17901860 AMH2010 Chapter14 Themes Westward Movement Immigrants Industrial Revolution Infrastructure Westward Movement Half the American population was under the age of 30 The demographic center of America kept moving west 1840 its was the Allegheny Mountains and by the civil war it wa ID: 504851
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Slide1
Forging the National Economy1790-1860
AMH2010
Chapter14Slide2
ThemesWestward MovementImmigrantsIndustrial Revolution
InfrastructureSlide3
Westward MovementHalf the American population was under the age of 30.The demographic center of America kept moving west, 1840 its was the Allegheny Mountains and by the civil war it was Ohio.
Land pressures:
- Tobacco land was exhausted.
- Cotton leached the soil.
-Solution: Move West.
Depression– economic problems?, lost your farm? Move west.Slide4Slide5
March of the MillionsAs the American population moved west it doubled every 25 years.By 1860 there were 33 states, 4th
most populous country in the West.
43 cities could boast a population of 20k or more.
Over urbanization brought crime, disease, and rat etc…
Europe was running out of room, population doubled in 19
th
Cen.
American Letters
Journey took 10 to 12 days by steamship.Slide6Slide7
Irish1840s– Potato Famine, 2 million died.Tens of thousands flee Ireland for America, they mainly settle in Boston and New York City.
Anti-Irish sentiment among Anglo-Saxons
- No Irish Need Apply.
- Paddy stereotype: hard drinking, hard fighting, and
irresponsible.
Competed with blacks for low paying labor jobs
- race riots between black and Irish.
politicsSlide8
GermansGermans fled to America after the Democratic revolutions of Germany had failed in 1848.Wealthier than the Irish
- brought more goods with them
- better educated
- brought money
- job experience
Mainly settled in Mid-West, especially Wisconsin.Slide9
Germans ContinuedGave America: - Conestoga wagon, Kentucky Rifle, Christmas tree, beer.
- Yeah Beer!!!
Socked the Anglo-Saxons
- Lived in close knit German speaking communities.
- orderly farms
- Drank huge quantities, even on Sunday.Slide10
NativismFear that the incoming hordes of immigrants would “outbreed, outvote, and overwhelm the “native stock.”Anti-Catholic bias, Irish, some Germans
- Church schools upset Protestants
- Lurid tales of hanky-panky
- Anti-Catholic rioting
Ethnic stereotyping Slide11
Industrial RevolutionBritain “the world’s workshop.”Factory system spread to America within a generation.However, Americans were slow to embrace the machines:
- Land was cheap
- people did not want to be cooped up in a smelly factory.
- scarce labor
- this was the case until the immigrants came.Slide12
U.S. Manufacturing Employment, 1820–1850Slide13
Factory SystemSamuel Slater “father of the factory system”.Developed in England.Memorized machine plans and snuck off to America.
Centered on Textiles.
Put together the first efficient machine to put cotton together.
Eli Whitney– Cotton Gin.
Instead of easing slavery it increased it because the demand for cotton was great around the world.Slide14Slide15
Wage SlavesOld way:Master, journeyman, apprenticeMaster knew workers, personal interestNew way:Forman & workers
Impersonal
Labor as factor in production
dehumanizing worker
Child laborSlide16
Working Conditions12 hour day, 6 daysStarvation wagesNo job securityNo workman’s comp or benefitsNo retirementSlide17
WomenMiddle class women’s work:married > housewifeSingle > teacher Working class
Servants, laundress
And factory
If woman at home, husband a success
If woman works, husband a…Slide18
Canals1825 > Erie Canal363 miles5 mphTransit time from 20 days to 6
Cost from $100 ton to $5 ton
Canals in E and MidwestSlide19
Railroads1828– B&O1860– 30k miles of track, 75% in the North.Early railroads were dangerous, a threat to canals.
However, they went were canals could not.
Problems: different gauges, many short lines.
Solution: standardization Consolidation.Slide20