Immigration, Urbanization, Industrialization, and Transportation

Key developments of the mid-1800s

Immigration

• Why were Europeans coming to America?• Where were immigrants coming from?• What did immigrants experience as they

settled in America?• Immigration, Industrialization, Urbanization

and Transportation Revolution: How are these four developments interconnected?

I. Massive waves of immigrants A. Arriving from . . .

1. Germany2. Ireland

B. Reasons for immigrating to the US 1. Political persecution (Germany)2. Oppressive rule of government (Germany)

3. Extreme Poverty 4. To begin a new life: jobs, cheap land, opportunity

Immigration

ImmigrationII. Ireland: A Closer LookA. Dependence on the Potato -Ireland was involved in constant civil war in the 1500s -Ireland’s poor had a hard time growing enough food to feed themselves

-Potato introduced to Ireland in the year 1600-potato produced more food per acre than any other crop-potato was a healthy and reliable source of food-some of the poorer parts of Ireland relied entirely on the

potato for food-potato allowed the population of Ireland to grow very

quickly-Population increase from 3 million in 1770s to

8.2 million in 1840

ImmigrationB. Potato Famine-caused by the fungus Phytophthora infestans which destroyed potato plants

-wiped out the potato crop in 1845, 1846, and 1848

-people had neither food to eat nor food to sell for profit; they had no way to support themselves

-nearly 1 million people starved, some of them attempting to survive from eating weeds and grass

C. Immigration to US as the answer-approximately 1 million Irish men and women escaped to New World

-several immigrants died on the ship to the US: COFFIN SHIPS

ImmigrationIII. Arrival in United StatesA. Workforce-Irish immigrants filled much of the demand for laborers during the Industrial Revolution-several Irish immigrants were denied a job because of open discrimination

B. Community-to survive, Irish men and women formed close-knit ethnic communities-community members would strive to meet the needs of fellow Irish immigrants-use patronage and spoils system was commona) building Catholic churches and establishing congregations: religious fellowshipb) Building Catholic schoolsc) drinking

C. Discrimination: why?1. Irish immigrants= cheap labor: threatened the jobs of higher-paid white Americans2. Irish immigrants=alcoholism3. Irish immigrants=increase in Catholicism4. Irish immigrants= mostly poor; low-level education; few job skills5. Irish immigrants= viewed as inferior to WASPs

Why wouldnative-bornAmericans feelthreatened by the arrival of so manyimmigrants?

An anti-Irish cartoon by Thomas Nast entitled "The Usual Irish Way of Doing Things"

Despite open discrimination…

…immigrants assumed an essential role in the development of the United States. How?

Urbanization• Why do cities experience tremendous growth

from 1800-1860?• Why do new cities emerge throughout the

east coast and the midwest?

UrbanizationI. Population Growth in Major Cities

-American population living in cities-7% in 1820-20% in 1860

-5 largest cities: New York, Philadelphia, Baltimore, Boston and New Orleans

Urbanizationa. New York

1800: 60,000 people1860: 1 million people*Reasons for population growth:

1) large international port2) Erie Canal

b. Philadelphia1800: 70,0001860: 565,529*Reasons for population growth:

1) weaving, shoe manufacturing, tailoring2) growth of factories

c. Baltimore1860: 212,418*Reasons for population growth

1) railroad construction connecting Baltimore to Ohio2) center of tobacco trade

d. Boston1860: 177,840*Reasons for population growth

1) center of trade between the North, South, Europe2) immigration

UrbanizationII. Establishment of new “instant cities”

-cities created along major transportation routes-Examples: Chicago, St. Louis, Cincinnati, Albany, and Buffalo

III. Immigrationa. Increase in number of immigrants-1831: 20,000-1854: 430,000b. By 1860, nearly half of New York City’s population was foreign born

UrbanizationIV. Growing gap between rich and poor 1840s: The top 1% of population owned 40% of nation’s wealth.

The poorest 33% of population owned virtually nothing.

V. Problems with rapid growth of citiesA. insufficient water supply for residents; no sewers; no garbage

collectionB. outhouses oftentimes contaminated the water supplyC. people threw their garbage and slop out the door and in the street D. spread of disease

-yellow fever-cholera

F. crime: pickpockets, thieves, drunkenness

Industrialization

• What developments triggered the Industrial Revolution?

• How does the Industrial Revolution affect the nation?

• How did the Industrial Revolution impact the lives of individual Americans….– In positive ways?– In negative ways?

Industrialization: Causes

A. Increased Demand for Goods: Transportation Revolution

canals steamboats national roads Railroads

*With quicker, cheaper transportation of goods and people…

….merchants were able to sell their goods throughout the nation. They could reach more potential buyers of goods. (new markets in the Midwest region)

Industrialization: Causes B. Supply of Goods: Inventions An increasing number and variety of goods/products were produced in factories

-John Deere: steel plow design*popular purchase among farmers

-Cyrus McCormick: steam-powered reaper for harvesting crops*very popular purchase among farmers

-Isaac Singer: sewing machine*purchased by women who sewed clothing at home and sold

for profit-Richard Arkwright: water-powered spinning machine

-needed by textile mills-spinning of cotton into cloth at a faster pace

-iceboxes: safely refrigerate food-iron cook stoves-interchangeable parts -mass production: making large numbers of goods that are exactly alike

Industrialization: ImpactA. Women

-worked mostly in textile mills, spinning cotton into cloth-Example: Lowell mills

-income from work usually sent home to help their families-worked long hours in difficult working conditions-some women worked at home, sewing clothes and selling for profit

B. Child Labor-sent to work in factories and textile mills to help family pay bills-worked long hours in terrible conditions

C. Immigrants-waves of immigrants from Germany & Ireland arrived in US in 1840s

-source of cheap labor-worked in factories, built canals, grave diggers, farmers-lived in slum areas of the cities; farms in Midwest

Transportation Revolution• Why is there a desire for faster, easier

transportation in the mid-1800s?

• What new modes of transportation emerge?

• How does the Transportation Revolution affect…– Industrialization?– Westward expansion?– North vs. South tension?

Transportation RevolutionI. National Roadsa. Cumberland Road

-connected Maryland to West Virginia-later extended to connect Maryland to Illinois-first federally funded road-cost $7 million-connected the East coast with the West

increased trade among states easier and quicker transport of goods encouraged westward expansion

b. Turnpike-drivers would pay a fee to drive on this road-road is well-maintained and owned by private

investors who profit from tolls/fees

Transportation Revolution

II. Canals-man-made waterway that connects two bodies of water (river, lake, ocean)-Example: Erie Canal-connected Albany, NY (Hudson River)

with Buffalo, NY (Lake Erie)-4 ft deep; 40 ft wide; 364 miles long-300 bridges; 83 locks-built in less than 10 years

Transportation Revolution

III. Steamboats-invented by Robert Fulton in 1803-enabled people to transport goods

upstream (against the current)-people could now ship things UP the

Mississippi River to St. Louis and other northern and Midwestern cities