Chapter+9-Ryan+Lienesch

** Chapter Nine Outline ** ** US History: Preparing for the AP Examination ** 1) The North  a) Bound together by improved transportation, commercial farming, and industry b) The Industrial Northeast  i) Organized labor (1) Urban workers in diff. cities organized unions and local political parties (2) Supreme Court ruled “peaceful unions” had right to negotiate labor contracts (3) Still, improvements for workers were limited by   (a) periodic depressions (b) employers and courts that were hostile to unions (c) an abundant supply of cheap immigrant labor ii) Urban Life  (1)  Slums expanded to become characteristic of working-class neighborhoods   (2)  New jobs opened and attracted both American-borns and foreigners   iii) African Americans (1) 250,000 lived in the North and represented 50% of free African Americans (2) Freedom meant they could have a family and some land, but not equality c) The Agricultural Northwest  i) Tied to other northern states by two factors (1) military campaigns by fed. troops that drove N.A.s from their land (2) the building of canals and railroads that established common markets ii) Agriculture  (1)  large grain crops of corn and wheat were very profitable   (2)  farm families were efficient and could plant more acres with few workers   iii) New cities - served as   (1)  transfer points (2) processing farm products for shipment to the East (3) distributing manufactured goods from East to different parts of the region d) Immigration  i) From 1830s to 1850s, 4 million people immigrated to US from northern Europe ii) Chiefly the result of  (1)  the development of inexpensive and rapid ocean transportation   (2)  famines and revolutions in Europe that drove people from their homeland   (3)  the growing rep of the US as a country offering economic opportunities   iii) Irish (1) Mostly tenant farmers driven away by crop failures and famines (2) Worked hard at whatever they did, although a difficult process (3) They congregated in larger cities for support, where they had first landed iv) Germans  (1)  Most had modest means and considerable skills as farmers and artisans   (2)  Political influence was limited at first but became more active in public life   v) Nativists (1) Alarmed by large number of native-borns were alarmed by immigrants (2) Resulted in large riots and the creation of an antiforeign society (3) Antiforeign movement faded as the slavery issue took center stage 2) The South  a) Agriculture and King Cotton i) Foundation of South’s economy: COTTON, tobacco, rice, and sugarcane  ii) By the 1850’s, cotton provided 2/3’s of the US exports b) Slavery, the “Peculiar Institution”  i) Population (1) Cotton boom was responsible for increase in slaves (2) In some parts, slaves made up as much as 75% of the population ii) Economics  (1)  Slaves did whatever their masters told them to do   (2)  Many slaves were sold to Mississippi b/c of the new plantations   iii) Slave Life (1) Some slaves treated humanely, others beaten, all suffered without freedom (2) Managed to maintain a strong sense of family and religion iv) Resistance  (1)  Resisted work with slowdowns, sabotage, escape, and revolt   (2)  The revolts gave other slaves hope and tightened strict slavery codes   c) Free African Americans i) By 1860, as many as 250,000 African Americans were not slaves  ii) Most of the free blacks lived in cities where they could own property iii) Remained in South for various reasons  (1) Wanted to be near family members who were still slaves    (2) Believed south to be home and the North offered no greater opportunities   d) White Society i) Aristocracy  (1) To be a wealthy planter, had to own at least 100 slaves and 1000 acres   (2) Maintained political power by dominating the state legislature   ii) Farmers (1) Majority of slaveholders had fewer than 20 slaves and several hundred acres (2) Produced the bulk of the cotton and worked in the fields w/ slaves iii) Poor whites  (1)  3/4s of population owned no slaves   (2)  These hillbillies defended the slaves system thinking they could have slaves   iv) Mountain people (1) Lived in frontier conditions away from others in the South (2) Disliked planters and slaves and would remain loyal to the Union v) Cities  (1) Only a limited need for major cities   (2) Those had small populations compared to Northern cities   e) Southern Thought i) Developed a culture and outlook on life different from any other section  ii) Code of chivalry (1) Agricultural south was a feudal society (2) Gentleman ascribed to a code of chivalrous conduct iii) Education  (1)  Upper class valued education more than the Northern upper class did   (2)  For lower classes, high education was generally unavailable   (3)  Slaves were specifically banned from learning to read and write   iv) Religion (1) Methodist and Baptist churches gained membership (2) Catholics and Episcopalians took a neutral stand on slavery 3) The West  a) Native Americans i) Exodus  (1) By 1850, most NAs were living west of the Mississippi River   (2) The Great Plains would only serve as a temporary respite   ii) Life on the Plains (1) Horses proved to be revolutionary for the Native Americans (2) Those living a nomadic life could easily move away from advancing settlers b) The Frontier  i) Mountain men (1) Earliest whites in the Rockies had followed Lewis and Clark (2) These people would serve as guides and pathfinders for newcomers c) White Settlers on the Western Frontier  i) Women (1) Preformed a myriad of daily tasks (2) The isolation, chores, and childbirth meant a short lifespan for women ii) Environmental Damage  (1)  European Americans had little knowledge of the fragile nature of wildlife   (2)  Would clear entire forests and decimated beaver and buffalo populations
 * Sectionalism **