Chapter 41820-1860

Land Act of 1820 began having an effect on the

amount of land disposal

This huge disposal to free landowners was unique in the world at the time

Preemption Act of 1841, last liberal land policy

Sanctioned squatting on public land before it went up for auction

Western states had begun to pass laws giving squatters the right to purchase their land at minimum price without going through auction Congress also passed on preemptive laws increasing the rights

to squatters

Huge Growth in this period!

Year US Population

1820 9.6 Million

1860 31.5 million

YearPopulation in the

Northeast Central States

1820 800,000

1860 7 Million

YearPopulation in

MO

1820 66, 000

1860 1.2 Million

Includes OH, IN, IL, MI, WI. This is a 7 fold increase.

This is a 20 fold increase in population.

This period began with human labor still as the main working force.

1.Slavery was politicized in the new territories

Missouri Compromise (1820)

Admitted MO as a slave state and ME as a free state to keep a balance

Prohibited, thereafter, slavery north of 36*30’ parallel

Kansas Nebraska Act (1854)

Repealed MO Compromise by allowing popular sovereignty on issues such as slavery in establishing statehood

2. Immigrants Northern and Eastern interests keep an open immigration

policy to: Fill the territories with free land holders (anti-plantation) Fill industrial jobs that were opening with the migration of

settlers to the west with liberal land policies

It’s estimated that in 1860 over half of the adult male population was foreign-born This increased the gross national product and greatly benefited the

East

YearNumber of individuals immigrating to the US

1820 8,400

1830 20,000

1840 80,000

1850 370,000

1854 428,000

3. Indian Removal was vigorously implemented

Trail of Tears under the Jackson Presidency

These three elements allowed 15 territories to qualify for statehood.

The majority of settlement occurred between the Appalachian Mountains and the Mississippi River during this period

1.Canals

Beginning in 1815 3200 miles of canals were built in 25 years

These were located mostly in the north near the Great Lakes and in the Ohio River Valley

These were most often financed by state governments

The most successful and longest lived is the Erie Canal because of

topography, water resources, and large, concentrated populations of

the eastern seaboard

• Markets opened up for the sale of agricultural products

through intrastate infrastructure

Railroads

Railroads boomed from 1840-1860 In 20 years, the railroads grew 10 fold: 3000-30,000

miles of track Graduation Act of 1854 made discounted land that

had trouble selling, helping railroads move swiftly across the nation and turn profit

Human Hands to Horse Hooves

A timeline for most advancements, involving

Horse drawn and riding machines, developed:

1820’s and 1830’sdevelopment 1840’s limited commercialization and adoption 1850’s was the widespread boom

Took longer to reach the Midwest in this period because of the Civil War

The boom happened in 1850 for all of the various tools

as the farmer needs advancement in all stages of

cultivation , planting to maintenance to harvest, to be

efficient

Cast Iron Plow

Patented in 1797 used heavily in the north

John Deere Plow (1837)

Iron plow with a steel cutting edge to keep prairie sod from sticking; perfect of settling the Midwest

By 1850s, Deere was mass producing the plow, making it affordable for most

First Combine

Reaper-thresher was the hybrid of Obed Hussy’s reaper and Cyrus McCormick’s thresher became successful by 1855

Old South

(GA, Carolinas)

Labor and capital intensive rice was the principle staple but began to die

•Upper South (KY, TN, VA, MD, Carolinas)

Tobacco over-production depressed prices and decreased yields

Animal agriculture introduced to sustain the land

Deep South (AL, MI, LA, GA)

Cotton and sugar boomed The only mechanization here,

the cotton Gin (1793)

Mechanization was

suppressed in the South by:

Vast slave population Plantation culture Interstate slave trade

The Great Lakes and Ohio River Valley Region

By 1860, pork production was made possible by:

Mechanization: corn surpluses Industrialization: for slaughter and processes carcasses Infrastructure: shipping processed goods to cities

Became highly specialized

Proximity to urban centers in need of produce and dairy (specialization developed)

Unable to compete with Midwestern grains because of efficiency and volume and its own population volume and

climate Established infrastructure (dense railroads and Erie

Canal)

The first to develop high density, urban areas

Establishing large and reliable markets

Commercialization

constituted increased

Mechanization Infrastructure Market access

Commercialization made

large surpluses

possible and profitable

In 1860, land west of a line from St. Paul to Fort Worth

was largely unsettled.

This is the last frontier.

Conditions:1. U.S. citizen or

had filed papers to become one2. 21 years old or

head of family or 14 days military service3. Never fought

against the interests of the U.S.

Terms:1. Live on land 5

consecutive years--if not possible, could buy for $1.25/acre2. Become a U.S.

citizen3. Pay $10 filing fee

best land was already settled

160 acres not enough on High Plains

no attempt to re-locate impoverished urban workers

abuse of cattle ranchers and timber companies

500 million acres were disposed of:

80 million through Homestead Act

108 million through auction

300 million given as grants to railroads

1860 -- 407 million acres in farms

1900 -- 839 million acres in farms

Fa

r

ms

1860

1900

1.9 million

5.5 million

1862 Homestead Act

1860 Creation of USDA, with cabinet

status1

862 Morrill Act, creating LGC

slavery abolished

decreased demand for mechanization

stimulated domestic demand spurred increased production

triumph of family farm system of production over export sensitive, large scale (plantation) agriculture

Agriculture enters into a recession that lasts until 1900

between 1870 - 1880 population increased 26% production rose 53%

meeting high land prices with declining gross incomes

seeking out reasons for tough times on the farms

railroad rates, agribusiness

overproduction

plight in newly settled western states

Organize and act collectively Grange (Patrons of Husbandry) regulate railroad Farmers Alliance form cooperatives

Populist Movement - William Jennings Bryan

Turn to government for assistance USDA - created in 1862 US Army - distributed rations to western settlers

farmers sought relief by urging government to...curb the power of monopolistscreate a flexible and liberal monetary system

reform the tax system

Northeast - dairy, truck crops, fruit

Upper South - tobacco, corn

Deep South - cotton

Midwest - Corn Belt - corn, hogs

Lake States - dairy, forage

Great Plains - wheat

Western Range - cattle/sheep grazing

Pacific West - irrigation - specialty crops

creates recognition for the need to address poverty in rural America

need for modernization

requires technology & science & education

sets the stage for modernization & development technology education Reform business orientation Movement cooperation