Chapter #14: Forging the National Economy Big Picture Themes 1.

. A wave of immigration came over starting in the 1840s, headed up by hungry Irish and Germans seeking a better life. Both of these groups were looked upon with suspicion, but they were hard workers and did well for themselves. 2. The factory system was in its infancy, led by Eli Whitneys interchangeable parts Cyrus McCormicks mechanical reaping machine paved the way for modern agriculture. 3. Changes were foreshadowed including women beginning to work outside the home. 4. The nation became smaller and tied together more closely thanks to (a) railroads being built, (b) canals such as the Erie, (c) steamships, and (d) the Pony Express. IDENTIFICATIONS: American Industrial Revolution The American Industrial Revolution was a time period in which the Americans changed from being agriculturists into industrialists. This major shift in both demographics and economy had many positive effects on America. Nativism The doctrine of some radical Americans that they believed the immigrants should not be coming into America and taking jobs and land and money. They mostly hated against the Irish and the Germans, but also any other race that immigrated in great numbers to America. Canal Age The Age in which the Erie Canal was built in New York City and because of it business and trade and immigration boomed due to the new large harbor. It decreased the costs of shipping and at the same time called for more and more ships to pour in stimulated trade and immigration. Samuel Slater The British engineer that came to America in disguise with the blueprints for the first efficient machine to be built in America all memorized in his head. He brought the first step of the Industrial Revolution to America. Eli Whitney/Cotton Gin The cotton gin revolutionized the South by making it very easy to get what you need out of cotton quickly and efficiently. He was raised as a lawyer, but ended up creating such a useful machine that made the South so heavily dependent on cotton that he became an inventor. Elias Howe The American inventor who created the first stitching machine that further developed the Industrial Revolution and eventually made it so that women could find more places to do work in America.

Lowell/Waltham System The system in which dominated the early years of textile industry in America because it was able to fit all procedures of producing textile into one roof for all the workers to work in. This sped up production by a lot because it cut down on shipping time. Commonwealth v. Hunt The case ruled by the Massachusetts Supreme Court that it is in fact legal for workers to form workers unions and to pull strikes against the company if the conditions were deemed unfair and as long as they were peaceful. Erie Canal The Canal that was built by Governor Clinton of New York that made the New York City into a huge busy port for trade and immigration. GUIDED READING QUESTIONS: The Westward Movement Know: "Self-Reliance" 1. What were settlers of the frontier like? The settlers of the frontier were real American men. They were what made American in the time. They were the people that decided its time to move west, and they did move west. They were people who were of the most independence. They were depicted as an army of muscular axeman triumphantly carving civilization out of the western woods. They were poor, ill-fed, and also lived in shanty-towns, however, they still made their life work. Ralph Waldo Emerson wrote about them as Self-Reliant people, who believed in rugged individualism. They were true pioneers, in tasks that clearly used cleverly their own resources. Shaping the Western Landscape Know: Kentucky Bluegrass, Rendezvous, Bison, George Catlin 2. "The westward movement also molded the physical environment." Explain. The westward movement molded the physical environment because of the way the Americans abused the land. American abused the land? How? Well first, they abused the land by growing tobacco in large amounts on the poor soil of the western frontier. In fact, they abused the land so much without giving a second thought that the land might become useless that they were forced to push out even more west-ward to find new land. Also, they wanted to get beaver pelts, and made rendezvous plans with the natives. They soon cleared the beaver population out to only a dismal amount, and because they wanted it so much. Also they cleared out the bison population and because of that it really damaged the ecosystems of natural America. In fact, it was so bad that George Catlin proposed that we should preserve some of the wild land in national parks, which was picked up in 1870. The March of the Millions Know: Chicago, Irish and Germans, America Letters 3. How and why did American demographics change from 1820 to 1860?

The American demographics changed momentously because of the growth of urban cities. Pre 1840, American was dominated by the farming class, and by rural people. When it became closer to 1860, the demographics changed as it became more dependent onto cities. We saw the population rising as fast as doubling it by every 25 years, especially in the cities, but it was not limited to there as the west also grew. America grew fast in cities such as Chicago because of immigration and because of high birth rates. America became better at delivering babies. Also, there were many immigrants that moved their ways to New York and other coastal cities, such as the Irish and the German, who both came because Europe ran out of room and America could only grow. America Letters was the name given to the Europeans that moved to American in hopes of great dreams and to live from rags to riches. The Emerald Isle Moves West Know: Molly Maguires, Tammany Hall, Paddy Wagons, Twisting the British Lion's Tail 4. After reading this section, does it seem logical or unbelievable that an Irish-American became president in 1960? Explain. It seems logical because the Irish were able to dominate one part of life in America, if anything, it was to be politics. When they came across the ocean, it seemed like they had very little to give such as no labor work or anything else, they were the literal scum of the white race in New York and whatever other city they lived in. However, when the Irish began to take the Tammany Hall and then reap patronage rewards, the Irishmen then soon dominated the police departments in many big cities, doing justice to the people. The Irish were able to soon dominate many aspects of everyday life as soon as the American politicians saw that they Irish could give valuable votes, and that was the gateway for them to join into politics which then gave way to an Irish-American president. The German Forty-Eighters Know: Carl Schurz, Conestoga Wagon, Kindergarten, Beer 5. Did the Germans make as large a contribution to America as the Irish did? Explain. Germans always made great contributions to whoever they decided to move to, either positive or negative. The Germans moved to America, but on better terms than the Irish, thus they were able to provide much more materials. Germans that moved were liberals, and with that came the ideas of more freedom and more liberals for the people. Carl Schurz was one of the greatest symbols of liberalism that came from Germany. He fought for the rights of those in need and also to free slaves. The Germans provided more of a social and intellectual contribution as opposed to the Irish. They came with language and culture, and supported public education so that America could progress such as kindergarten. They also brought the German drink beer and that was a great social addition to America. Flare-Ups of Antiforeignism Know: Nativists, Order of the Star-Spangled Banner, American (Know-Nothing) Party 6. Why were immigrants from Germany and Ireland feared and hated? They were feared and hated because they were believed that they can take away the jobs, lands and rights of others. They were even more feared when the Catholic Church began

to grow. The Catholic church was still a foreign entity at the time, and because of that they were hated. Many city protests and riots were caused to burn the Catholics churches down because they housed the foreigners. The party called the Nativists were formed so that they could remove the rights of such immigrants. The Order of the Star-Spangled Banner was also formed to counter the immigrants movement because they did not like the fact that immigrants could hold jobs and land. The American (Know-Nothing) Party was a secret society that created false literature about fake nuns that ran away from the church to tell stories of how bad the Catholic Church was. It was very messed up. Creeping Mechanization Know: Factory System, Industrial Revolution 8. What barriers stood in the way of the industrial Revolution in the United States? Some barriers that stood in the way for the Industrial Revolution was the fact that it began in England, and was kept in England for some time due to laws and regulations passed so that only Britain would remain an industrialized country. Another barrier was that America had cheap land, and because of cheap land, nobody wanted to become a laborer. Thus, America had a shortage of laborers so that factories could not prosper. Also, they had no real market to target since Britain had the monopoly over global trade, which really was only about textile, which was the most industrious and prosperous market that Britain enjoyed. Therefore, America fell behind in the Industrial Revolution. Whitney Ends the Fiber Famine Know: Samuel Slater, Eli Whitney, Cotton Gin, King Cotton 9. Samuel Slater and Eli Whitney caused the North and South to develop in opposite directions. Explain. Samuel Slater was a British man who memorized the plans for a textile machine that was powered by machine. He came into America secretly, and built the first usable machine in America. After him, Eli Whitney invented the cotton gin in which made the processing of cotton go by way smoother and faster. This use of cotton soon wed the South to the growth of King Cotton, and because of that the south only grew cotton and few other cash crops but mostly cotton. The North became not agriculturally dependent, but rather dependent on trade and industry. The fact that these 2 sides grew in opposite directions meant that they were developing completely different dependencies. Marvels in Manufacturing Know: Interchangeable Parts, Isaac Singer, Limited Liability, Free Incorporation Laws, Samuel F. B. Morse 10. Which were more important in Antebellum America, new inventions or changes in business forms and legal status? Explain. I believe that new inventions were more important in Antebellum America because of how much it pushed the country forward. America soon became home to the brave and the inventing. With interchangeable parts, American factories can now spit out so much more product and also increase the usefulness of many daily things. Muskets can now be repaired more efficiently and also products are all made to a standard now. The

invention of the Morse Code and its machine was a huge leap because it now people can communicate effectively without being too close to each other or having physical contact through paper or through speaking. Yes, there were some strong leaps in business and legal statuses, but those were bound to happen as the Americans invented and invented, so they were not as important as the mile-stones that inventions caused. Workers and "Wage Slaves" Know: Wage Slaves, Strikebreakers (Scabs), Commonwealth v. Hunt 11. What demands did labor have in the 1830's and 1840's? One of the biggest and most fought for demands in the 1830s and 1840s was the 10hour workday. Many factories overworked their men, and paid them dismal amounts, close enough for them to be called wage slaves. Because of this, the men demanded better work conditions and also less hours in a day. The businesses decided to fight this, and repelled all the things that the laborers said and outlawed unions. This didnt stop the laborers for they held strikes against their workers. They also fought for no more children in the factories, and also free education for their children, much like what the British had to face. Strikebreakers were called, some strikes won, some strikes loss, but in the end, the laborers were given what they wanted in the end, some of them unusual things such as smoking as they worked in the factories. Women and the Economy Know: Lowell Mills, Catherine Beecher, Cult of Domesticity, Fertility Rate, Childcentered Homes 12. What types of work were done by women in Antebellum America? (Be careful on this one.) Women rarely ever did work to support themselves, but when they did, only a few did factory work. Lowell Mills was a factory that employed women that were single and very young, and also bragged about how well their people did their jobs and how they kept them into no unions or anything else. Catherine Beecher supported the fact that woman who could work should become teachers, servants or other jobs that men didnt do because they had to do work outside. The womens main job was to raise a family int America, and they started that job day one as soon as they married. Woman actually ended up having a strong say in the family, because if a man is the head of the family, the woman was the neck, and the neck turns the head into any direction she pleased. They were given roles in the family to raise the children, and also to discipline them as the men made money. The fertility rate in America increased, however, the size of the houses diminished. Europeans mocked American households as child-centered homes, but this new type of family soon caught on as people saw that the little republic of the family grew better. Western Farmers Reap a Revolution in the Fields Know: Corn, John Deere, Steel Plow, Cyrus McCormick, Mechanical Mower-reaper, Cash-crop Agriculture 13. What factors led to increased productivity for farmers? One of the leading factors that led to the increased productivity for farmers was that people in the West were just as hungry for making bank as the Southerners and

Northerners. This desire for money was the incentive for many farmers that planted in the Western fields. Corn was a much cultivated product, and because of that it was able to be the purpose of much inventions. John Deere came up with the Steel Plow, which could do the almost impossible by hands of breaking new soil in the West. Cyrus McCormick also came up with the invention of a mower-reaper which would do the job of 5 men in 1 machine, which quickly made it possible for massive tracts of land to be watched over by one person. These inventions then led the Westerners to be more expansive, each man wanting more land for himself, which led to the Western industry of cash-crop agriculture. Highways and Steamboats Know: Lancaster Turnpike, National (Cumberland) Road, Robert Fulton 14. Why were turnpikes and steamboats important? Turnpikes (toll paying highways) and steamboats were important to the Western because it stimulated trade and economy for the disconnected section of the United States. Prior to both, trade was unreliable, expensive, and long. It took from weeks to months to send a shipment only 60 miles away. The building of Lancaster Turnpike did great benefits for Philadelphia and Lancaster because of the functioning roads, trade was very prominent among them. Soon, more and more turnpikes and highways were built and trade from the West to the East became flourished. The National (Cumberland) Road is a great example of a federally funded road that connected over 569 miles of the United States from multiple cities. Robert Fulton invented the first steamboat on the Mississippi River, and it demonstrated a new force that can reckon with nature. It not only made shipping and trading quicker, but also if made all products that entered the West and the South to be cheaper. "Clinton's Big Ditch" in New York Know: Erie Canal 15. The Erie Canal brought revolutionary change to two regions. Explain. The Erie Canal, built by Governor Clinton, not to be confused with Bill Clinton or Clint Eastwood, sat near on the city of New York and its surroundings. It made a harbor in the area big enough to support the amount of ships needed to ship and transfer goods. It made a huge impact as now more and more freights and passengers can enter New York which brought new markets and new people. It also decreased the cost of shipping drastically, at one points from $100 to $5 dollars per unit of sale. This however had some drawbacks in the Northwestern to more Western areas because it made it so that farmers didnt want to plant the most common of plants ever again. The price of potatoes dropped enough that many American farmers stopped growing it due to rivalry with foreigners and began to grow more common food instead of specializing in one specific one. It had positive effects to New York, the North and negative effects to the West. The Iron Horse 16. Name some of the advantages and disadvantages of early railroads. Some advantages of early railroads were that they were faster, more reliable, and cheaper than steamboat routes and whatnot. Also, these trains worked by metal which meant that during the winter, they did not freeze like water did. They also could choose where the

path they took went, instead of depending solely on water passages. This was a huge advantage because the waterway was already crowded by people, and that now trains can cross almost any terrain. However, they had theyre drawbacks because they were still newly developed and imperfect. The sparks set by metal and metal could start a fire on a nearby brush, and cause a dazing wildfire that can catch up to the train. They also didnt have functioning breaks, which really made it hard to drive a train and stop it accurately at the stations. Also, there was no standard for the railroads, and that meant that transfers had to be done many times to get to one destination. Cables, Clippers, and Pony Riders Know: Trans-Atlantic Cable, Clipper Ships, Stagecoaches, Pony Express 17. The clipper ship, stagecoach and Pony Express ultimately failed because they were not forward looking. Explain. The clipper ship was an American invention in which a ship was to be thin and long. The clipper was extremely fast; however it could carry very little cargo, but it still made lots of money because of its record speeds. However, these ships began to fall out of style as the British began to build teakettle ships. These ships were larger, more sturdy, and slower. These ships were much more reliable, and also carried a lot more cargo at once, which showed the Clippers because they only thought of speed, and at some point speed will not get any higher while cargo size can always grow. The Pony Express failed because it was based solely on muscle power, not on a strong machinery. Muscle has a limit to it, and the strength of metal at the time could only get better and stronger, which in the end prevailed and caused the Pony Express so slowly drown itself out of business. The Transport Web Binds the Union Know: Division of Labor 18. Explain the effects of division of labor on a national and personal basis. The division of labor used to be a difficult task for the many people that were involved with it because of how long it took for raw material A to be shipped and then produced into product A. However, as America was able to connected in itself, there was no longer any need for it to become dependent on foreign imports to produce in the North. The linking of the North and the West made it so that the West can be the raw exporter while the North could be the producer of products, and it united the nation. On a personal basis, it damaged the relations between the North and the South as the North grew closer and closer to the west for economic dependence, and it also affected the Mississippi River trade as the river became more obsolete. The Market Revolution Know: John Jacob Astor, Social Mobility 19. To what extent was social mobility possible in the United States in the years before the Civil War? Social mobility was possible in the United States after the Civil War, however, it was very rare. The fact that America was given the name the Land of Opportunities should make it clear that any person with the right skill-set and amount of luck can make a fortune a la rags to riches. John Jacob Astor is a prime example as someone who could scale the social ladder which quick speed, beginning as a beaver fur trapper and ending

as a multi-millionaire whos deathbed left a house worth $30 million. America was a land of opportunities, and thats why many immigrants moved over, to look for a better life, further proof that social mobility was existent in at least the dreams of the people.