Industrial Revolution

Andrew Jackson (Democrat-Republican) was known as: “Roaring, rollicking and mischievous.”

Came to fame in Battle of New Orleans where he earned the name “Old Hickory”.

Lost Presidency to John Quincy Adams in a close race and Jackson started his own political party called the “Democratic Party”

Jackson appealed to “ordinary, working Americans”. Political power exercised by “ordinary” Americans became known as Jacksonian Democracy.

When Jackson became President, he used the “Spoils system” – replacing officials with his supporters.

Industrial Revolution – the birth of modern industry and the social changes that went with it.

*Replaced human power with machine power.*Steam engine made textiles and passenger ships.*Led to urbanization. (1820 only 7% of Americans lived in cities. By 1850 that doubled. People left small farms to move to cities and work in factories.

Other developments:*network of roads*Canals (Erie canal)*The steamboat*The railroad (Iron Horse)*The telegraph

The growth of the textile industry led to a growing demand for cotton.

Populations spread across the South from Virginia to Texas to grow the crop, and to grow wealthy.

Cotton is labor intensive, and slavery spread throughout the south.

South also grew:Tobacco, rice, sugarcaneAnd sugarbeets.

25% of white families in the south owned slaves.

Most families had fewer than 20 slaves.1808 importation of slaves was banned, but

smuggling continued.1810 – about 1 million slaves1840 – 2.5 million slaves (1/3 of southern

population)

North – Urban, growth in technology, viewed change as progress, exposed to many different points of view. Saw slavery as against their Christian religion, and viewed it as evil.

South – Rural, no need for change in technology (slaves do the work), higher value on tradition, didn’t travel to the north. Saw slavery as part of their economy and justified it in their Christian religion.

The Second Great Awakening – people attended “revivals” and were told that hard work and living well would create a “heaven on earth”.

The Reform Era – men and women attempted to reshape American society.

Temperance Movement – reformers tried to reduce the use of alcoholic beverages.

Horace Mann – First Secretary of EducationWanted to make education mandatory.

Irish Immigration –Mid 1800’s saw 1.5 million Irish settle in the

U.S. There was a famine in Ireland and a severe depression.

Irish were heavily discriminated against because they were Catholic.

German immigration – about 1.5 million came in search of free land and business opportunities.

Nativism - discrimination by white Americans that were born in America.

The influx of populations in the cities (especially Irish people that didn’t have the money to move inland) caused for poor living conditions.

Wage earners – people who earned a living being paid instead of having their own enterprise.

Labor movement – movement for workers to improve their conditions in factories and wages.

Legal limitations:Women could not voteWomen could not hold public officeWomen could not enter into legal contracts.Women could not own landIn cases of divorce, children were given to the man.Few women worked before the Industrial

revolution, and their wages went to their husbands, single women’s went to their families

Cultural limits:Widely held view that women were inferior,

should attend only to household and family duties.

Business, government, politics should be handled my men.

This was known as the Cult of Domesticity

Reform societies – groups that were organized to promote social reforms. 10’s of thousands of women joined.

College opportunities began to develop.Women were integral in urban reform and

labor movements.Seneca Falls Convention – For Women’s

rights. Led by Elizabeth Stanton and Lucretia Mott. Signed a “Declaration of Sentiments.”

Slavery was integral to the Southern economy.Slaves were seen as property, not people.Life was hard and living conditions barely

tolerable.Very minimal shelter, clothing and medical care.Many lived in fear of harsh punishment. Some

were treated better in return for loyalty.Amazingly, many found hope in religion, oral

tradition, and thoughts of freedom.

Free blacks suffered social and legal discrimination.

Many helped those enslaved escape and spoke out against slavery.

Nat Turner – led a revolt that led to the killing of 75 white people before being stopped. Over 120 blacks were executed over the revolt.

Escape – as many as 40,000-100,000 escaped to Mexico, Canada or Europe.

The Underground Railroad – A network of sympathetic white people and free blacks that provided escapees with food, hiding places, and destinations to free territories.

Harriet Tubman – famous for her help in the UR. She was an escaped slave.

Campaign to abolish, or end, slavery.William Lloyd Garrison – started a paper

called “The Liberator” and demanded an immediate end to slavery.

Frederick Douglass – former slave (escaped at 20 yo), well educated and supported the Women’s movement and the Abolitionist Movement.

The idea that the nation had a God-given right to all of North America.

Farmers and entrepreneurs moved West.Santa Fe Trail, the Oregon Trail, the

California Trail and the Mormon Trail, etc. all headed west bringing people, forts, trade and religion.

The Gold Rush of California brought more people, and the Pony Express.

Native Americans were pushed off of their lands and their lives were changed forever.

Texas Revolution and War with Mexico brought Texas into the Union.

The Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo gave a huge land mass of Mexico to the United States and defined the boundaries that exist today.