UnitUnit9: Antebellum America9: Antebellum America

1840 - 18611840 - 1861

ANTE means BEFORE

BELLUM means WAR

This is the time period BEFORE the

CIVIL WAR

BIG ISSUES DURING THE BIG ISSUES DURING THE ANTEBELLUM PERIODANTEBELLUM PERIOD

• Immigration Immigration

• Industrial GrowthIndustrial Growth

• The Reform MovementThe Reform Movement

• Manifest DestinyManifest Destiny– Texas and MexicoTexas and Mexico

– OregonOregon

• SlaverySlavery

• North vs. SouthNorth vs. South

IMMIGRATIONIMMIGRATION

• America was considered the “LAND OF America was considered the “LAND OF OPPORTUNITY” WHY?OPPORTUNITY” WHY?

• Cheap LandCheap Land

• JobsJobs

• FreedomFreedom

Two groups come over in HUGE numbers:Two groups come over in HUGE numbers:

• IRISHIRISH

• GERMANSGERMANS

THE IRISHTHE IRISH• TODAY we love the IrishTODAY we love the Irish

• They used to be HATED!!!!!They used to be HATED!!!!!

• WHY?WHY?– POOR POOR – CATHOLIC (“Papists” = followed the POPE)CATHOLIC (“Papists” = followed the POPE)– So MANY (Huge Families)So MANY (Huge Families)– IRISH considered a DIFFERENT RACE than IRISH considered a DIFFERENT RACE than

American PROTESTANTSAmerican PROTESTANTS

IRISH settle mostly in NORTHERN CITIES:IRISH settle mostly in NORTHERN CITIES:

BOSTON and NEW YORKBOSTON and NEW YORK

The Irish “Invasion”The Irish “Invasion”

Papist Invasion?Papist Invasion?Saint Peter’s Basilica in RomeHOME OF THE CATHOLIC CHURCH

PAPISTSPAPISTS• Alligators orAlligators or

BISHOPS BISHOPS FROM THE FROM THE ROMAN ROMAN CATHOLIC CATHOLIC CHURCH CHURCH INVADING INVADING AMERICA???AMERICA???????????

Irish immigrant portrayed as an ape carves up democracy with the Irish immigrant portrayed as an ape carves up democracy with the Parish PriestParish Priest

Frequent addition Frequent addition to job postingsto job postings

• Irish in New EnglandIrish in New England

The Fighting Irish: an insult to Irish The Fighting Irish: an insult to Irish Americans?Americans?

• Fighting Irish The “Paddy Wagon”Fighting Irish The “Paddy Wagon”

Blacks and Irish Blacks and Irish • Blacks and Irish competed for jobsBlacks and Irish competed for jobs

• Both were considered a lesser raceBoth were considered a lesser race

German Immigration

• Most Germans who came to America came for economic and political reasons

• Most were farmers• Religiously most were Protestants• They were not as poor as the Irish immigrants• They settled mostly in the Midwest in cities like

Chicago, Milwaukee, and St. Louis• They brought with them traditions from home:

– Brewing– Kindergarten (Child’s Garden)

Germans flock to the Midwest

German-English NewspapersGerman-English Newspapers

Nativists attack all immigrants

Nativists: Those who favor NATIVE-BORN citizens over IMMIGRANTS. Ironically all Americans were at one time IMMIGRANTS.

The Know-Nothing Party FlagThe Know-Nothing Party Flag

KNOW NOTHINGS: HATED CATHOLICS and

foreigners in general

Self Test

• How did little tiny England become a GLOBAL POWERHOUSE?

• Why does INDUSTRY attract immigrants?

• What is the value of a good idea?

England: Industrial PowerhouseEngland: Industrial PowerhouseEngland Industrializes 18th Century

Industry + Naval Power =Global Powerhouse

England can now mass produce goods and use their

Navy to ship them around the world

The American Factory System is The American Factory System is bornborn

Samuel Slater: British MechanicBrings industrial secrets to US

F

First Factory in US

NEW ENGLAND IS PERFECT FOR FACTORIES:HARBORS, PEOPLE, RIVERS FOR POWER

Rhode Island

MemorizedFactory plans

TECHNOLOGY: TECHNOLOGY: American InventorsAmerican Inventors

ELI WHITNEY:1. The Cotton Engine

“Gin”Revolutionized Cotton

Production50 times more

efficient

2. Interchangeable Parts: efficientManufacturing through

Standardization

The Sewing MachineThe Sewing Machine All clothing had to be hand stitched before this machine

was invented

Elias Howe

Issac Singer

The Telegraph

COMMUNICATION REVOLUTION

Samuel F.B.

Morse

Mechanical ReaperMechanical Reaper“You reap what you sow”“You reap what you sow”

Farmers used to cut all wheat by hand. It took hours and was

hard labor.Mechanical Reaper did it in

minutes

Cyrus McCormack

Turnpikes: Turnpikes: People built their own roads People built their own roads and then charged people to use themand then charged people to use them

Then and NOWThen and NOW

•Robert Fulton: Perfects the STEAMBOAT

•Now boats can go “up the river” against the Tide and

current

•First used in the Hudson River in New York

Canal Mania: Canals allowed for the mass Transportation of bulk products. The most

successful Canal = Erie Canal in New York. Dug by hand

by Irish Immigrants

New Jersey’s D&R Canal connected

NYC to Philadelphia

R.R.’sRailroads KILL THE

CANALSWHY?

1.All weather2.More efficient

3.Faster4.Cheaper

RAILROADS ARE THE TRANSPORTATION

POWERHOUSE UNTIL THE

AIRPLANE KILLS THEM

Railroads were built by cheap Chinese and Irish

labor. Both groups faced

Hatred from NATIVISTS

SLAVERYSLAVERY

1. Slavery slowly fades away in the North1. Slavery slowly fades away in the North2. Slavery was banned in the Northwest Territory2. Slavery was banned in the Northwest Territory3. NEW JERSEY is the last northern state to abolish 3. NEW JERSEY is the last northern state to abolish slaveryslavery

SLAVERY IN THE NORTH:

Antebellum America

Southern

Economy

1820 Cotton Production

1860 Cotton Production

Cotton Growing

Boom

Human beings sold at auctionHuman beings sold at auction

Slave Branding IronsSlave Branding Irons

Slave Muzzle

Fugitive Slave Reward Fugitive Slave Reward PosterPoster

Slave Dealer Solicitation