the changing american population (1800-1860)
DESCRIPTION
Outlines major trends in the U.S. during the antebellum periodTRANSCRIPT
Changing American Population
262-277
Population Increase
Reasons: Booming agricultural economy of the west▪ Cities became centers of trade (p. 263 shows
examples) Improvements in public health▪ Birth rate was lower▪ Death rate was far lower, allowing for population
increase Immigration▪ Growth of cities was dramatic between 1840-1860▪ Most immigrants from Germany & Ireland▪ P. 263 shows city growth examples
Population Density: 1790, 1820, 1850
Nativism
A defense of native-born people and a hostility to foreign-born
Also a desire to slow immigration Examples:
Nativists would say that new immigrants were inferior to older Americans
Saw them as about the same as Native Americans They would say that immigrants were socially
unfit Some said immigrants stole jobs from workforce &
lowered wages
Nativism
Small Parties
Native American Party: 1837 Anti-immigration group Held their own convention in 1845
Know-Nothings: 1845-1850 First called “Supreme Order of the Star-
Spangled Banner” Banned Catholics from holding public
office, restrictive naturalization laws, literacy tests for voting among their demands
Small Parties
Know-Nothings led to American Party in 1852 in the west
They actually won control of MA state gov’t in 1854, won large number of seats in PA and NY
This was the peak of their power
Transportation, Communications, Technology
Canal Age: 1790-1820s=“turnpike era” By 1820s new means of transportation
Steamboats, esp. Mississippi & Ohio Rivers Used commercially & for passengers
By 1820s states turned to building canals Cheaper & quicker Erie Canal across NY (1817-1825)
363 miles long, longest canal previously=28 miles Linked NYC to Chicago & Great Lakes
Canal Age
Erie Canal’s success led to a canal building boom (see map on p. 271) Connection between Lake Erie & Ohio
River Led to increased settlement in
Northwest Others failed in building successful
canals
Transportation, Communications, Technology
Early Railroads: 1804: inventors had been experimenting
with steam engines for land vehicles 1820: first locomotive is run around a
track (NJ) 1825: first RR line opened in England First company: Baltimore and Ohio, 1830▪ Peter Cooper & Tom Thumb (see picture on p.
272) By 1836, 1,000+ miles of track had been
laid in 11 states
Transportation, Communications, Technology
Railroads: Were short Connected water routes No linkage of one RR company to another Track sizes (gauges) were not uniform Schedules did not match Constant wrecks! In competition w/ canals Slow improvements in 1830’s
Transportation, Communications, Technology
Triumph of RR: By 1860, there was almost 30,000 miles
of track Most was in northeast but reached far
and wide See map on page 273!!
Time to travel from New York to various locations
Maps from the 1932 Atlas of the Historical Geography of the United States
Consolidation of RR’s
Linkage of lines to make RR lines longer
Lots of examples on page 272 Lines would divert traffic from Erie
Canal and Mississippi River Chicago becomes the rail center of
the West RR’s helped weaken the connection
between the Northwest and the South (dependency on Mississippi River lessens)
How To Pay for RR Boom
Several sources: Private American investors RR companies borrowed large sums of $
$$ Local governments, states, counties,
cities, towns Federal gov’t▪ Congressional grants to aid RR’s in 11 states
by 1860▪ 30 million + acres of land▪ Rail companies earn huge profits &
accumulate enormous strength
Innovations in Communications and Journalism
Telegraph: Samuel Morse, 1844▪ 1st message, from Baltimore to Washington
D.C.=“What Hath God Wrought?” Transmitted from Baltimore to
Washington, D.C. Low cost system of communication 50,000 miles of wire connected by 1860
coast to coast
More About Morse Code
More About Morse Code
Innovations in Communications and Journalism
Steam cylinder rotary press Associated Press
Commerce and Industry
Things to consider: (p. 275) Retail distribution of goods changed Growth of corporations began here▪ What is a corporation?
Limited liability▪ What does this mean?
Credit was a way to borrow, but bank did not have enough equity to support the borrowing
Bank failures were frequent
Rise of the Factory
By far the biggest economic development of the mid-19th century
Started with textile industry, water-powered
Shoe industry in MA Total value of manufactured goods
rose from almost $500 million in 1840 to $2 billion in 1860
Industry in the Northeast
Over half of the “factories” were in the northeast
Those “factories” produced over 2/3 of the nation’s manufactured goods
Almost ¾ of the people working in manufacturing were employed in N.E. and Mid-Atlantic states
Technological Advances
American technology was admired by Europeans
Turret lathe, milling machine, precision grinding machine, sewing machine—all lead to interchangeability
Interchangeable parts: Eli Whitney and Simeon North Affected watches and clocks, locomotives,
steam engines, farm tools, bicycles, sewing machines, typewriters, cash registers, automobile in upcoming years
Technological Advances
Patents: Charles Goodyear: vulcanizing rubber Elias Howe: sewing machine, which
Singer improved
Water Power: still?
Natural waterfalls could be channeled to provide power for the mills
Factories would close if water was frozen in winter
That is one reason factories looked for other power: to be open year-round!
Energy Sources
Wood, Coal, Petroleum (later), Water
Coal: Replacing wood and water power as fuel Mostly in PA, near Pittsburgh