Early Industry--The 1800's

In this summary, you will read about the United States in the 1800's. When you finish, you will hopefully know at least a little about each of the items on the following list:

You will also be able to describe some of the general trends that were taking place during the 19th century and especially moving toward the 20th century.

The story of the United States in the 1800's (otherwise known as the 19th century) is one of rapid change. Yet for most of the population, daily life did not change all that much.

In 1800, the U.S. was made up of a few newly-independent colonies huddled along the east coast of North America. By 1899, the U.S. was a large and powerful nation, controlling all of the land between the Atlantic Ocean and the Pacific Ocean.

In their daily life, however, most Americans witnessed far less change. In 1800 most Americans were farmers by occupation; in 1899 most Americans were still farmers, or at least were living in tiny towns in rural areas. In 1800 women often spent 15 or 20 hours a week doing laundry by hand; in 1899 they were doing the same. In 1899 most Americans might be cooking on a wood or coal stove rather than in an open fireplace, but the amount of work needed to haul the fuel and keep the fire going was almost the same.

1800's Country Dress Questions

1.  List the things about the 1800's Country dress that were practical for the kind of lives women led.

2.  What did clothing stylists or women themselves do to adorn or dress up the outfit?

3.  What aspects of women's dress might the wearer find punishing?

4.  Is it true today that the more dressed up you are, the less comfortable? Give an example to support your answer.  Is it equally true of men's and women's clothes?  How do you know?

Between 1800 and 1850, the territory of the U.S. expanded to almost its present size. In 1803, the U.S. bought the Louisiana Territory from France, which expanded the U.S. westward to the Rocky Mountains. Many Americans began to think that the U.S. was destined to keep growing, and that the country had a right to obtain all of the land between the Atlantic and the Pacific, in one way or another. This idea was known as "manifest destiny."

Similar attitudes were behind the Monroe Doctrine. A doctrine is a statement or guiding principle. In 1823, President Monroe's statement to the world was that the U.S. was now the "master" of the western hemisphere. From now on, he said, the U.S. would not tolerate European countries interfering in the affairs of of North & South America.

The Monroe Doctrine was one result of the War of 1812. In this war, the U.S. fought against England because England was interfering: for example, trying to block U.S. ships that were engaging in trade with other countries. (Before the U.S. became independent, England had forced the American colonies to trade only with it.)

During these years, the country was experiencing a growing division. In the North, from Maine to Delaware, the economy began moving toward commerce, trade, and manufacturing. Although most people were still farmers, some began working in the first factories, which used mechanical looms to weave cloth. Some moved into the towns and larger cities, working as clerks or craftspeople.

The South, from Maryland to South Carolina, contined to be more rural. Its economy stuck to agriculture: small farmers who grew everything they needed, and large plantations where cotton was grown by slaves. The cities of the South remained small.

Over time, the different economic paths taken by the North and the South led to conflicts, because their needs were very different. The South "needed" slaves. It also needed low tariffs (taxes on imported goods), so they could buy from England all of the things they were not producing. (You can't eat cotton, or furnish your house with it!) Meantime, the northern states abolished slavery, under pressure from the abolitionists who believed that slavery was wrong. The North also wanted to place high tariffs on imported goods, so that the new industries of the northern cities would be protected from competition from European goods.

Eventually these conflicts led to the Civil War, beginning under Abraham Lincoln's presidency in 1860. The North won; slavery was ended. The Civil War was a bloody one. Since the wars the U.S. has fought in our lifetimes have all been fought somewhere else, it's hard to imagine the impact of the Civil War. 618,022 soldiers were killed. (Compare this to 55,000 American soldiers who died in the Vietnam War, at a time when the population of the U.S. was seven times higher.) Almost everyone in the U.S. had a relative or friend who was killed or wounded.

The years immediately following the Civil War are known as "Reconstruction". In these years, the South was rebuilt, and the North continued to develop its new industries. For a few years, the federal government kept troops in the South to carry out the new laws giving rights (such as voting) to African-Americans. By around 1975, though, the North had lost interest in protecting the rights of the newly-freed slaves. The northern troops left and the Ku Klux Klan took their place, murdering and harassing African-Americans to prevent them from exercising their new rights.

From 1875 to 1900, the industrial revolution picked up steam. Many of the technologies we use today, such as telephones, light bulbs and cars, were invented during this period, although it wasn't until after 1900 that these technologies became widely available to Americans.

These are key terms you read about.

Say or write a few words about each one.  Look back at the reading if you can't remember any details.

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