The “ Era of Good Feelings ” ( 1816-1824 )
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Transcript of The “ Era of Good Feelings ” ( 1816-1824 )
The “Era of Good
Feelings”(1816-1824)
Madison to Monroe
NationalismIndustry / Expansion
The American System(Economic Nationalism in Action)
Protective Tariffs, starting with the Tariff of 1816
Second Bank of the U. S.
Internal improvements at federal expense. - National Road
Henry Clay,“The Great
Compromiser”
Regional Specialization
NORTHEAST Industrial
SOUTH Cotton & Slavery
WEST The Nation’s “Breadbasket”
Regions grabbed the Inventions that best suited their economic pursuits
Erie Canal, 1820s
Begun in 1817; completed in 1825
Principal Canals in 1840
Robert Fulton & the Steamboat
1807: The Clermont
Cumberland (National Road), 1811
First Turnpike- 1790 Lancaster, PABy 1832, nearly 2400 mi. of road connected most major cities.
Conestoga Covered Wagons
Conestoga Trail, 1820s
TheRailroad
Revolution,1850s
Immigrant laborbuilt the No. RRs.
Slave laborbuilt the So. RRs.
Early Textile Power Loom
Eli Whitney’s Gun Factory
Interchangeable Parts Rifle
Resourcefulness & Experimentation
Americans were willing to try
anything. They were first copiers, then
innovators.1800 41 patents were approved.1860 4,357 patents were approved.
Samuel Slater(“Father of the Factory
System”)
New EnglandTextile
Centers:
1830s
The Lowell/Waltham System:
First Dual-Purpose Textile Plant
Francis Cabot Lowell’s town - 1814
Lowell in 1850• Factory workers
were girls• Came from farms,
leaving family• Housing was
provided• Hard life, long
hours, restricted living
Lowell Girls
What was their typical “profile?”
I’m a Factory Girl Filled with WishesI'm a factory girl
Everyday filled with fearFrom breathing in the poison airWishing for windows!I'm a factory girlTired from the 13 hours of work each dayAnd we have such low payWishing for shorten work times!I'm a factory girlNever having enough time to eatNor to rest my feetWishing for more free time!I'm a factory girlSick of all this harsh conditionsMaking me want to sign the petition!So do what I ask for because I am a factory girlAnd I'm hereby speaking for all the rest!
New England Dominance in Textiles
U.S. Manufacturing Employment, 1820–1850
Eli Whitney’s Cotton Gin, 1791
Actually invented by a
slave!
John Deere & the Steel Plow(1837)
Most notable for making the West Farmable
Cyrus McCormick& the Mechanical Reaper:
1831
Samuel F. B. Morse
1840 – Telegraph
Elias Howe & Isaac Singer
1840sSewing Machine
Changing Occupation Distributions:1820 - 1860
National Origin of Immigrants:1820 - 1860
Why now?
US Population Density
1810 1820
Map: Population Distribution, 1790 and 1850
They all regarded material advance as the natural fruit of American republicanism & proof of the country’s virtue and promise.
The “American Dream”
A German visitor in the 1840s, Friedrich List, observed:
Anything new is quickly introduced here, including all of the latest inventions. There is no clinging to old ways. The moment an American hears the word “invention,” he pricks up his ears.
Distribution of Wealth During the American
Revolution,45% of all wealth in the top 10% ofthe population. 1845 Boston - top 4% owned
over 65% of the wealth.
1860 Philadelphia - top 1% owned over 50% of the wealth.
The gap between rich and poor was widening!
The North Embraces Industry
The tariff Congress placed on imported goods helped industry to flourish, particularly in the Northeast, where there were many factories and laborers to keep them running.
Industrial Workers
The arrival of industry changed the way many Americans worked by reducing the skill required for many jobs. This trend hurt highly skilled artisans, who could not compete with manufacturers working with many low-cost laborers.
Southern Agricultural Economy and Society
During the 1780s, Thomas Jefferson, James Madison, and George Washington hoped that slavery would gradually fade away. However, with the emergence of cotton as the South’s leading crop, slavery persisted.
The Panic of 1819
CAUSES???