The American economic revolution of the early to mid-1800s brought dramatic changes to society and culture. There was rapid population growth through high birth rates and large-scale European immigration. Cities in the Northeast and Midwest grew as many migrated for new economic opportunities. However, the influx of immigrants, particularly Catholic Irish and German, led some nativist Americans to oppose the cultural changes. Advanced transportation like canals and railroads, along with new communication technologies like the telegraph, helped industrialization expand across the country. While this period saw enormous wealth creation and economic growth, it also led to rising inequality and difficult working conditions for many, including women and children.

1. AP Ch. 10
America’s Economic Revolution
The American economic revolution
had dramatic changes—changes that
affected not just the economy, but
society, culture and politics as well.
In order to have an industrial
revolution—a large labor force

2. The Changing American Population
• 3 Trends of American population (1820-1840)
• --increased rapidly (1840-17 million)-mainly in
the Northeast and Northwest-Natural
population—better public health –
immigration from Europe—cheap
transportation and economic opportunities—
Irish Catholics

3. Trends
• Many were migrating West- agricultural
opportunities
• Rural to urban migration

4. Immigration and Urban Growth
• Northeastern Cities grew by 12% as well as
Western cities.
• Foreign immigration—by 1850 almost 10% of
the population was foreign born—majority
from Ireland—escaping the potato famine and
oppressive English rule and Germans

5. The Rise of Nativism
• Some saw the new immigrates as a source of
opportunity
• -large supply of cheap labor
• -expanding the west and helping it develop
• -expanding voting population

6. Nativist issues
• Other Americans viewed the growing foreign
born population with alarm—
• Forms of nativism:
• Racism
• Competition for jobs
• Religion
• politics

7. Coping with the Problem
• Secret societies—Native American
Association, The Native American Party, the
Supreme Order of the Star-Spangled Banner.
• All supported immigrant restrictions,
immigrants holding offices, limited voting
rights and naturalization laws
• Know Knowings—political party

8. Transportation, Communication, and
Technology.
• An industrial revolution requires an efficient
and effective system of transportation, and
communication.
• The Canal construction boomed during this
time—responsibility fell to states
• The Erie Canal –connected Lake Erie to the
Hudson River and ultimately connects the
Mississippi River to the Atlantic Ocean

10. • By 1840, railroads were the primary form of
transportation—most were in the Northeast—
lessened the dependence on the waterways—
founded by private companies and federal
government.

11. Communication and Journalism
• Telegraph—Samuel B. Morse—essential in
operating Railroads, permitted instant
communication between major cities—mainly
in the North. Low cost helped it spread quickly
• Newspaper Circulation-with the help of the
steam cylinder rotary press and the
telegraph—news could be circulated more
efficiently

12. Expansion of Business
• Business grew because of population,
transportation and new practices—specialty
stores were efficient—small merchant
capitalist companies dominated but some
larger businesses gave way to corporation—
Limited liability.

13. The Expansion of Industry and
Technology
• Between 1840-1860 the US saw an intense
growth in industry—factories in the NE
employed over 1.3 million workers, advanced
beyond Europe-interchangeable parts- coal
became a key industrial fuel
• Inventions: in 1830 448 patents by 1860 4,778
• Charles Good year-vulcanized rubber, Elias
Howe and Isaac Singer- sewing machine

14. Men and Women at work
• Changes in labor—competition drove wages
down, work hours up and living conditions
deteriorated
• Organized unions developed
• Commonwealth v. Hunt : Supreme Court case
that declared unions were lawful and that a
strike was a lawful weapon

15. Patterns of Society
• The Industrial Revolution was making the US
dramatically wealthier by the year—but this
wealth was more unequal and it was
transforming social relationship and every life
at almost every level.

16. The Rich and the Poor
• Uneven distribution of wealth
• 5% of the families controlled 50% of the
wealth
• Who did not share in the wealth at all?
• Who had the money?

17. • Merchants and industrialists—culture of
wealth began to emerge—they walked the
walk and talked the talk—had the “right
stuff”—servants, educated, right clothes,
mansions carriages and much leisure time—
museums and theater

18. • Poor-almost entirely without resources—
immigrants, widows, orphans
• The same system that was causing the US to
grow was the same on that was so hard on the
poorest ones

19. Social Mobility
• Class conflict did not really exist—why?
• Opportunity
• Geographical mobility

20. Middle Class Life
• Fastest growing group in America-who were
they?

21. The Changing Family
• The family as a principal economic unit gave
way to individual wage earners.
• “ Cult of Domesticity”-women emerged to be
the guardians of domestic virtues—to have
special qualities different than men—keepers
of morality
• Decline in birth rate—1800-average 7 children
by 1860—5 children

22. • Changes in sexual behavior—increased
abstinence—life was more ordered—
• Women’s sphere developed:
• Stronger friendships and network among
women, clubs formed, women’s magazines,
romantic novels

23. • Benefits: greater material comfort, higher
value on their “female virtues”
• Drawbacks: left women detached from the
public world and with few outlets for their
personal interests and energies

24. • Even farms became commercialized –new
farm techniques and inventions used—John
Deere’s steel plow and Cyrus McCormick’s
automatic reaper