had.  Many people who originally had jobs making goods by hand lost their job because factories produced goods faster and cheaper.

8.  Beginning in the 1820’s, a rise in religious feeling spread throughout the country.  Thousands of people joined Christian churches.  This religious movement was called the Second Great Awakening.  During this time, many people tried to change society (all the people living in the same country).  People worked to improve the country through reform.  Reform  Some reforms during this time included antislavery and temperance.  Temperance is an action that makes something better. means controlling or cutting back on drinking alcohol.

9.  Injustice  Another reform at this time was one addressing the injustice toward women.  During this time women: means unfair treatment that abuses a person’s rights. 1)never spoke to audiences that included men 2)could not vote 3)only a small number of low-paying jobs were available 4)could not own property 5)Could not keep money they earned Everything a woman had belonged to her husband.

10.  Courageous women spoke out against this injustice, but few people listened.  In 1848, a group of women held a convention in Seneca Falls, New York to discuss their rights.  Nearly 300 people attended this meeting.  This convention marked the beginning of the women’s rights movement.  Elizabeth Cady Stanton was the leader of the Seneca Falls Convention.  Susan B. Anthony joined Stanton as a movement leader.  Newspapers published attacks against Stanton and Anthony because many people believed women’s roles should not change.  These attacks did not stop the women’s rights movement.

11.  Equal Rights for Women Video Equal Rights for Women Video