Nationalism, Economic Revolution, and Social Change1800-1860

Nationalism and Economic Growth

• By 1815, following the end of The War of 1812, America had shown:

• That it could defend its sovereignty against European nations

• Jackson's victory in New Orleans spawned a wave of American nationalism

• The Federalist Party was essentially dead, allowing the Democratic-Republicans to implement new economic development goals

• Madison asked for a protective tariff following the end of the war between Britain and France

• Congress passed the Tariff of 1816, on imported goods to protect American-made producers from competition with the flood of British goods after the war

• Most previous tariffs were primarily to make money for the federal government

• The tariff generally had wide American support, even in the South, and was also used to finance roads and canals

Early Industrialisation

• The Industrial Revolution began during the late 18th century in Britain, made it to America during the early 19th century

• Industrialisation generally consisted of technological innovations and organizational changes

• Technological innovation included thing such as steam engines and other mechanical devices that made it easier to produce goods than by hand

• Organizational changes included the shift to factories and away from homes and farms to consolidate production

Early Industrialisation

• Revolution in Transportation - James Watts invented the steam engine in Britain in 1764. During the early 19th century inventors used the steam engine to power ships and locomotives, drastically lowering transportation costs and travel times.

• First ships powered entirely by steam crossed the Atlantic in 1838• First public railway in Britain in 1830

Early Industrialisation

• The Market Revolution - the changeover in the market due to the changes from manual to machine labor, helped by the addition of transportation, and a focus on factories.

• First American textile (fabric) mill built in Rhode Island in 1791 by Samuel Slate• First American Factory built in Pawtucket 1793 by Samuel Slater

• Focused on using spinning jennies to make yarn• Before the 1860s much of North America’s Industry focused on food and lumber• By the end of the 19th century the focus had shift toward the the steel and iron

industries• Most early factories were concentrated along the Northeastern coast of the

United States due to populations and locations favorable to trade. • Boston, Washington D.C., New York• break-of-bulk : transferring cargo from one type of carrier to another

Eli Whitney and the Cotton Gin

• Processing cotton was difficult and time consuming, due to the need to remove seed by hand.

• Whitney’s Cotton Gin quickly and easily separated the seeds from of the cotton.

• Allowed for the growing, selling, and usage of cotton on a much larger scale.

• Increased the demand for slaves.• Cotton became the South’s primary crop. “King Cotton”• By the 1840’s the South produced 2/3s of the world’s cotton.

• The demand for cotton from textile factories was already high, this just increased demand and production.

• Textile factories were located primarily in the Northeast and Midwest, while the South remained primarily rural.

Roads, Canals, and Railroads

• During the early 19th century the federal and state governments started charting private companies to build turnpikes (toll roads) in well settled areas. By 1830 the Middle Atlantic States chartered over 900 road companies.

• Congress authorized the National Road in 1811 which ran from Cumberland, Maryland to Vandalia, Illinois by 1839

• Effective for helping settling to the West, but less effective for commerce.• Robert Fulton introduced steamboat travel on the Hudson River in 1807,

paving the way for steamboats on the Mississippi by 1811.• Steamboats common by 1830

• The construction of the Erie Canal from 1817-1825 was one of the most important components of the transportation revolution of the early 19th century

• The canal was 363 miles long (the previous longest was 28)• Connected markets in the Great Lakes to New York• Shorted the trip from New York to Buffalo from 20 to 6 days

Roads, Canals, and Railroads

• First railroad in America began near Baltimore in 1830 “Tom Thumb”• Just 13 miles long

• First long distance line in South Carolina in 1833 - 136 miles• 1850 - 9,000 miles of railroad track in the United States• 1860 - 30,000 miles of railroad track in the United States, more than the rest of

the world combined.

• Samuel Morse put the telegraph into commercial operation in 1844, revolutionizing communications.

• 50,000 mile of telegraph wire across the country by 1860

Population Growth and Movement

• As the national economy grew, so did the population

• 9.6 million in 1820• 20.2 million in 1845

• Many new states admitted to the Union• 1800 - 1830 : Ohio, Louisiana, Indiana,

Mississippi, Illinois, Alabama, Main, Missouri• Rise of the West - Constant stream of

migration to the West• cheap land, often $1.25-$2 an acre• squatters rights recognized in 1841

• Following a military conflict with Spain, Spain was “persuaded” to sell Florida to the United States in the Adams-Onis Treaty of 1819.

Population Growth and Movement

• Between 1815 and 1860 railroads and canals continued to link the Northwest and the Midwest, increasing the solidarity of the two regions through trade and transportation.

• John Deere is a good example of Midwestern manufacturing• Produced steel plows starting in 1837• Opened a factory in 1847• Led to increasing industry and other mass produced agricultural products such as

reapers.• Greatly increased Midwest grain production and export to foreign markets

• The South continued to focus on Cotton, and lacked the industrialization of the Northeast and Midwest

Urbanization• The market revolution led to a dramatic population

shift to the cities, as well as growth

• American cities with populations exceeding 5,000• 1820 - 12• 1850 - 150

• People living in American cities or towns of more than 2,500

• 1820 - 443,000• 1840 - 1,844,000• 1850 - over 6 million

• Occurred mostly in the Northeast and Midwest• Atlantic seaports that were the center of foreign trade

also became centers for finance and manufacturing.• Immigrant labor - Irish and German

Urbanization

• The Factory System and Factory Towns• Centralizing machinery near production areas• Workers doing specialized tasks• Managers directly supervised and disciplined workers

• Towns were sometimes created around a factory to maximize production• Such as Lowell near Boston

• Incorporated in 1836• Specialized in Textiles• By 1850 had 52 mills for producing textiles

• Interchangeable Parts• Previously most machine parts and tools were custom made and made to order• Consisted of identical parts which could be replaced as needed• Allows for standardization of machines, tools and equipment• Needed for the complex machines to run factories• Embraced by Eli Whitney while manufacturing muskets

Urbanization

• Western cities began to grow at phenomenal rate during the 1830s and 1840s• Detroit and St. Louis became centers of commerce, providing essential services to

surrounding farms, merchants, and the rural population.• Chicago became the largest of the western cities, acting as a rail hub for farming

goods to be gathered and shipped East by railroad.• Western cities became critical links between western farmers and eastern markets.

• Increasing sale of crops and animals by farmer led to higher farming incomes, which in turn lead to higher demand for manufactured goods, leading to more manufacturing in Midwestern cities.

• Increasing manufacturing led to urban issues including: tenements, wage inequality, poor police protection, and inadequate water, sewage, and garbage disposal.

Urbanization

Public Schools

• 1800 - No public schools outside of New England.• 1860 - Every state offered some public education to urban white children.

• Horace Mann - Massachusetts State Board of Education 1837-1848• Advocated free universal education as a tool to provide better opportunities to the

urban poor, including immigrants.• Public schools could provide a common American identity.• Hoped education could narrow gap between the rich and poor.• Black students generally ignored.

• First state sponsored universities were in the South.• University of North Carolina 1795• University of Virginia 1819

Immigration

• Between 1830 and 1860 approximately 5 million people immigrated to the United States

• In 1860 15% of the white population of the United States was foreign-born.• Largest groups were Irish and German.• Largest non-European group were the Chinese with 41,000 entering in the 1850s.

• Almost 2 million Irish migrated to the United States during the 1840s due to the potato famine in Ireland.

• Generally poor. Took low paying urban jobs. Established large communities in Easter urban areas.

• Most German immigrants were craftsmen, shopkeepers, or educated refugees.• Generally had more wealth, and were more readily welcomed into existing

communities than the Irish.• Many moved West into Pennsylvania and other rural areas.

Immigration

Immigration

• Most Irish and some Germans who immigrated to America were Roman Catholic.• The large majority of American were Protestant.

• Nativists - Americans who feared the impact of immigrants on American culture and politics

• blamed immigrants for various problems such as crime, corruption, and stealing “native” jobs.

• The Irish were primarily targeted.• The American Party was formed in 1854 with the express purpose of reserving

political office for native born Americans and keeping the Catholic Church suppressed from public life.

• Had wide success in the 1854 elections, winning the governor’s seat, the legislature, and many mayor’s seats in Massachusetts.

• Also known as the “Know Nothings” due to meeting in secret and saying “I know nothing” to questions regarding their meetings.

Black American and Economic Opportunity• Most new opportunities from the market revolution were not open to free black

Americans.• Most free blacks lived in poor sections of Eastern cities, and were occasionally

subjected to white mobs.• Many of their opportunities resulted from black institutions, such as local churches,

that focused on serving the needs of local black communities.• Many northern free blacks were skilled craftsmen, but were often barred from

various employment, and only received the lowest paying jobs.

• Moving West was not generally an available option.• Federal law forbid access to public lands.• Indiana, Illinois, Iowa, and Oregon prohibited entry.• As a result nearly all blacks moving West were slaves.

Social Class Distinctions

• In the South, social class distinctions remained primarily based upon land ownership.

• In the North, the wealthiest people were often the owners of large factories and businesses.

• Opportunities to become wealthy were increasing, but often were risky and required a large amount of money for initial costs.

• The Factory System created a strict division between workers and management.

• Managers often became part of the middle class.• Workers received low wages. Child workers were common.

• Workers often had to spend ⅔-¾ of their wages on food.• Workers generally received little protection or warnings in

hazardous environments, leading to many accidents and injuries.

Social Class Distinctions

• Major changes in family life due to the separation of the workplace from family life.• Many family members were often gone all day, working in factories.• Working class wives often worked to provide a second income to survive.• Middle and upper class husbands often took pride in the fact that their wives did not need to work.

• Cult of Domesticity - The new way women were often viewed in relation to the home.• The chief goal of women was to provide a private refuge for men at home after long day at work.• Men were often interested in leisure activities depending on their classes. Self improvement and

reading for the wealthy, and going to pubs for workers.• Women were also often responsible for managing the finances, correspondence, and maintaining

their status as paragons of virtue.

• The gap between the rich and poor continued to grow.• Accentuated regional differences.