Chapter #14: Forging the National Economy – Big Picture Themes
1. A wave of immigration came over starting in the 1840s, headed up by hungry Irish and Germans seeking a better life. Both of these groups were looked upon with suspicion, but they were hard workers and did well for themselves.
2. The factory system was in its infancy, led by Eli Whitney’s “interchangeable parts” Cyrus McCormick’s mechanical reaping machine paved the way for modern agriculture.
3. Changes were foreshadowed including women beginning to work outside the home.
4. The nation became “smaller” and tied together more closely thanks to (a) railroads being built, (b) canals such as the Erie, (c) steamships, and (d) the Pony Express.
IDENTIFICATIONS:
American Industrial Revolution
It was the change from home manufacturing to factory production. It was the age of new inventions and better communication and transportation.
Nativism
A fear that the foreigners will overwhelm the "native" americans in all aspects. It caused them to be prejudiced against foreigners…NINA
Canal Age
It was when the Erie Canal was built (1818-1825). Transportation greatly increased, and the cost lowered 95%. Traders went to cities close to the canal. NY became an important city. Western states built canals. The canal age ended at 1850, because of the railroad.
Samuel Slater
Father of the factory system in am.; A brit mechanic who memorized plans for machinery in brit, went to am and started the first efficient am machinery for spinning cotton thread.
Eli Whitney/Cotton Gin
He was massachusetts born, graduated from yale and created the cotton gin and interchangeable parts which made him rich. The cotton gin was fifty times more effective than the handpicking process of lint; it affected history of am and world.
Elias Howe
Created the sewing machine, with Isaac Singer.
Lowell/Waltham System
It was a system created in the textile mills of Lowell, Mass. in the 1820s, in these factories, as much machinery as possible was used, so that few skilled workers were needed in the production process; the workers were almost all young single farm woman.
Commonwealth v. Hunt
It was a court case, its result was in the decree that labor unions were not illegal, as long as they were honorable and peaceful
Erie Canal
It links great lakes with the Hudson river. It was supported by dewitt clinton and started in 1817, it caused economic ripples.
GUIDED READING QUESTIONS:
The Westward Movement
Know: "Self-Reliance"
1. What were settlers of the frontier like?
They were poorly fed, had bad clothes and shelters, and were vulnerable to diseases. They were also lonely and they were ill-informed, superstitious, provincial, and fiercely individualistic. Waldo's Self-Reliance affected them.
Shaping the Western Landscape
Know: Kentucky Bluegrass, Rendezvous, Bison, George Catlin
2. "The westward movement also molded the physical environment." Explain.
Pioneers often exhausted land in the tobacco regions and left barren and rain-gutted fields. Cane grew to 15 ft high. Fur trappers were setting traplines all over the Rocky Mts.
The March of the Millions
Know: Chicago, Irish and Germans, America Letters
3. How and why did American demographics change from 1820 to 1860?
Population was doubling every 25 years and the original 13 states more than doubled in number, there were 33. The US was the 4th most populous nation. Also, there were a lot of immigrants like the Irish and Germans who were running for something or hoping for a better life in America.
The Emerald Isle Moves West
Know: Molly Maguires, Tammany Hall, Paddy Wagons, Twisting the British Lion's Tail
4. After reading this section, does it seem logical or unbelievable that an Irish-American became president in 1960? Explain.
It seemed inevitable because while they were immigrants and "not native", they were big in number and were gaining power. They got control of Tammany hall and the Paddy wagons.
The German Forty-Eighters
Know: Carl Schurz, Conestoga Wagon, Kindergarten, Beer
5. Did the Germans make as large a contribution to America as the Irish did? Explain.
They contributed in agriculture in the west and I don't think they contributed as much because they wanted to preserve their language and culture and so they had compact colonies that were aloof to the surrounding community. What they did contribute that lasted was beer, Kindergarten, Christmas tree, kentucky rifle, and the conestoga wagon.
Flare-Ups of Antiforeignism
Know: Nativists, Order of the Star-Spangled Banner, American (Know-Nothing) Party
6. Why were immigrants from Germany and Ireland feared and hated?
They were feared to outbreed, outvote, and overwhelm the old "native" am. They took jobs from the "natives" and a lot of them were roman catholics. And the religion was mounting rapidly. Immigrants were making Am a more pluralistic society and there were cultural clashes.
Creeping Mechanization
Know: Factory System, Industrial Revolution
8. What barriers stood in the way of the industrial Revolution in the United States?
Land was cheap in America and land-starved peasants didn't want to work in other people's places inside a smelly factory. Labor was scarce as a result and it was hard to find nimble hands to work the machines, until the immigrants. Raw materials were undeveloped, undiscovered, or unsuspected. Also, britain was a competitor.
Whitney Ends the Fiber Famine
Know: Samuel Slater, Eli Whitney, Cotton Gin, King Cotton
9. Samuel Slater and Eli Whitney caused the North and South to develop in opposite directions. Explain.
Slater helped build up the factory system and cotton was easily becoming thread. But the cotton fiber was hard to get in big quantities so Whitney came up with the cotton gin. The south had control over the cotton gin, which affected not only the history of Am but also the world. And so the South and North developed well in different ways: the south with their cotton lint picking and the north with their threading.
Marvels in Manufacturing
Know: Interchangeable Parts, Isaac Singer, Limited Liability, Free Incorporation Laws, Samuel F. B. Morse
10. Which were more important in Antebellum America, new inventions or changes in business forms and legal status? Explain.
Both were important, like the protective tariffs that protected american products, but inventions like the interchangeable parts by eli whitney was also very important. every new invention stimulated more inventions. and samuel's morse telegraph was very important.
Workers and "Wage Slaves"
Know: Wage Slaves, Strikebreakers (Scabs), Commonwealth v. Hunt
11. What demands did labor have in the 1830's and 1840's?
They wanted 10 hour work days, higher wages, tolerable working conditions, public education for children, and end of imprisonment for debt.
Women and the Economy
Know: Lowell Mills, Catherine Beecher, Cult of Domesticity, Fertility Rate, Child-centered Homes
12. What types of work were done by women in Antebellum America? (Be careful on this one.)
A lot of girls, especially New England farm girls, worked at the lowell textile mills and were factory mills. Catherine Beecher feminized schoolteaching. the Cult of Domesticity was a major of role. Women were thought of the owners of the US morals.
Western Farmers Reap a Revolution in the Fields
Know: Corn, John Deere, Steel Plow, Cyrus McCormick, Mechanical Mower-reaper, Cash-crop Agriculture
13. What factors led to increased productivity for farmers?
The inventions by John Deere and Cyrus McCormick. The steel plow and the mechanical mower-reaper which helped farmers work faster and more efficiently.
Highways and Steamboats
Know: Lancaster Turnpike, National (Cumberland) Road, Robert Fulton
14. Why were turnpikes and steamboats important?
This is an improvement of transportation, it made everything more efficient. It made transportation cheaper and more materials could be transferred.
"Clinton's Big Ditch" in New York
Know: Erie Canal
15. The Erie Canal brought revolutionary change to two regions. Explain.
It made cities near it trade centers and created some cities. Economic ripples followed the completion, value of land skyrocketed.
The Iron Horse
16. Name some of the advantages and disadvantages of early railroads.
Advantages: faster transportation, reliable, cheap, can go almost anywhere, defied terrain and weather.
Disadvantages: flying sparks could set fire to hay, railway accidents=fires, feeble brakes, conjectural arrivals and departures, different gauges=frequent changes of trains.
Cables, Clippers, and Pony Riders
Know: Trans-Atlantic Cable, Clipper Ships, Stagecoaches, Pony Express
17. The clipper ship, stagecoach and Pony Express ultimately failed because they were not forward looking. Explain.
The clipper ship wasn't as steady, sturdy, roomy, as teakettles, so they were less profitable. The Pony Express failed because they missed one trip and lost so much money they had to close.
The Transport Web Binds the Union
Know: Division of Labor
18. Explain the effects of division of labor on a national and personal basis.
Each region specialized in a type of economic activity and so it had fateful political and military implications. Everyone was dependent on each other.
The Market Revolution
Know: John Jacob Astor, Social Mobility
19. To what extent was social mobility possible in the United States in the years before the Civil War?
It was very possible, although there weren't many rags to riches stories, it did happen. An example was John Jacob Aster, he made big money with the beaver fur trade and when he died, he left an estate of 30 million.
Chapter #15: The Ferment of Reform and Culture – Big Picture Themes
1. The "Second Great Awakening" began in the 1830s. It's purpose was to wake people from lackluster religion and, like the First Great Awakening, was led by passionate and emotional preachers.
2. The Mormons emerged from these beginnings and wandered westward to the Great Salt Lake.
3. Free public schools began in large measure.
4. There was push to ban alcohol called "temperance." This was led by the ladies; they felt the way to save the family was to ban alcohol.
5. The first women's rights convention was held at Seneca Falls, NY. They asserted that all men, and women were created equal.
6. Many "utopia experiments" began. The overall mission was to perfect society and create true equality. Most simply failed and none of them succeeded in the ways envisioned.
IDENTIFICATIONS:
Second Great Awakening
Spread through masses by huge "camp meetings".
Shakers
The were led by Mother Ann Lee, and began in 1770s to set up the first score of religious communities. It attained a membership of 6000 in 1840 but since their customs prohibited both marriage and sex, they were basically extinct by 1940
Mormons
A religion founded by joseph smith(Book of Mormon) in 1830 with headquarters in salt lake city, utah, religious group that emphasized moderation, saving, hard work, and risk-taking.
Brigham Young
He was the successor to the mormons after the death of joseph smith, he was responsible for the survival of the sect and its establishment in utah, thereby populating the would-be state.
Transcendentalists
a New England intellectual movement that began to challenge ways of thinking. During the "Age of Reason," knowledge came from experimentation. John Locke had argued that knowledge came solely from the senses. The Transcendentalists said knowledge rises above (transcends) just the senses. People were thought to reach an inner light and touch the "Oversoul" (something akin to God).
Ralph Waldo Emerson
The most famous transcendentalist, a former unitarian pastor turned writer and lyceum speaker. His famous work: Self Reliance, which stressed individualism. he urged americans to declare independence from euro art, lit, etc.
Henry David Thoreau
Emerson's 1st friend and neighbor, he lived self reliance. spent 2 years living in the woods off of nothing but what he could provide for himself. wrote:" Walden: Or Life in the Woods", "On the Duty of Civil Disobedience"
Utopia
A perfect society.
Brook Farm
It was in mass., comprised of 200 acres of soil. It started in 1841 with cooperation of ~20 intellectuals committed to the philosophy of transcendentalism. prospered until a fire. collapsed in debt. inspired Nathaniel Hawthorne's "The Blithedale Romance"
New Harmony
In indiana. started by robert owen. little harmony in colony. it failed
Oneida Community
It was a radical experiment. founded in NY 1848. practiced free love, birth control, and the selection of parents to produce superior offspring. flourished for more than 30 years
Temperance Crusade
Time where temperance was practiced by certain people, they wanted abstinence from alcohol.
Seneca Falls Convention
where feminists met (NY) in a memorable women's rights convention.
American Colonization Society
society which established the colony of Liberia, to which freed blacks were sent from the United States. The colony later declared its independence.
William Lloyd Garrison
An abolitionist who became editor of the Boston publication the Liberator in 1831. Under his leadership the Liberator gained great fame. He attacked everything from slave holding, to moderate abolitionists. He supported northern secession and he helped to found the American Antislavery Society.
David Walker
An outspoken Black American activist who demanded the immediate end of slavery in the new nation. He was a leader within the Black enclave in Boston, Massachusetts. David Walker's Appeal to the Coloured Citizens of the World: a call to "awaken my brethren" to the power within Black unity and struggle. He was recognized for his contribution to ending chattel slavery in the U.S. They credit Walker for his influence on the abolitionist movements, he inspired many.
Hudson River School
It was the first American school of art, american art.
GUIDED READING QUESTIONS:
Reviving Religion
Know: Alexis de Tocqueville, The Age of Reason, Deism, Unitarians, Second Great Awakening, Camp Meetings, Charles Grandison Finney
1. In what ways did religion in the United States become more liberal and more conservative in the early decades of the 19th century?
Church attendance wasn't mandatory for everyone. Books like the Age of Reason influenced the bad side about religion and church and new religions were created.
Denominational Diversity
Know: Burned-Over-District, Millerites (Adventists)
2. What effect did the Second Great Awakening have on organized religion?
It furthered the fragmentation of religious faiths. In west Ny, it became known as the burned over district.
A Desert Zion in Utah (Website if interest: http://www.pbs.org/mormons/view)
Know: Joseph Smith, Book of Mormon, Brigham Young
3. What characteristics of the Mormons caused them to be persecuted by their neighbors?
Mormonism antagonized rank-and-file am, who were individualistic and dedicated to free enterprise. The Mormons caused more anger by voting as a unit and by openly drilling their militia for defensive purposes. There was also accusations of polygamy.
Free Schools for a Free People
Know: Three R's, Horace Mann, Noah Webster, McGuffey's Readers
4. What advances were made in the field of education from 1820 to 1850?
Tax supported the public education. Laborers demanded education for their kids. A free vote cried for free education. Schools started out small, with one room and 8 grades, it also had ill suited teachers who hit more than they taught. Horace Mann reformed education. Improvements were made, and noah webster contributed better textbooks. and McGuffey taught patriotism, morality, and idealism.
Higher Goals for Higher Learning
Know: University of Virginia, Oberlin College, Mary Lyon, Lyceum, Magazines
5. In what ways did higher education become more modern in the antebellum years?
Liberal arts colleges sprung up and soon other colleges sprung up too. Women's schools at the secondary level began to attain some respectability, like Oberlin college which admitted blacks and women.
An Age of Reform
Know: Sylvester Graham, Penitentiaries, Dorthea Dix
6. How and why did Dorthea Dix participate in the reform movements?
She was physically frail but she had infinite compassion and willpower. She traveled around and seen asylums all around. The conditions were deplorable and she assembled her damning reports. She petitioned in 1843 to the Mass legislature, describing cells so foul that visitors were driven back by the smell and caused empathy and sympathy. And her persistence improved conditions for the mentally ill.
Demon Rum--The "Old Deluder"
Know: American Temperance Society, Neil S. Dow, Maine Law of 1851
7. Assess the successfulness of the temperance reformers.
Pretty successful, within a few years, a thousand local groups sprang into existence and they used a bunch of different propaganda. They stressed teetotalism.
Women in Revolt
Know: Spinsters, Alexis de Tocqueville, Cult of Domesticity, Catherine Beecher, Lucretia Mott, Elizabeth Cady Stanton, Susan B. Anthony, Elizabeth Blackwell, Margaret Fuller, Sarah and Angelina Grimke, Amelia Bloomer, Seneca Falls, Declaration of Sentiments
8. Describe the status of women in the first half of the 19th century.
A lot of the women revolt or stand up, in their own ways, for what they believe in. In am, rape could be punished by death but in France it was ignored. Some women didn't marry (10%) and stayed spinsters. Gender differenced were strongly emphasized; women were thought of physically and emotionally weak but artistic and refunded. They were keepers of society's moral sensibilities and conscience. Cult of Domesticity. Many of them were reformers who wrote or did special things.
Wilderness Utopias
Know: Utopias, New Harmony, Brook Farm, Oneida Community, Complex Marriage, Shakers
9. In what ways were utopian communities different from mainstream America?
They were small and often ended shortly after starting. New Harmony was one. They were often very religious, cult-like or puritainsim-like. They were all founded by a belief or religion outside of norm.
The Dawn of Scientific Achievement
Know: Benjamin Silliman, John J. Audubon
10. Was the United States a leader in the world in scientific pursuits? Explain.
NO, americans were best known for borrowing and adapting the findings of Europeans. There was few scientific influence like B. Silliman, a pioneer chemist and geologist and others.
Makers of America: The Oneida Community
Know: John Humphrey Noyes, Bible Communism, Mutual Criticism
11. The word "utopia" is a word that is "derived from Greek that slyly combines the meanings of `a good place' and `no such place'." Does the Oneida Community fit this definition? Explain.
It does, they practiced sharing everything, from materialistic things to people and relationships. This was like bible communism . The idea of no selfishness or jealousy and sharing sounds good but there's no such place. Jealousy and selfishness will always occur and the sharing goes to extremes.
Artistic Achievements
Know: Thomas Jefferson, Gilbert Stuart, Charles Wilson Peale, John Trumball, Hudson River School, Daguerreotype, Stephen C. Foster
12. "The antebellum period was a time in which American art began to come of age." Assess.
There were many artistic achievements and lots of new artists. Thomas Jefferson was an amazing architect. Many artists emerged and painted awesome paintings. Some were dehumanizing in its perfectness.
The Blossoming of a National Literature
Know: Knickerbocker Group, Washington Irving, James Fenimore Cooper, William Cullen Bryant
13. In the early 1800's American writers emerged, who were recognized world-wide for their ability. What made them uniquely American?
They were born in America and their works were steeped in the traditions and culture of America. They all emphasized modern america.
Trumpeters of Transcendentalism
Know: Transcendentalism, Ralph Waldo Emerson, Henry David Thoreau, Walden: Or Life in the Woods, On the Duty of Civil Disobedience, Walt Whitman
14. Which of the transcendentalists mentioned here best illustrated the theory in his life and writings? Explain.
Ralph Waldo Emerson, he reached a big audience by pen and platform and was a never failing favorite as a lyceum lecturer and he was hailed as both a poet and a philosopher. He was influential as a practical philosopher and through his fresh and vibrant essays.
Glowing Literary Lights
Know: Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, John Greenleaf Whittier, James Russell Lowell, Oliver Wendell Holmes, Louisa May Alcott, Emily Dickinson
15. Name six important American writers and explain the significance of each.
Henry Wadsworth Longfellow: adopted by the less cultured masses and his most admired poems were based on am traditions, John Greenleaf Whittier: a quaker poet, advocated antislavery and freedom, James Russell Lowell: poet, critic, editor and diplomat, Oliver Wendell Holmes: poet, essayist, novelist, and lecturer and taught anatomy at Harvard, and Louisa May Alcott: Woman writer, wrote little women and with philosophical ideas.
Literary Individualists and Dissenters
Know: Edgar Allan Poe, Nathaniel Hawthorne, Herman Melville
16. Why do you think Poe and Melville were not appreciated as much in America at the time as they were in other times and places?
Poe wrote in a morbid and pessimistic fashion, the opposite of the optimistic tone of the American culture. Melville's Moby Dick wasn't liked because it was very impersonal and unknowable, it was ignored because it wasn't straight forward.
Portrayers of the Past
Know: George Bancroft, William H. Prescott, Francis Parkman
17. How did the geographic background of early historians affect the history they wrote?
They take the point of view or side from where they're from, they're biased. Also, the areas they're in, like Boston, may contain good sources of education.
1. A wave of immigration came over starting in the 1840s, headed up by hungry Irish and Germans seeking a better life. Both of these groups were looked upon with suspicion, but they were hard workers and did well for themselves.
2. The factory system was in its infancy, led by Eli Whitney’s “interchangeable parts” Cyrus McCormick’s mechanical reaping machine paved the way for modern agriculture.
3. Changes were foreshadowed including women beginning to work outside the home.
4. The nation became “smaller” and tied together more closely thanks to (a) railroads being built, (b) canals such as the Erie, (c) steamships, and (d) the Pony Express.
IDENTIFICATIONS:
American Industrial Revolution
It was the change from home manufacturing to factory production. It was the age of new inventions and better communication and transportation.
Nativism
A fear that the foreigners will overwhelm the "native" americans in all aspects. It caused them to be prejudiced against foreigners…NINA
Canal Age
It was when the Erie Canal was built (1818-1825). Transportation greatly increased, and the cost lowered 95%. Traders went to cities close to the canal. NY became an important city. Western states built canals. The canal age ended at 1850, because of the railroad.
Samuel Slater
Father of the factory system in am.; A brit mechanic who memorized plans for machinery in brit, went to am and started the first efficient am machinery for spinning cotton thread.
Eli Whitney/Cotton Gin
He was massachusetts born, graduated from yale and created the cotton gin and interchangeable parts which made him rich. The cotton gin was fifty times more effective than the handpicking process of lint; it affected history of am and world.
Elias Howe
Created the sewing machine, with Isaac Singer.
Lowell/Waltham System
It was a system created in the textile mills of Lowell, Mass. in the 1820s, in these factories, as much machinery as possible was used, so that few skilled workers were needed in the production process; the workers were almost all young single farm woman.
Commonwealth v. Hunt
It was a court case, its result was in the decree that labor unions were not illegal, as long as they were honorable and peaceful
Erie Canal
It links great lakes with the Hudson river. It was supported by dewitt clinton and started in 1817, it caused economic ripples.
GUIDED READING QUESTIONS:
The Westward Movement
Know: "Self-Reliance"
1. What were settlers of the frontier like?
They were poorly fed, had bad clothes and shelters, and were vulnerable to diseases. They were also lonely and they were ill-informed, superstitious, provincial, and fiercely individualistic. Waldo's Self-Reliance affected them.
Shaping the Western Landscape
Know: Kentucky Bluegrass, Rendezvous, Bison, George Catlin
2. "The westward movement also molded the physical environment." Explain.
Pioneers often exhausted land in the tobacco regions and left barren and rain-gutted fields. Cane grew to 15 ft high. Fur trappers were setting traplines all over the Rocky Mts.
The March of the Millions
Know: Chicago, Irish and Germans, America Letters
3. How and why did American demographics change from 1820 to 1860?
Population was doubling every 25 years and the original 13 states more than doubled in number, there were 33. The US was the 4th most populous nation. Also, there were a lot of immigrants like the Irish and Germans who were running for something or hoping for a better life in America.
The Emerald Isle Moves West
Know: Molly Maguires, Tammany Hall, Paddy Wagons, Twisting the British Lion's Tail
4. After reading this section, does it seem logical or unbelievable that an Irish-American became president in 1960? Explain.
It seemed inevitable because while they were immigrants and "not native", they were big in number and were gaining power. They got control of Tammany hall and the Paddy wagons.
The German Forty-Eighters
Know: Carl Schurz, Conestoga Wagon, Kindergarten, Beer
5. Did the Germans make as large a contribution to America as the Irish did? Explain.
They contributed in agriculture in the west and I don't think they contributed as much because they wanted to preserve their language and culture and so they had compact colonies that were aloof to the surrounding community. What they did contribute that lasted was beer, Kindergarten, Christmas tree, kentucky rifle, and the conestoga wagon.
Flare-Ups of Antiforeignism
Know: Nativists, Order of the Star-Spangled Banner, American (Know-Nothing) Party
6. Why were immigrants from Germany and Ireland feared and hated?
They were feared to outbreed, outvote, and overwhelm the old "native" am. They took jobs from the "natives" and a lot of them were roman catholics. And the religion was mounting rapidly. Immigrants were making Am a more pluralistic society and there were cultural clashes.
Creeping Mechanization
Know: Factory System, Industrial Revolution
8. What barriers stood in the way of the industrial Revolution in the United States?
Land was cheap in America and land-starved peasants didn't want to work in other people's places inside a smelly factory. Labor was scarce as a result and it was hard to find nimble hands to work the machines, until the immigrants. Raw materials were undeveloped, undiscovered, or unsuspected. Also, britain was a competitor.
Whitney Ends the Fiber Famine
Know: Samuel Slater, Eli Whitney, Cotton Gin, King Cotton
9. Samuel Slater and Eli Whitney caused the North and South to develop in opposite directions. Explain.
Slater helped build up the factory system and cotton was easily becoming thread. But the cotton fiber was hard to get in big quantities so Whitney came up with the cotton gin. The south had control over the cotton gin, which affected not only the history of Am but also the world. And so the South and North developed well in different ways: the south with their cotton lint picking and the north with their threading.
Marvels in Manufacturing
Know: Interchangeable Parts, Isaac Singer, Limited Liability, Free Incorporation Laws, Samuel F. B. Morse
10. Which were more important in Antebellum America, new inventions or changes in business forms and legal status? Explain.
Both were important, like the protective tariffs that protected american products, but inventions like the interchangeable parts by eli whitney was also very important. every new invention stimulated more inventions. and samuel's morse telegraph was very important.
Workers and "Wage Slaves"
Know: Wage Slaves, Strikebreakers (Scabs), Commonwealth v. Hunt
11. What demands did labor have in the 1830's and 1840's?
They wanted 10 hour work days, higher wages, tolerable working conditions, public education for children, and end of imprisonment for debt.
Women and the Economy
Know: Lowell Mills, Catherine Beecher, Cult of Domesticity, Fertility Rate, Child-centered Homes
12. What types of work were done by women in Antebellum America? (Be careful on this one.)
A lot of girls, especially New England farm girls, worked at the lowell textile mills and were factory mills. Catherine Beecher feminized schoolteaching. the Cult of Domesticity was a major of role. Women were thought of the owners of the US morals.
Western Farmers Reap a Revolution in the Fields
Know: Corn, John Deere, Steel Plow, Cyrus McCormick, Mechanical Mower-reaper, Cash-crop Agriculture
13. What factors led to increased productivity for farmers?
The inventions by John Deere and Cyrus McCormick. The steel plow and the mechanical mower-reaper which helped farmers work faster and more efficiently.
Highways and Steamboats
Know: Lancaster Turnpike, National (Cumberland) Road, Robert Fulton
14. Why were turnpikes and steamboats important?
This is an improvement of transportation, it made everything more efficient. It made transportation cheaper and more materials could be transferred.
"Clinton's Big Ditch" in New York
Know: Erie Canal
15. The Erie Canal brought revolutionary change to two regions. Explain.
It made cities near it trade centers and created some cities. Economic ripples followed the completion, value of land skyrocketed.
The Iron Horse
16. Name some of the advantages and disadvantages of early railroads.
Advantages: faster transportation, reliable, cheap, can go almost anywhere, defied terrain and weather.
Disadvantages: flying sparks could set fire to hay, railway accidents=fires, feeble brakes, conjectural arrivals and departures, different gauges=frequent changes of trains.
Cables, Clippers, and Pony Riders
Know: Trans-Atlantic Cable, Clipper Ships, Stagecoaches, Pony Express
17. The clipper ship, stagecoach and Pony Express ultimately failed because they were not forward looking. Explain.
The clipper ship wasn't as steady, sturdy, roomy, as teakettles, so they were less profitable. The Pony Express failed because they missed one trip and lost so much money they had to close.
The Transport Web Binds the Union
Know: Division of Labor
18. Explain the effects of division of labor on a national and personal basis.
Each region specialized in a type of economic activity and so it had fateful political and military implications. Everyone was dependent on each other.
The Market Revolution
Know: John Jacob Astor, Social Mobility
19. To what extent was social mobility possible in the United States in the years before the Civil War?
It was very possible, although there weren't many rags to riches stories, it did happen. An example was John Jacob Aster, he made big money with the beaver fur trade and when he died, he left an estate of 30 million.
Chapter #15: The Ferment of Reform and Culture – Big Picture Themes
1. The "Second Great Awakening" began in the 1830s. It's purpose was to wake people from lackluster religion and, like the First Great Awakening, was led by passionate and emotional preachers.
2. The Mormons emerged from these beginnings and wandered westward to the Great Salt Lake.
3. Free public schools began in large measure.
4. There was push to ban alcohol called "temperance." This was led by the ladies; they felt the way to save the family was to ban alcohol.
5. The first women's rights convention was held at Seneca Falls, NY. They asserted that all men, and women were created equal.
6. Many "utopia experiments" began. The overall mission was to perfect society and create true equality. Most simply failed and none of them succeeded in the ways envisioned.
IDENTIFICATIONS:
Second Great Awakening
Spread through masses by huge "camp meetings".
Shakers
The were led by Mother Ann Lee, and began in 1770s to set up the first score of religious communities. It attained a membership of 6000 in 1840 but since their customs prohibited both marriage and sex, they were basically extinct by 1940
Mormons
A religion founded by joseph smith(Book of Mormon) in 1830 with headquarters in salt lake city, utah, religious group that emphasized moderation, saving, hard work, and risk-taking.
Brigham Young
He was the successor to the mormons after the death of joseph smith, he was responsible for the survival of the sect and its establishment in utah, thereby populating the would-be state.
Transcendentalists
a New England intellectual movement that began to challenge ways of thinking. During the "Age of Reason," knowledge came from experimentation. John Locke had argued that knowledge came solely from the senses. The Transcendentalists said knowledge rises above (transcends) just the senses. People were thought to reach an inner light and touch the "Oversoul" (something akin to God).
Ralph Waldo Emerson
The most famous transcendentalist, a former unitarian pastor turned writer and lyceum speaker. His famous work: Self Reliance, which stressed individualism. he urged americans to declare independence from euro art, lit, etc.
Henry David Thoreau
Emerson's 1st friend and neighbor, he lived self reliance. spent 2 years living in the woods off of nothing but what he could provide for himself. wrote:" Walden: Or Life in the Woods", "On the Duty of Civil Disobedience"
Utopia
A perfect society.
Brook Farm
It was in mass., comprised of 200 acres of soil. It started in 1841 with cooperation of ~20 intellectuals committed to the philosophy of transcendentalism. prospered until a fire. collapsed in debt. inspired Nathaniel Hawthorne's "The Blithedale Romance"
New Harmony
In indiana. started by robert owen. little harmony in colony. it failed
Oneida Community
It was a radical experiment. founded in NY 1848. practiced free love, birth control, and the selection of parents to produce superior offspring. flourished for more than 30 years
Temperance Crusade
Time where temperance was practiced by certain people, they wanted abstinence from alcohol.
Seneca Falls Convention
where feminists met (NY) in a memorable women's rights convention.
American Colonization Society
society which established the colony of Liberia, to which freed blacks were sent from the United States. The colony later declared its independence.
William Lloyd Garrison
An abolitionist who became editor of the Boston publication the Liberator in 1831. Under his leadership the Liberator gained great fame. He attacked everything from slave holding, to moderate abolitionists. He supported northern secession and he helped to found the American Antislavery Society.
David Walker
An outspoken Black American activist who demanded the immediate end of slavery in the new nation. He was a leader within the Black enclave in Boston, Massachusetts. David Walker's Appeal to the Coloured Citizens of the World: a call to "awaken my brethren" to the power within Black unity and struggle. He was recognized for his contribution to ending chattel slavery in the U.S. They credit Walker for his influence on the abolitionist movements, he inspired many.
Hudson River School
It was the first American school of art, american art.
GUIDED READING QUESTIONS:
Reviving Religion
Know: Alexis de Tocqueville, The Age of Reason, Deism, Unitarians, Second Great Awakening, Camp Meetings, Charles Grandison Finney
1. In what ways did religion in the United States become more liberal and more conservative in the early decades of the 19th century?
Church attendance wasn't mandatory for everyone. Books like the Age of Reason influenced the bad side about religion and church and new religions were created.
Denominational Diversity
Know: Burned-Over-District, Millerites (Adventists)
2. What effect did the Second Great Awakening have on organized religion?
It furthered the fragmentation of religious faiths. In west Ny, it became known as the burned over district.
A Desert Zion in Utah (Website if interest: http://www.pbs.org/mormons/view)
Know: Joseph Smith, Book of Mormon, Brigham Young
3. What characteristics of the Mormons caused them to be persecuted by their neighbors?
Mormonism antagonized rank-and-file am, who were individualistic and dedicated to free enterprise. The Mormons caused more anger by voting as a unit and by openly drilling their militia for defensive purposes. There was also accusations of polygamy.
Free Schools for a Free People
Know: Three R's, Horace Mann, Noah Webster, McGuffey's Readers
4. What advances were made in the field of education from 1820 to 1850?
Tax supported the public education. Laborers demanded education for their kids. A free vote cried for free education. Schools started out small, with one room and 8 grades, it also had ill suited teachers who hit more than they taught. Horace Mann reformed education. Improvements were made, and noah webster contributed better textbooks. and McGuffey taught patriotism, morality, and idealism.
Higher Goals for Higher Learning
Know: University of Virginia, Oberlin College, Mary Lyon, Lyceum, Magazines
5. In what ways did higher education become more modern in the antebellum years?
Liberal arts colleges sprung up and soon other colleges sprung up too. Women's schools at the secondary level began to attain some respectability, like Oberlin college which admitted blacks and women.
An Age of Reform
Know: Sylvester Graham, Penitentiaries, Dorthea Dix
6. How and why did Dorthea Dix participate in the reform movements?
She was physically frail but she had infinite compassion and willpower. She traveled around and seen asylums all around. The conditions were deplorable and she assembled her damning reports. She petitioned in 1843 to the Mass legislature, describing cells so foul that visitors were driven back by the smell and caused empathy and sympathy. And her persistence improved conditions for the mentally ill.
Demon Rum--The "Old Deluder"
Know: American Temperance Society, Neil S. Dow, Maine Law of 1851
7. Assess the successfulness of the temperance reformers.
Pretty successful, within a few years, a thousand local groups sprang into existence and they used a bunch of different propaganda. They stressed teetotalism.
Women in Revolt
Know: Spinsters, Alexis de Tocqueville, Cult of Domesticity, Catherine Beecher, Lucretia Mott, Elizabeth Cady Stanton, Susan B. Anthony, Elizabeth Blackwell, Margaret Fuller, Sarah and Angelina Grimke, Amelia Bloomer, Seneca Falls, Declaration of Sentiments
8. Describe the status of women in the first half of the 19th century.
A lot of the women revolt or stand up, in their own ways, for what they believe in. In am, rape could be punished by death but in France it was ignored. Some women didn't marry (10%) and stayed spinsters. Gender differenced were strongly emphasized; women were thought of physically and emotionally weak but artistic and refunded. They were keepers of society's moral sensibilities and conscience. Cult of Domesticity. Many of them were reformers who wrote or did special things.
Wilderness Utopias
Know: Utopias, New Harmony, Brook Farm, Oneida Community, Complex Marriage, Shakers
9. In what ways were utopian communities different from mainstream America?
They were small and often ended shortly after starting. New Harmony was one. They were often very religious, cult-like or puritainsim-like. They were all founded by a belief or religion outside of norm.
The Dawn of Scientific Achievement
Know: Benjamin Silliman, John J. Audubon
10. Was the United States a leader in the world in scientific pursuits? Explain.
NO, americans were best known for borrowing and adapting the findings of Europeans. There was few scientific influence like B. Silliman, a pioneer chemist and geologist and others.
Makers of America: The Oneida Community
Know: John Humphrey Noyes, Bible Communism, Mutual Criticism
11. The word "utopia" is a word that is "derived from Greek that slyly combines the meanings of `a good place' and `no such place'." Does the Oneida Community fit this definition? Explain.
It does, they practiced sharing everything, from materialistic things to people and relationships. This was like bible communism . The idea of no selfishness or jealousy and sharing sounds good but there's no such place. Jealousy and selfishness will always occur and the sharing goes to extremes.
Artistic Achievements
Know: Thomas Jefferson, Gilbert Stuart, Charles Wilson Peale, John Trumball, Hudson River School, Daguerreotype, Stephen C. Foster
12. "The antebellum period was a time in which American art began to come of age." Assess.
There were many artistic achievements and lots of new artists. Thomas Jefferson was an amazing architect. Many artists emerged and painted awesome paintings. Some were dehumanizing in its perfectness.
The Blossoming of a National Literature
Know: Knickerbocker Group, Washington Irving, James Fenimore Cooper, William Cullen Bryant
13. In the early 1800's American writers emerged, who were recognized world-wide for their ability. What made them uniquely American?
They were born in America and their works were steeped in the traditions and culture of America. They all emphasized modern america.
Trumpeters of Transcendentalism
Know: Transcendentalism, Ralph Waldo Emerson, Henry David Thoreau, Walden: Or Life in the Woods, On the Duty of Civil Disobedience, Walt Whitman
14. Which of the transcendentalists mentioned here best illustrated the theory in his life and writings? Explain.
Ralph Waldo Emerson, he reached a big audience by pen and platform and was a never failing favorite as a lyceum lecturer and he was hailed as both a poet and a philosopher. He was influential as a practical philosopher and through his fresh and vibrant essays.
Glowing Literary Lights
Know: Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, John Greenleaf Whittier, James Russell Lowell, Oliver Wendell Holmes, Louisa May Alcott, Emily Dickinson
15. Name six important American writers and explain the significance of each.
Henry Wadsworth Longfellow: adopted by the less cultured masses and his most admired poems were based on am traditions, John Greenleaf Whittier: a quaker poet, advocated antislavery and freedom, James Russell Lowell: poet, critic, editor and diplomat, Oliver Wendell Holmes: poet, essayist, novelist, and lecturer and taught anatomy at Harvard, and Louisa May Alcott: Woman writer, wrote little women and with philosophical ideas.
Literary Individualists and Dissenters
Know: Edgar Allan Poe, Nathaniel Hawthorne, Herman Melville
16. Why do you think Poe and Melville were not appreciated as much in America at the time as they were in other times and places?
Poe wrote in a morbid and pessimistic fashion, the opposite of the optimistic tone of the American culture. Melville's Moby Dick wasn't liked because it was very impersonal and unknowable, it was ignored because it wasn't straight forward.
Portrayers of the Past
Know: George Bancroft, William H. Prescott, Francis Parkman
17. How did the geographic background of early historians affect the history they wrote?
They take the point of view or side from where they're from, they're biased. Also, the areas they're in, like Boston, may contain good sources of education.