CHAPTER 10“AMERICA’S ECONOMIC REVOLUTION”Brooke BaileyJagger AlexanderAli Zeigler

The Changing American Population

• Needs for Industrial Revolution to occur:• Large population to grow food and provide workforce• Better transportation and communication system• Technology to permit large scale manufacturing

• Population Growth 1820-1840• Most growth in north• Urbanization and movement west common• Better public health (less epidemics, higher birth rates)• Declining European economy and lower transportation

costs increase immigration• New York City is fastest growing city• Natural harbor• Erie Canal• Liberal state laws

• Immigration and Urban Growth• Northern and Western cities growing (NYC, Boston, Pittsburgh)• 26% of free population in cities• Only 10% in south

• Most immigrants did not go to south• Path of Goods• farmers→ New Orleans →

Northeast• farmers→ Great Lakes →

Eerie Canal

• Differences in Immigrants

German Immigrants

• Immigrated because of economic dislocations of industrial revolution• Family units or young, single men• Had at least a little money• Settled in northwest

Irish Immigrants

• Immigrated because of English oppression and Potato Famine• Young, single women• Settled in east• Mostly unskilled laborers

• Rise of Nativism• Nativism: defense of native-born people and hostility

toward foreign born, usually combined with a desire to slow/stop immigration• Racism and feeling of superiority (look down on the poverty in

cities)• Protestants did not like the Irish Roman Catholics• Workers were scared of their jobs being stolen

• The “Know-Nothings”• Secret groups formed to deal with the “alien menace”• Wanted things like barring Catholics and foreign born people

from office• The know-nothing movement (named after the password

to the meetings) formed the American Party• The party had success in eastern states in 1854• Broke the traditional party system

Transportation, Communication, and Technology

• Canal Age• Turnpikes were unable to keep up with the growth of traffic• The Mississippi and Ohio Rivers were important to trade,

but most only had rafts that could float downstream• In 1820’s steamboats improved in design and power• Though steam boats helped, it would be more cost

effective to have a direct path from west to east• At the time, goods were going from the port in New Orleans

over the ocean to the east• The mountain were too expensive to cross with anything but

small, valuable goods

• The Erie Canal• States paid for building of canals because of high cost,

rather than a private company• Debated, but finally began to be built when De Witt Clinton

became governor of NY• Between the Hudson River and Lake Eerie; 350 miles and

88 lochs• Finished in October 1825• Toll paid off cost of building in 7 years• Allowed NY to compete with New Orleans as a port • Easier to go west and ship goods back east

• Other states tried to replicate success by building other canals, but attempts failed

• The Early Railroads• No major role in transportation

in 1820’s and 1830’s, but groundwork was laid

• Became the primary transport system

• By 1836, there were over 1,000 miles of track in 11 states

• Problems in 1830’s• Tracks not connected• Different gauge size on tracks• Schedules erratic• Wrecks

• Improvements came in 1840’s• Heavier iron for tracks• More powerful engines

• The Triumph of the Rails• Tracks rapidly growing: by 1850 there were 9,021 miles• The northeast had 2 times the track of the northwest and 4

times the track of the south• Lines were consolidated to form long lines called “trunk

lines”• Chicago was rail center of west• Lead to less dependence on Mississippi River, which further

disconnected north and south• Finance• Private investors• Loans from abroad• Local and state governments• Federal government (land grants)

• Innovations in Communication and Journalism• The telegraph• Invented by Samuel F. B. Morse• Lines consolidated into Western Union Telegraph Company• Allowed for communication with distant cities, which tied the

nation together, leaving out the south, which did not have as many lines

• Scheduling and routing of trains was easier• Journalism• Steam cylinder rotary press made printing faster and cheaper• Associated Press formed for cooperative exchange of news by

telegraph• North and south became even more divided (northern papers

spread more and had larger budgets)

Commerce and Industry• The Expansion of Business 1820-1840• Rapid growth• Movement from general stores to stores specializing in a

certain type of product (ex. grocery stores)• Most businesses still owned by individuals or small

partnerships, but corporations becoming more common• Required charter from government, which became less difficult

in the 1830s• Many corporations relied on credit• Only the federal government could issue official currency

(backed literally by gold or silver), so banks started issuing their own

• Proved to be very unstable and many banks failed

• The Emergence of the Factory• Before War of 1812, most manufactured goods were made

in homes• In New England, the textile industry began to use larger,

more advanced machines so everything could be done in one building; called the factory system

• Shoes also began to be manufactured• By 1830’s, the factory system was spreading in different

industries and throughout the northeast• Machine Technology advancement was fastest in the world• U.S. still catching up to Europe, so had to move fast• Economy quickly growing

• U.S. became model for other countries

• The Expansion of Industry and Technology 1840-1860• By 1860, the value of manufactured goods was about

equal to agricultural goods• Northeast had only a little more than 1/2 of the mills, but

produced more than 2/3 of the nation’s manufactured goods

• Industry was still young, and not able to meet all needs of American consumers or export many goods

• Technology Improvements:• Tools became better than those in Europe• Interchangeable parts• Coal replacing wood as industrial fuel and being used in steam

engines• Many inventors (ex. Charles Goodyear and vulcanized

rubber)

• Merchant Capitalists• Entrepreneurs who were engaged primarily in foreign and

domestic trade; sometimes invested in manufacturing• Many operated shipping lines• Ships called clippers; could average 300 miles a day

• Declined as shipping fell to British and as they realized that manufacturing was more profitable; many owned factories

• Corporate organization quickly spreading• Merchants used to buying shares in different voyages to reduce

risk, and followed same pattern in manufacturing• Enterprise going from individual to stockholders• Industrialists capitalists became “aristocrats” of northeast• Daniel Webster was ideal representative, and was

supported by the industrial capitalists

• Source of Labor• Even with increasing technology, factory workers still required human labor• Although there were urban areas of increasing population developing, they still didn’t have enough people to adequately work the factories• As agriculture changed and shifted west, those in unprofitable lands moved to factories

• Recruitment• factories attracted whole families to work at the mill• Lowell or Waltham system only took in young women who would frequently work a few years before they retired to a domestic life.

• Labor Conditions• Significantly better than in European equivalents• Conditions for children were still harsh; many orphans who had no options were abused and treated like slaves• Lowell workers lived in clean dorms maintained by the factories, and were well fed.

• Women at Work • There existed a strong societal mindset against women working, so the factories had to keep up a strong moral standard for the women working• Women had very few options for work, and the factory existed as one of the only ones

• Unions• In 1834 the Factory Girls Association was created to protest a 25% salary cut• In 1836, they protested again a raise in dorm rent prices• Attempts to change conditions failed by these means failed, and as other plans to change conditions were beginning, women gradually moved out of the labor force

• Immigrant Work Force• Large, inexpensive labor force• Worse working conditions• Wages were not large enough to minimally support a family• Lowell became a “squalid slum”• Conditions were considered miserable with long days and little pay, but still better than conditions in Europe

• Artisan Tradition• Artisans were being displaced due to the growing importance of factories• Felt like the American dream was threatened by the factory system• Artisans formed labor unions to resist new economic order• Movements did not fare well due to being viewed in bad light by the political system and also an inability to adapt

• Fighting for Control• Fought for shorter workdays• A few states passed laws regulating child labor and workday length• In 1842 Commonwealth v. Hunt declared unions and strikes legal• Generally though, the moment did not effect much

• Unions• Most early craft unions excluded women• Women therefore started their own unions• All efforts served to give the working class little power over the economic system

Patterns of Society• Effects of Industrial Revolution• Increase in wealth• Greater average income• Uneven distribution of wealth• Transformed social relationships at every level

• Socioeconomic Classes• At time of revolution, 10% owned 45% of wealth• Although classes always differed greatly, the differences became even more significant• By 1860, 5% had >50% of wealth• Numbers were even greater in urban areas

•Wealthy Class• Merchants and industrialists received huge fortunes• High classes started societies for those of high status• Central Park in NY established for an elegant setting for daily carriage rides

• Poor “Paupers”• were many homeless people in urban areas who lived on the streets• Had to commit crimes for food, some starved to death• Freed African Americans and Irish were predisposed to this class

• Social Mobility• Limited, but not impossible• Unskilled laborers could become skilled laborers• Could move to a different industrial town• The opportunity for some social mobility counteracted the negative mindset which class differences instated

• Geographic Mobility• West served as a “safety valve” to calm social conflicts which likely would have otherwise occurred• If all else failed, people thought they could move away and start a better life west

• Middle Class• Most significantly developing class• Homeowners• Often had house-servants• Moved from farms urban areas• Cast iron stoves replaced fireplaces• Changing diets

• Changing Families• Families were the new economic unit• Most income earned outside of home• Income earned in shop, mill, factory• Lower birth rate

• Gender Roles• Husbands had absolute authority• Nearly impossible for women to get divorces• Women had less educational opportunities• 1st women not accepted to college until 1837• Men make money, women stay home

• Cult of Domesticity• The home was a refuge from the working world• Women were expected to maintain domestic virtues• Not socially appropriate for women to be involved in politics or religion• Mostly the only professions women had outside of the home were nurses or teachers

• Leisure Time• Only wealthiest enjoyed regular leisure time• Vacations were extremely rare, paid or unpaid• Made holidays a bigger deal (accounting for a stronger sense of nationalism on the 4th of July)

• Leisure Time• Developed ways to offer leisure time• Public sports • Theaters for all classes• Women enjoyed time in the home with other women friends, or read feminine literature

• Changing Agriculture• Higher demand for farm products as population grew• Northwest began to dominate agriculture• Many new tools invented to keep up with the growing need for farm products• Promoted western settlement

• Changing agriculture (Northeast)• Became less important but fueled geographical economic relationships• Farmed around urban areas• Potato and dairy farming flourished

• Rural Life• Very different from urban life• Communities were not as close together• Religion drew communities together• Tasks that required more than one person brought together a group• Still not tied in with popular culture