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Changing American Population

262-277. Changing American Population. 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

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Changing American Population

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  1. 262-277 Changing American Population

  2. 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

  3. 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

  4. 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

  5. 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

  6. 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

  7. Transportation, Communications, Technology • 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 inEngland • First company: Baltimore and Ohio, 1830 • By 1836, 1,000+ miles of track had been laid in 11 states

  8. 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! • Slow improvements in 1830’s

  9. 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!!

  10. 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

  11. 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

  12. 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

  13. Innovations in Communications and Journalism • Steam cylinder rotary press • Associated Press

  14. 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

  15. 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

  16. 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

  17. 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

  18. Technological Advances • Patents: • Charles Goodyear: vulcanizing rubber • Elias Howe: sewing machine, which Singer improved

  19. 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!

  20. Energy Sources • Wood, Coal, Petroleum (later), Water • Coal: • Replacing wood and water power as fuel • Mostly in PA, near Pittsburgh

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