changing american population

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▪ P. 263 shows city growth examples

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

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:We have discussed this already, at

great length! If you do not know this information, read it!

Pages 269-271


Early Railroads: 1804: inventors had been experimenting

with steam engines for land vehicles 1820: first locomotive is run around a

track in NJ 1825: first RR line opened in England First company: Baltimore and Ohio, 1830 By 1836, 1,000+ miles of track had been

laid in 11 states


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! Slow improvements in 1830’s


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!!

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 RR’s helped weaken the connection

between the northwest and the south

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

Innovations in Communications and Journalism

Telegraph: Samuel Morse, 1844 Transmitted from Baltimore to

Washington, D.C. Low cost system of communication 50,000 miles of wire connected by 1860

coast to coast

Innovations in Communications and Journalism

Steam cylinder rotary press Associated Press

Commerce and Industry

Things to consider: (p. 275) Retail distribution of goods changed Limited partnerships remained, but

growth of corporations began here Limited liability 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 (discussed)

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

Turret lathe, milling machine, precision grinding machine, sewing machine

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

changing american population

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