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Know-Nothings : Members of secret Nativists societies created to combat Alien Menace. They

met in secret at lodges across the country. One had to know the password, I know nothing to

get in. Hence, then name Know-nothings, they demanded restrictive naturalization laws,

literacy tests for voting and banning of Catholics / foreign born from public office. Created a new

party in election of 1852 (American Party) and had success in east (NY & Philadelphia,

Massachusetts) in election of 1854.

Canal Age : Followed the turnpike age. A system of water transportation both

upstream and downstream became feasible with remarkable engineering feats.

Several canals were built after the success of Erie Canal (1825), that provided lower

cost transportation between the cities of the East (New York, New Jersey ) to the

Western states.

Erie Canal : From Hudson River to Lake Erie. Connected New York to the west. Largest

engineering project undertaken by US in 1817. 350 miles long, 40 ft wide, 4 ft deep

through very rough terrain. Great financial success on completion, October 1825.

Tolls repaid the entire cost in 7 years.

Helps growth of Chicago & NY

Rise of railroads : After 1830s. Technology and entrepreneurial innovation. Heavy iron rail

beds, improved steam locomotives, better/comfortable passenger cars. Baltimore & Ohio, 1st

railroad company, In 1831, 16 miles between Schenectady & Albany, by 1836: over a 1000

miles of track in 11 states. by 1840, 2818 miles, by 1850: 9021 miles. Railroads and Canals

competed bitterly, Railroads won.

Weakened connection btw N & S

Most go to W

Trunk Lines: Consolidation of short lines into longer railroad lines. 4 major trunk lines by 1853.

2 btwn NY & Lake Erie ports, 1 btwn Philadelphia & Pittsburg and 1 btwn Baltimore & Ohio

River. Eventually Chicago becomes the rail center of the east (15 trunk lines and 100 daily

trains). Rails reduce dependence on Mississippi and also weaken connection of Northeast to

South.

Morse & telegraph (Western Union) : In 1844, Samuel Morse perfected communication via

telegraph. Send the news from Baltimore to Washington, news of James Polks nomination of

Presidency. Magnetic Telegraph lines were put along rail tracks to aid in scheduling & routing of

trains. They also provided a means of low cost instant communication wherever railroads

reached. (more in North than in South). By 1860, 50,000 miles of telegraph lines are laid. All

independent line combine to form one organization Western Union Telegraph company. This


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improved long distance communication played a significant role in economic expansion.

Newspaper published across the nation combined to form The Associated Press, a cooperative

for new gathering by wire. Use of the new rotary press by Richard Hoe & Telegraph made it

possible to print news in many places rapidly.

Sources of economic expansion: Advanced industrial capacity, improved transportation and

communication, business friendly government structure and policies (Laws of limited liability,

Ease of creating corporation, credit mechanism), Systematic Retail distribution.

Pop growth

Transport

Entreprenuers/Corporations

Corporations : In 1830s state corporations could be formed just by paying a fee, (did not

require a legislative act anymore). Corporations grew rapidly after 1830s and replace

individual merchant capitalist.

Stockholders- own parts of the co.

Rise of factory system (reasons & results) :

Reasons: 1) Advances in Technology, 2) Government investment in Research & Development

(esp. in machine tools: eg. Turret lathe, universal milling machine & precision grinding machine;

also the principle of interchangeable parts) 3) New sources of Energy besides wood and water:

Coal 4) Effective Patent recognition system that allowed the inventors to get well rewarded for

their work.

Most in NE (making 2/3 of manufacturing)

Clipper ships : Beautiful sailing and fastest ships operated by merchant capitalist to carry

cotton/rice/sugar from cities to southern ports. An example of small scale ventures.

Merchant capitalism v industrial capitalism : Merchant capitalism declined as there was more

profit in manufacturing. American corporation ownership changed from individual/families to

large pools of stock holders. Majority stock holders of these corporations became the new

aristrocrats of Northeast.

Lowell girls (rise and fall) : Lowell and Waltham factory system had 2 systems of

recruting: one, Recruit entire families from farm to the mill, and Two: Young

unmarried girls. Provided good boarding houses and labor conditions, strict curfews

and regular church attendance. Considered by the English as female paradise

compared to the conditions of women workers in England. Thousands of women

enlisted as Lowell girls. Usually the only alternative available to many women.


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Eventually, loneliness, disorientation, loss of family life, low wages, long hours.

deteriorated boarding houses etc. all led to fall of Lowell girls. A 25% wage cut caused

a creation of a union Factory Girls Association and strikes. Sarah Bagley creates a

Female Labor Reform Association and demand legislative investigation into

conditions in the mills. Lowell girls moved into other occupations (Teaching, domestic

service etc.), they are replaced by immigrants (less contentious).

Labor unions (rise and fall) : Displace Artisian, Printers, Carpenters, masons, etc. all began

forming societies and National Trade unions. Early unions did not have much success against

hostile laws & courts. First victory: In 1842, Commonwealth vs. Hunt in state of Michigan:

Unions are legal, lawful organization and they have a right to strike.

Continious immigration prevented the unions from acquiring any real power.

Reasons for lack of class conflict :

1) Absolute standard of living for factory workers was still improving

2) Factory workers had better homes, clothes and access to consumer goods than farm

or european workers.

3) Plenty of opportunities for mobility

4) Also, available were opportunites to work ones way up the economic ladder.

supported the dreams of many

5) Geographic mobility: opportunity to buy land.

6) opportunity to participate in politics.

Effects of industry on women and families : 1) Patriarchal system could not survive:

Sons/daughters leaving family early in search of work. 2) Income was earned by

individuals not by family as a whole 3) Family members went out to work as opposed

to working in the household (Production had moved away from the household) 4)

Women very involved in the world of commerce and industry 5) Decline in birth rates:

rise in abortions, deliberate attempt by middle class family to limit family size.

Oberlin : First college to accept female students. 4 enrolled in 1837. Coeducation still

very rare until after civil war.

"Cult of Domesticity" (incl. advantages & disadvantages) : Culture of the middle class

women: custodians of morality and benevolence. Adv: Lived a life of greater material

comfort; valued for their female virtues & role as wife and mother. Disadv:

detached from public world; few outlets. considered unfit for business, politics &

professions; discouraged from higher education; Teaching & Nursing only professions

available to middle class women.


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Booth & Shakespeare: Junis Brutus Booth and his 2 sons: Edwin and John Wilkes became the

celebrated theatrical family for their acting in Shakespeare plays. (Public interest in Theater

peaks in 1830s - 50s). Edwin Booth - Americas most revered actor, famous for his role in

Hamlet. Founded Booth Theater, where his brother John Wilkes Booth leaps from the stage in

1865 and fatally shoots Abraham Lincoln in 1865. Utters the phrase, sic semper tyrannis.

Same phrase uttered by Brutus after killing Ceasar.

Barnum : P.T. Barnum opeend a American museum in New York, A freak show of midgets,

magicians,... Later launched the famous circus. Genius at publicizing his ventures.

McCormick's reaper: One of the two machines that revolutionized grain production. Allowed

one man to be 15 time more productive in harvesting wheat. The other machine was the

Thresher: it seperated grain from wheat stalks.


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