Antebellum America

1. Antebellum America Life before the Civil War & Causes of the Civil War

2. Antebellum: a time period before a war; specifically before the U.S. Civil War

3. I. The Industrial North The Industrial Revolution is the name for the birth of modern industry and the social changes that came with industrial growth. Occurred from the mid-1700s to the mid-1800s. First began in England. James Watt’s steam engine powered the I.R. in Eng. and later in the U.S.

6. The North Industrializes The British made it illegal for anyone with knowledge of industrial machines to leave the country. Samuel Slater broke the law when he brought knowledge of the new industrial machines to Am. Built a water-powered spinning mill in Rhode Island (the 1st textile mill in the US)

8. Most of the industrial growth took place in New England and others parts of the northeast This region has fast-flowing streams which were used to power the factories By 1810: More than 60 textiles miles along streams in New England

9. Francis Lowell created the Lowell System…every aspect of production took place under one roof and employees lived in company-owned housing • The textile industry boomed in the city of Lowell, MA • Many of his workers were women – the “Lowell girls” • This system was used for the next several decades in factories across the North

11. Advances in Transportation 1. Roads The National Road (Cumberland Road) was the first major road built in the US – built from 1811 to 1838 – Maryland to Illinois By 1840: A network of roads connected cities in the US, promoting travel and trade

12. 2. Canals • 1825: Erie Canal opened – connected Great Lakes with the Atlantic Ocean • By 1840: More than 3,000 canals had been built in the Northeast

14. 3. Steamboats Robert Fulton developed the first successful steamboat, the Clermont, in 1807 Steamboats, or riverboats, made shipping faster and allowed larger amounts of goods to be shipped at one time By 1850: over 700 steamboats travelled up and down the Miss. River and other waterways

16. 4. The “Iron Horse” (Trains) • 1830: Peter Cooper built the Tom Thumb, a tiny but powerful train (10 mph!!) • Railroads allowed producers to ship goods across the country cheaper and faster

18. Other Inventions from the First Industrial Revolution: • Steel plow: invented by John Deere – helped farmers especially in the Great Plains (tough grasses) • Telegraph: perfected by Samuel Morse – sent first message in 1844…“What hath God wrought?” - benefited the North more than the South

20. Immigration greatly increased during the Industrial Revolution (jobs were available) • The majority of immigrants struggled just to survive in the US • Low wages, long hours, and unsafe working conditions were the norm in factories

21. The “Know-Nothings”: • A secret, anti-immigrant organization • When asked about their activities, members answered, “I know nothing” • Started a new political party (the American Party) and had 1 million members by the 1850s

22. The first Industrial Revolution impacted the US in several way – How?? • New technologies made life “easier” • Immigration to the US increased • Urbanization, or the growth of cities, occurred because most of the factories were in or around urban areas

23. II. Cotton and the South Cotton changed life in the South, but only after the cotton gin made large-scale cotton production possible Invented by Eli Whitney in 1793 – removes the seeds from the cotton Side Note…Whitney’s concept of “interchangeable parts” (for muskets) impacted future inventions as well (ex: Henry Ford’s Model T)

25. The booming textile industry of the North bought cotton to weave into clothing - England also wanted and bought the South’s cotton. The number of cotton plantations began to increase in the South due to two factors: Development of the cotton gin (easier and faster) The demand for cotton from the North and from England

26. Slavery Expands More and larger cotton plantations meant more labor was needed 1810-1840: The number of slaves in the South doubled to nearly 2.5 million (1/3 of the South’s total population) More slaves = More cotton = More money So, what impact did the cotton gin have on slavery??? It actually led to more slaves in the South.

27. Differences in North and South North Free states Favored a strong national gov’t More nationalist Urban Industrial Strong transportation network Dependent on immigrant labor South Slave states Favored states’ rights over a strong national gov’t More sectionalist Rural Agricultural Weak transportation network Dependent on slave labor

28. Religion Sparks Reform Second “Great Awakening” (1820s-1830s) Americans began attending revival meetings in record numbers Followers were told they had the responsibility to do God’s work on earth Result: 1000s of Americans began to reform, or reshape, American life III. A Push For Reform

31. Major Reforms Included: • Temperance Movement: an attempt to eliminate or lessen the use of alcohol • Supporters believed alcohol was linked to sickness, poverty, and the breakup of families

33. Education Reforms: wanted more children to be educated and worked to improve education • Horace Mann: education reformer

34. Prison Reforms: Dorothea Dix campaigned for prison reform after she saw horrible conditions in a Mass. prison • She convinced states to create state-sponsored mental hospitals

36. Urban Reforms: most of the people in the cities lived in tenements (poorly made, crowed apartment buildings) – very unhealthy conditions • Sanitation rules were established in some cities, but most didn’t change until the late 1800s

39. Women in the Reform Era: • Early 1800s: For the most part women couldn’t vote, hold public offices, or serve on juries • Married women were not allowed to own property • But, women still played a key role in the reform movements

40. Seneca Falls Convention (July 1848) • The first women’s rights convention held in America • Organized by Lucretia Mott and Elizabeth Cady Stanton • Signed the Declaration of Sentiments – stated that “all men and women are created equal” • Women’s suffrage, or the right to vote, was a key issue discussed

42. IV. The Abolition Movement Life as a Slave: Most slaves lived on farms or plantations in the South Cotton farming required many workers doing many different tasks Some slave worked in cities (factories, mills, stores, etc.) Food, clothing, shelter, and medical care were all inadequate Slaves had no rights under the law and were treated as property

43. Anti-slavery Efforts in the South Not all African Americans in the South were slaves Mid-1800s: about 250,000 were freedmen, or free African American Freedmen played a leading role in anti-slavery activities 1831: An uprising led by Nat Turner became the deadliest slave revolt in American history (dozens of whites killed) – Turner and 19 others caught and hanged Underground Railroad: a constantly changing network of escape routes (Harriet Tubman was a famous “conductor”)

45. Abolition Movement in the North • Abolition Movement in the North • The abolition movement was formed to help abolish, or end, slavery • Supporters were called abolitionists • The Second Great Awakening helped increase the movement (slavery went against religious beliefs) • Frederick Douglas, a former slave, was a leading abolitionists

46. V. Expansion Leads to Conflict • Manifest Destiny: the idea that it is the country’s destiny to expand and possess territory all they way to the Pacific Ocean • This was fueled by the growing sense of nationalism

48. Reasons for Migrating West • Religious: Christians to spread the gospel to Native Americans; Mormons to escape religious persecution (settled in Utah under the leadership of Brigham Young) • Financial: Gold in California; silver in Nevada (just 2 examples) • Land: Southerners to grow cotton; the poor to start a new life

49. Major western trails established by 1850: • Santa Fe Trail: Independence, Missouri to Santa Fe, New Mexico • Oregon Trail: Independence, Missouri to Oregon – 2,000 miles long • Mormon Trail: Illinois to Salt Lake City, Utah