A Nation Grows• Eli Whitney invents the coon (en)gin(e), which separates the seeds mechanically...
Transcript of A Nation Grows• Eli Whitney invents the coon (en)gin(e), which separates the seeds mechanically...
A Nation Grows Day 1
The South and the West
American History I SRMHS
Mr. Hensley
After the War of 1812
• WarbringsAmericanstogether–asenseofasharediden*ty
• WesternandSouthernstatesnolongerneedtoworryabouttheNa*vethreat(why?)
• Interna;onaltradeissafeagaina<erNapoleon
TheWestExpands
• Na;vesareforcedout,Americansmovein
• Economyandpopula*ongrowatratesof3to5%peryear
• Ruleof72• IndianaandIllinoisbecomestatesa<ertheWarof1812
Technology:PlowsandReapers
• JohnDeereperfectsthesteelplowbythe1830’s
• CyrusMcCormickperfectsthemechanicalreaperinthe1830’s
• Farmerscangrowmorewithlesseffort
Transporta;onRevolu;on• Steamboatsmovegoods
alongmajorriversquicklyandcheaply(Mississippi,MissouriandOhio)
• 1811:steamboatserviceconnectsPiCsburghtoNewOrleans
• Daysoftravel;meinsteadofweeks(ormonths)
• Nowfarmfoodsfromthewestcanquicklyreachnewmarkets
ErieCanalLinksWesttoEast• Completedin1825,theErie
CanalconnectsLakeErietotheHudsonRiverinNewYorkstate
• ConnectstheGreatLakesregiontoNewYorkCity
• BeforetheCanal,overlandtravelfromNYCtoOhioverydifficult(mountains)
• NowWesternfarmscanselltheirproduceinNYC
TheWestWants…RoadsandCanals
• Westernpoli;cianswillsupportastrongna;onalgovernmentthatcanbuildinterstateroadsorcanals
• Theywillwantalargena;onalarmytoprotectthefron*er
• SomeintheWestwantana*onalbanktomakepapermoneymorerelaible
TheWestWants…FreeBanking
• Newtownsneedloanstogetstarted
• Newfarmersneedloanstobuyequipment
• TheWestwillwantbanksthatcanissuenotes(papermoney)withouthavingtobackitupwithgold(redemp;on)
Technology:Co^onGin
• Co^onseedshadtobeseparatedbyhand
• EliWhitneyinventsthecoCon(en)gin(e),whichseparatestheseedsmechanically
• Co^onisnowcheaperandbecomesthepreferredsourceforclothandfabric
Cotton is King
• Mississippi(1817)andAlabama(1819)becomestates-climateidealforcoCon
• Co^onprimarilysoldtoEngland(cashcrop)
• Co^onproduc;onin1790:3,000balesperyear
• Co^onproduc;onin1820:almost200,000bales
• CheaplandpluscheapslavelaborequalscheapcoCon
Co^onandSlavery
Who Buys the Cotton?
� Co^onisgrownonlargeplanta*onsandsoldprimarilytoEngland
� Over50%ofallAmericanexportsareco^on
� Northerntex;lefactoriesalsodemandco^on
� Clothingrevolu;on–cheapclothesmeanspeoplecanaffordmul*plesets
ProsandConsofSpecializa;on
• Planta;onsystemcanbeeasilytransplantedtonewstates
• Aslongasdemandexceedssupply,pricesstaystable
• Samecropover;medepletesthesoil–alwaysneedmoreland
• Incomeinequality
SouthWants…Slavery
• Southrefusestonego*ateonslavery
• Alltheirmoneyis*edupintheplanta;onsystem
• SouthwantsrunawayslavesreturnedfromNorthernstates
• Southernwayoflifeonlypossiblewithslavery
SouthWants…FreeTrade
• Planta;onownersbuyluxurygoodsfromEurope(especiallyEngland)
• Tariffsmakethosegoodsmoreexpensive
• Tariffsalsoledtoretalia*on–fearfulofanEnglishtariffonAmericanco^on
Review:TheWestandSouth
BIG QUESTION: What changed in the South and the West after the War of 1812?
First, the West was transformed by the end of the
Native threat, by advances in river travel and by better roads/canals that linked the farms of the West to hungry markets in the East. The South embraced
cotton, after the invention of the cotton gin made the crop profitable. “King Cotton” locked in slavery as a way of life and concentrated wealth in the hands of a
few plantation owners and their families.