Advanced Placement United States History
Unit III Lecture Notes
The year – 1824
A review of the facts:
Tariff of 1816 – had been seen by all as a positive
By 1824 – things had changed
textile mills weren’t going to be located near the cotton fields
cotton was moving away from the coast
most people believed that slaves weren’t up to factory work
south didn’t have the money or the people to create factories
the only way a protective tariff could benefit all was if a system of roads and canals linked all sections of
the nation
The positive effects of the tariff of 1816 had come quickly
but roads and canals take time to build
the northeast felt the positive, the south did not
Calhoun who had been all for the tariff in 1816 didn’t feel the same about the tariff in 1824 and when things arise in
1828 – it will be worse
In 1824 – the south saw the tariff differently
tariff increased the cost of living by increasing the price of manufactured goods
if the government built the roads – taxes would be used and the tax burden would be shared by all, but
the benefit would only come to a few
the decisions on where to build and who would pay would be made in DC – when these decisions should
be made in the states
At the time – Clay was advocating his 3 part - American System
govt. financed internal improvements
Bank of the United States
Protective tariff
Thus the fight begins
northeast vs. the south
the question – would could “win the west”
In 1824 – the Tariff was passed
Election of 1824
All candidates were Republicans
William Crawford – chosen by a congressional caucus
The other candidates represented sections
Andrew Jackson – Tenn.
Henry Clay – Kentucky
John Quincy Adams – Mass. – he represented the northeast
Crawford had a stroke
Jackson – war hero – New Orleans and Florida
Clay – great career in Congress – he was very charming
Adams – best record of public service
Jackson
Adams
Crawford 44,282
Clay
Popular
155,872
105,321
Electoral
99
84
41
46,587
37
No one had a majority of the electoral votes
The vote goes to the house
each state has one vote
only the top 3 electoral vote getters in the race – left Clay out but….
Henry Clay was the Speaker of the House
o Lots of influence on the members of the house – thus the vote
Vice President – John C Calhoun
Clay put his support behind Adams
On the first ballot
- Adams
13
- Jackson
7
- Crawford
4
??? shouldn’t the house have gone with Jackson?
he had won the popular vote
he had gotten the most electoral votes
Adding insult to injury – Adams appointed Henry Clay to be his Sec. Of State
This brought an end to the Era of Good feelings
When the dust settled – 2 parties existed
National Republicans – Clay and Adams
Democratic Republicans – Jackson and his supporters
The Democratic Republicans called the election the “corrupt bargain”
There is no evidence that Adams and Clay did anything “corrupt”
But Clay went with Adams mainly because Adams supported Clay’s American System
1825 – Erie Canal
Cost - $7 million
raised thru taxes and lotteries
Length – 363 miles
Depth – 4 ft. deep
Width – 40 ft. wide
82 locks which raised ships 571 ft
Freight costs cut 90% - 1.5 cents per mile to make the trip
5 days from Buffalo to NYC
**for a short time the south and the west were tied together by the Mississippi**
with the completion of the canal
NYC now connected to Chicago
East now connected to the west
Economic ties will develop between the two areas
Once economic ties are made – political ones will
The northeast and south fought
commercial vs. agrarian
federal powers vs. states’ rights
loose vs. strict interpretation
free vs. slave
the canal brought the northeast and west closer together while it also further isolated the south from the other areas
1824 – south had learned a lesson
it would lose any vote on the issue of the protective tariff
more pro-tariff guys in Congress than anti-tariff guys
that number would continue to grow as the northeast and west got closer together economically
add to this – more opportunity for new states in the northwest than in the south
The south felt that maybe they could trick the northeast and west into defeating a tariff
The 1824 Tariff had not reduced textile competition from Britain and Congress was talking about upping it
The southern Congressmen put together a bill that would
up the protection on the textile mills
upped the tariff on the raw materials the northeast needed to keep their factories alive
the south figured that any profit made thru the sale of textiles would be eaten up by the high prices of raw
goods
the southern guys hoped this would discourage the northern guys from supporting the bill
the south wouldn’t support the tariff and the north wouldn’t support the tariff
there would be no tariff
As the bill went to a vote
everybody knew what the south was trying to do
knew it was a bill that made no economic sense at all
Despite all of this – the vote
House
105
to
94
in favor of the tariff
Senate
26
to
21
in favor
The tariff was passed
The south – led by John C Calhoun…
Had dug a whole
Jumped in
Pulled the dirt in on top
It was a sad day – Calhoun was 0-2
Lost in 1824
Lost in 1828
His only option was to push for the tariff to be ruled unconstitutional
He took the Virginia and Kentucky Resolutions
tweaked them to fit his needs
sat down and wrote
South Carolina Exposition and Protest
Calhoun based his argument on two ideas
1) Nature of our Union
2) Unconstitutional nature of the Tariff
The Nature of Our Union
1) Constitution is a compact (agreement) among the states
a. States sent delegates to the convention
b. Constitution was a series of compromises
i. Big and Small States
ii. Commercial and Agrarian States
iii. Free and Slave States
c. It was ratified when 9 states agreed to the document
d. But our govt. was created after the other 4 had agreed to it
2) Document – Basic Principle – Limited Government
a. 10th Amendment
3) The power to regulate foreign commerce was given so the government could insure countries traded
fairly with the United States
4) No mention is made in the document about
a. Nullification
}
thus those powers belonged
b. Secession
}
to the states
Unconstitutional Nature of the Tariff – Calhoun’s argument
1) Constitution says taxes can be levied for 3 reasons
a. Pay public debt
b. Provide for the common defense
c. To promote the general welfare
2) A protective tariff doesn’t
a. Make much money – so it can’t pay the public debt or provide for the general welfare
b. Promote general welfare because it causes sectionalism
Since this tariff doesn’t do what the constitution says a tax must do
It must be unconstitutional
The issue also came up in Congress
Daniel Webster (Mass.) ] had a debate
Robert Hayne (S.C.)
]
in Congress
Over the nature of our union
The future leader of the south – Jefferson Davis
spoke out against the tariff and in favor of Calhoun
To answer Calhoun, Hayne and Davis – the other side argued
1) the constitution isn’t a compact of sovereign states
a. “We the people… ordain and establish this constitution”
2) Supreme Court had already given commerce a broad interpretation
a. Gibbons v Ogden
3) If the right to nullify did exist
a. Confusion would follow
b. Many interpretations of the constitution would exist
c. This would not lead to the “General Welfare”
4) The right to leave completely contradicts “…to form a more perfect union”
In 1828 and in 1832
no other southern state was willing to nullify and/or leave the Union
John Quincy Adams
Ambassador/Minister to 4 different nations
Sec. Of state under Monroe – wrote the Monroe doctrine
Served as President 1824-28
1831 – was reelected to the house and served 17 years
1848 – suffered a stroke in Congress and died
o they say his ghost still roams the capital
he served this country well – except when he was president
1828 – Andrew Jackson will again run for President against JQA
Jackson is the favorite because
1) people thought he got shafted in 1824
2) he had risen to be a leader in the new democratic party
3) it was time to make a common president
1832 – he will be re-elected – he will defeat Henry Clay and what was left of the Republicans
Jacksonian Democracy
people felt Jackson was one of theirs – a common man
his parents had been immigrants
at 14 he fought in the Revolution
he had experienced dueling a couple of times
war hero
great ethical man – person life was beyond reproach
lots of integrity
not another guy from the Aristocracy
His election will lead to changes
1) economic
2) political
3) social
Changes in Elections
1) Caucus was replaced by the nominating convention
2) Direct election of presidential electors
3) All states dropped religious qualifications for voting and states either eliminated or greatly reduced property qualifications
4) Jackson used the Spoils System and Rotation-in-Office
5) Labor Unions became politically active
Jackson and the Indians
in 1830 Congress made provisions for Removal of Indians
1791-1820 – a series of treaties had recognized Cherokees in Georgia as a separate nation with their own lands and customs
White settlement on lands in Georgia as well as on lands owned by Creek, Choctaw and Chickasaw in Alabama and
Mississippi increased tensions
1830- gold was discovered in Georgia and the state legislature moved to void all laws giving the Cherokees right to the land
the Cherokee took Georgia to court – in the state court – Cherokee Nation v Georgia
the state court in Georgia said because the Cherokees were “a domestic dependent nation” not a foreign state
the Supreme Court in Worcester v Georgia ruled that the national govt. had exclusive jurisdiction over Cherokee Territory –
the state had no right to void it
Georgia had no right to take the land – that would go against a national treaty
Andrew Jackson supported the state of Georgia and publicly stated:
“ John Marshall has made his decision, now let him enforce it.”
Jackson will go on to work toward
1) extinguishing land titles in states held by Indians
2) moving the Indians to lands west of the Mississippi
Arkansas
Oklahoma
94 treaties were signed while he was president
By 1835 – all eastern tribes had been moved
By 1836 – Bureau of Indian Affairs had been established under the Dept. of War
*** Jackson’s Actions led many in Southern states to believe he was a strong state’s rights guy and that he would help them with
the tariff issue.****
Jackson and the Tariff
1828 – South had nailed itself
many had hoped that Jackson would bail them out
JQA – had not vetoed the Tariff of 1828 and they hoped Jackson would help them out
He was a guy from Tennessee
He was a states’ rights guy when he dealt with the Indian issue
He would reflect their ideas when it came to the tariff
In reality – Jackson’s view was neither one way or the other
he felt there were strong arguments on both sides
he stated that he would go with whatever Congress came up with when it came to the tariff
Jackson agreed with the Tariff of 1828 and with protection
but in an attempt to make the south happy he recommended a revision
the Tariff of 1832 was not what the south had wanted and it will result in a complete split between Andrew Jackson and
John C Calhoun
History of the Split
Under the leadership of Calhoun – South Carolina issued the Ordinance of Nullification
they had voted in the South Carolina legislature to nullify the tariffs of 1828 and 1832
1) no more collection of duties
2) forbade the appeal to the supreme court on any case dealing with the law
3) asserted that the use of Federal forces was grounds for secession
Jackson responded
1) sent forces to South Carolina
2) Issues a proclamation to the people of South Carolina
a. nullification was impractical and absurd
b. federal government was supreme
c. no state could refuse to obey the laws or leave
d. disunion = treason
Carolina came back
1) elected Robert Hayne Governor
2) elected Calhoun to the Senate – he had officially resigned
3) called for a convention to look at the issue of state/federal relationships
Jackson asked Congress to approve the use of military force to collect the tariff
Congress passed the Force Bill – 1833 – but it will never be used
Clay created a compromise tariff and the crisis ended
The split between Jackson and Calhoun was not purely political in nature – in fact it was very personal
Peggy Eaton Affair
Peggy Eaton – a former barmaid – was the newly married wife of the Sec. Of War
She had befriended Mrs. Jackson before her death in 1829
Mrs. Calhoun and many of the other Cabinet wives felt Mrs. Eaton wasn’t of their social standing
They treated Mrs. Eaton badly and this made Jackson mad
Also Jackson had found out that Calhoun – who was Sec. Of War under Madison – had criticized Jackson and his tactics in the
War of 1812 as well as criticized his actions in Florida
Jackson confronted Calhoun and wasn’t pleased with the explanation from him
They will even trade toasts at a Jefferson Day dinner in 1830
Jackson – “Our Federal Union; It must be preserved.”
Calhoun came back with –
“ The Union, next to our liberty, most dear. May we always remember that it can only be preserved by distributing
equally the benefits and burdens of the Union.”
The split became complete
yet at the time – Jackson did do many things to prove his
“regard for the power of the states
Jackson and Internal Improvements
Jackson had always believed in
“ a proper regard for states’ rights”
Maysville Road Bill -1830
Congress authorized the purchase of stock in the Maysville, Washington, Paris and Lexington Turnpike Road Company
The bill authorized spending $150,000 on stock so the company could build 60 miles of road from Lexington to Maysville
in Kentucky
Jackson vetoed the bill – it was unconstitutional
1) it was all within the borders of one state
2) thus it was not the responsibility of the federal government
Jackson believed that the states could pass an amendment to approve federal spending for state roads and canals
This stand made the states’ rights guys very happy – as did the action on the bank
Jackson and the Bank
1816 – 2nd Bank of the United States was chartered
it had stabilized business and put a check on less responsible banks
ownership in the bank – 6% held by New Englanders
2% held by people in the west
the rest was equally split between
1) wealthy families in the south
2) wealthy families in the middle states
3) European investors
President of the Bank – Nicolas Biddle
A good banker
Wealthy Philadelphia family
Thought democracy was dangerous
Biddle and Jackson could not have gotten along on a good day
1832 – Clay and Jackson were running for President
Biddle was a National Republican
He supported Clay
Clay convinced him to make the bank’s recharter an issue in the election
Bank still had 2 years to go
Clay got Congress to pass the recharter bill for the bank in July 1832
Many of the Congressmen owned stock in the bank or ran businesses that had borrowed money from the bank
Jackson vetoed the bill to recharter the bank
1) BUS = unconstitutional
2) It was a monopoly
3) The rich and foreign stock holders were benefiting at the expense of the people
4) Stockholders have no right to special favors
5) BUS could influence foreign policy because of the power of their foreign investors
a. This made it dangerous
6) Bank used its funds to further the political views of it president – Biddle, Clay and their party
7) Court’s decision in McCullock carries no weight – that is a decision that the President and Congress should make
Economically and by the facts alone – Clay was right and Jackson was wrong
But with the fancy foot work of Mr. Biddle – the bank was going down
Jackson was re-elected in 1932 and the Bank went down
govt. funds were deposited in about 80 state banks – they became known as “Pet Banks”
Formation of the Whig Party
1832 – Clay lost again
he then tried to determine the best way to beat Jackson and the Democratic Party
there were many groups that were anti-Jackson
1) those who disliked Jackson’s appeal to the people
2) those who disliked his anger with the people of wealth and social prestige
3) those wealthy people in the south along the coast – who disliked the idea of a westerner running the country
4) those in the south who were angry over his stand on nullification and the protective tariff
Clay realized that these groups needed a political home
most would not join the National Republican Party – mostly because it had been a party most had opposed
Clay figured the key was to bring them together under a new name
Birth of the Whigs
the same name as used by those fighting the tyranny of George III during the Revolutionary times
Problem for the Whigs
the one thing that held these people together was their hatred for Jackson
when Jackson is no longer an issue the party will begin to crumble
Northern Whigs and southern Whigs differed on most issues
1) Clay’s American System
2) Tariffs
3) Slavery
Which will cause tensions within the party and eventually destroy it
The South
The South and the Peculiar Institution
economic, social and political development of the South was shaped by large-scale plantation agriculture
the opening of lands west of the Appalachians and South of the Ohio kept slavery going and growing
o the Deep South
Slavery and Plantation Agriculture
large scale production of cash crops was the South’s principle enterprise
it was dependent on slavery
Declining Fortune of the Upper South
after the War of 1812 the US will see a decline in tobacco farming
o profits had declined
o exhaustion of soil in Maryland, Virginia and North Carolina
tobacco farming moved west into Kentucky
replaced by wheat and other less labor dependent crops
less need for labor – less need for slaves
brought forth a major question in the Upper South
most states in the western upper south weren’t in favor of slavery
Virginia began to think about emancipation
1829 – Virginia called a convention to discuss abolition of slavery
1831- Nat Turner Insurrection
South Hampton County, VA
Turner – a slave but also very
o Intelligent
o Skilled
o Religious
he had visions of “white spirits and black spirits” that were always engaged in battle
he believed he was “ordained for some great purpose in the hands of the almighty”
Aug. night in 1831 – Turner and a group of slaves “wanted to carry terror & devastation throughout the country”
-
-
-
They began by killing Turner’s master
o Joe Travis and his family
o A master that Turner had said was very fair
before the revolt was put down
o 55 whites had been murdered
o 55 blacks were killed in the aftermath
Turner hid in the woods for 2 weeks before being captured and executed
The fact that Turner had revolted against a fair master led to a great deal of fear
Virginia said no way to emancipation
Cotton Kingdom
- slavery may have continued to decline had cotton not become the way of life after 1812
Cotton Culture and Eli Whitney’s Cotton Gin
cotton was in great demand – especially in Great Britain
the #1 industry in GB was producing finished products from raw cotton
the best cotton was the long fiber cotton grown on the coast
but the shorter fiber cotton was the kind that grew well west of the Appalachians
it is harder to remove from the short fiber without ruining the cotton
1793 – Eli Whitney invented the cotton gin
a machine that could easily remove the seed without damaging the cotton fiber
when the plantations moved west to the land the cotton could grow on 2 things happened
o need to move the Indians on the land
o need for more slaves
Why more slaves??
with the cotton gin
o could process raw cotton quicker
o if you can process more – you can grow more – if you can grow more – you can make more $
o to grow more you need more land and you need more labor
Expansion of the Slave Economy
with the Louisiana Purchase
1) we control the Mississippi
2) we control New Orleans
3) people continued to move west
a. land was cheaper
as they moved west to settle more land – they needed more slaves to clear the land
1) Alabama
2) Mississippi
3) Texas
4) Arkansas
} grew
5) Louisiana
}
sugar
1820-1860 – slave population growth
Mississippi
Alabama
1820
32,000
41,000
1860
436,000
435,000
a domestic slave trade developed
people from the Upper South moved or
they sold their slaves to people in the Deep South
1840-1860 – 400,000 slaves moved from the Upper South to the Deep South
the rest were the result of natural population growth
King Cotton
bales produced
in the South
1792
13,000
1820
500,000
1850
1.35 Million
1860
4.8 Million
The South produced 75% of the world’s raw cotton and 50% of the US income from exports
But the focus was always on production of raw cotton – not the manufacturing of textiles
With this focus urban development in the South was slow
1840
1860
6%
10 % urban growth in the South
The Rule of the Planter
25% of the people in the South owned slaves
20% owned 0-19 slaves
4 % owned 20-49
1% owned 50 or more
a Planter was someone who owned 20 or more slaves and they made up 5% of the population
at the same time Planters controlled politics, made the laws and defined the social standards of the south
A Planter’s view of the World
Planters were very much into “romanticism”
1) they believed in chivalry
2) honor and duty were more important than self-interest and life itself
3) “ladies” were held in high esteem
4) fine manners were used
wealth was measured in political and social influence
1) family connections
2) amount of land and # of slaves owned
3) production of the cash crop was all important
a. you had to be a business and a gentleman
Plain Folk in the South
1860- 75% of the white families in the South owned no slaves
of the 25% who did own slaves – most owned less than 10
small farmers raised livestock and grew grains
they had different political and social ideas from the planters – but most didn’t oppose slavery
every small farmer hoped and worked to become a “planter”
Pro-Slavery Argument
thanks to the Nat Turner Insurrection the question of emancipation died
abolitionists eliminated what flexibility remained in the South
Southern publicists and statesmen began to defend slavery
They argued
1) historical and scriptural justification of slavery
2) economic advantages of the institution
3) the social benefits that it conferred upon the dominant white population
1854 – George Fitzhugh wrote Sociology for the South, or Failure of Free Society
he went so far as to argue that southern slaves were better off than Northern “wage slaves”
The defensive view = slavery was a “necessary evil” was replaced by John C Calhoun’s slavery as a “Positive Good”
The Gag Rule
Southern congressmen demanded that abolitionist materials be barred from the mail
1836 – they persuaded the House to refuse to hear or consider any anti-slavery petitions
1844 – the Gag Rule was rescinded as a result of Northern Congressmen – including John Q Adams – defending
the rights of the abolitionists
“Human Property”
Slaves were
1) transported against their will
2) powerless before their white owners under law
3) had no standing as “persons” under the Constitution
4) lived under slave codes which governed their movements and behavior
5) were in the same category as “horses and cows” as far as the law was concerned
most states had laws against brutally killing slaves
but most weren’t enforced and convictions were extremely rare
there were as many tales of master kindness as there was of cruelty
many southerners drove their field hands to make a profit
but to drive them beyond that was counter productive
o a good field hand ran $800 – enough incentive to care for that “human property”
Slave Life and Labor
Most slaves
lived on a plantation
worked long, hard hours under close supervision
field hands were worked the hardest
most slaves could rely on their masters for basic welfare
1) clothing
2) food
3) shelter
most had the opportunity to
1) grow a garden
2) enjoy some holidays
3) get some small rewards
slaves had to
1) carry passes when off the plantation
2) be in at night
3) be under constant surveillance
slave patrols found and punished offenders
slave codes made it illegal to teach a slave to read and write
after Nat Turner – it became harder to escape – but runaways did exist
-
-
most effective methods of resistance came in the form of
1) sabotage of plantation property
2) abuse of farm animals
3) faked sickness
some free blacks did live in the South – approx. 250,000 – but they had to worry about possible kidnapping or
about existing slave codes
The North
The North was characterized by
1) Rapid Growth
2) Technological Change – advances in
a. Manufacturing
b. Transportation
c. Communication
Rapid Growth
1790
1830
1850
1860
pop.
3.9 million
12.8 million
23.1 million
31.0 million
with this growth came new workers, new households, new consumers
Why the Growth???
Immigration and Natural Growth
a. 1820-1830 – more natural growth – only ½ million immigrants
b. 1830-1850 – 4 million immigrants
i. GB
ii. Ireland
iii. Germany
Why did they leave?
a. famine in Ireland
b. bad conditions
i. political revolution
ii. economic depression
c. growing European population
Where did they settle ?
mainly in Northeastern cities and Northwestern farms
stayed out of the south because you had to have a lot of money to make it in the south
not many jobs – made more sense to stay north
Were they welcome ?
not really and not always
business owners welcomed the influx of cheap labor but most others didn’t want them here
they thought that the immigrants were bad for the country
“Native” Americans (NOT INDIANS!!!!) were primarily WASP
o white
o Anglo-Saxon
o Protestant
A big portion of the immigrants were Catholic
-“Natives” blamed the Catholics for an increase in
political corruption – will the Pope take over????
Social disorder
o all immigrants did was drink and steal
We even saw an organized Anti-Immigrant movement
Began as the secret society – Order of the Star Spangled Banner
Developed into a political party
- American Party AKA the Know – Nothing Party
Industrial Expansion
1840 – manufacturing in US = $500 million
1850 – equaled $1 billion – which was more than made from agriculture
1860 – neared $2 billion
Industrial Areas
southern New England
southern New York and New Jersey
eastern Pennsylvania and Maryland
1840 – the areas expanded to
western New York
western Pennsylvania
** except for parts of Maryland and parts of Virginia – next to no manufacturing went on in the south***
With the use of the factory system – production increased and mass production became the way to go
textiles
iron goods
shoes
clocks
guns
sewing machines
with mass production, these items became less expensive to make, thus more affordable to the average American
New factories also gave Americans the opportunity to invest capital here in the US, as opposed to elsewhere
With more investment – companies had more money and could do better things
Innovations
With more money, more inventions or innovations could be tried and used
better tool making
vulcanization of rubber – Charles Goodyear – 1839
sewing machine – Elias Howe – 1846
Elevator – Elisha Otis – 1851
Food processing – Gail Borden – 1856
Condensing milk – Gail Borden – 1856
Oliver Evans improved on the steam engine of James Watt (1803)
***By 1830 >1/3 of the plants used steam power as opposed to water
coal and wood will also become a great power source for factories
Working Conditions
Not too great – in fact got worse – WHY???
large source of unskilled labor made it possible to pay very little
reduction in tariffs increased foreign competition – so manufacturers had to reduce costs
Transportation and Communication
Steam Powered Locomotive – 1830’s – led to expansion of the railway system in the 1840s and 50s – both
Will change the economy of the North
Railroad Age
critical to industrial expansion in the north
a premium was placed on speed
1827 – first railroad venture
sponsored by the merchants and bankers in Baltimore
they set up a railroad that would eventually run from Baltimore to Ohio – (B&O)
1830 – 32 miles of track
1840 – 2818 miles of track
1850 - +9000 miles
*** quick expansion enabled railroads to reduce cost of transportation
Railways quickly connected the North with the West
Railroad companies got generous grants from state and federal govt.
1860 - 30 million acres had been given
River and canal transportation continued – especially with large items that wouldn’t spoil
Steamboat travel will increase - +1000 boats on the Mississippi and its river system by 1860
3200 miles of canals in America by 1850
Telegraph
1837 – Samuel FB Morse made the first practical electric telegraph
1843 – first major lines constructed
1860 – 50,000 miles of line between the Rocky Mtns and the Atlantic Ocean
1861 – line went all the way to San Francisco
***Telegraph also helped to bring the North and the West together***
News Media
1846 – Richard M Hoe invented the steam driven rotary press ***revolutionized the world of journalism
add to this the existence of the telegraph – news gathering and printing took on a new look
1846 – Associated Press (AP) was created
Agriculture
Growth and technological changes transformed American agriculture
1853 - rail link between Chicago and New York accelerated the flow of goods between the Northeast and the
Northwest
Shifting Patterns of Agriculture
grain-producing and live-stock raising regions went to the Northwest
the South relied on the west for their grain and live-stock
New England turned to
o Stock raising
o Dairying
o Truck farming
-
Demand from Northeast cities and Europe created prosperity for the Northwest farmers
Staple crop production doubled between 1830 & 1860
o Corn
o Wheat
o Cotton
o Tobacco
o Wool
New farming Methods
improvements in
o land fertilization
o crop rotation
o scientific breeding
were introduced
organization developed
competitions and Fairs increased
Agricultural Machinery
American agriculture suffered from labor shortages
labor saving devices were of major interest to most American farmers
o 1839 – John Deere invented the steel plow
o 1834 – Cyrus McCormick invented the reaper
o other inventions/innovations included
horse rakes
mowing machines
seed planters
cultivators
mechanical thrashers and separators
*** all of which lightened the labor load and increased farm production***
A time period of Enterprise and Egalitarianism
belief that all men should have equal economic, social and political rights
Optimism about the future
Age of Reform
1) Characterized by attempts to eradicate all signs of injustice and inhumane treatment from American society
2) Driven By
a. 2nd Great Awakening
3) Development of Utopias
a. Calling for perfection within the whole society
4) Development of Unique American Literature and American Art
Major Ill in US Society – Discrimination and Prejudice
1) immigrants
2) free blacks
3) women
Immigration
1776 – 1820
pretty light
1820 – 1840
800,000
1840 – 1850
1.7 Million
1850 – 1860
2.5 Million
Total since Independence – 5 Million
Stereotype – immigrants = lawbreaking drunks
- most landlords wouldn’t rent to immigrants
- some wouldn’t hire them
Sons of ’76 + Sons of America + Order of United States = became known as the Order of the Star Spangled Banner
All the groups will develop into a new political party – Know Nothing Party
- they will achieve some victories on local and state levels and on the Natl. level will become known as the
American Party
Free Blacks
- faced more discrimination than immigrants
- no political rights
- next to no education
- separate facilities
to counter this – blacks took things into their own hands
- set up their own churches
- discussed going back to Africa
- published writings and newspapers
Frederick Douglas set up the first black newspaper – North Star
Not much was accomplished
The American Woman
- not much better off
- education was limited
- could only train for teaching
- married women couldn’t own land – single women could
- no legal rights to your children
- couldn’t make a contract or sue in court
- married women who worked outside the home had no right to their wages
- women couldn’t vote
- women couldn’t hold office
- not proper for women to speak to a group of men and women
Small changes
- 1833 – Oberlin College first to admit women
- 1865 – Vassar the first all-women’s college
Schools taught the 3R’s along with music and dance
- science, Latin and math were considered too challenging for women
Most women who went to college became teachers
Women’s Movement – had 2 sides
1) led by Catherine Beecher
a. goal was to improve quality of family life
2) led by Angelina and Sarah Grimke, Elizabeth Cady Stanton and Lucretia Mott
a. goal was equality in everything
1840 – the 2nd group took control of the movement
- pushed for a better legal standing
1848 – Met at Seneca Falls, NY
- first ever women’s rights conference
- drafted the Declaration of Sentiments and Resolutions
- modeled after the Declaration of Independence
Significance – Not too many changes – but it was a start
1) started to have annual conventions
2) lots of local and regional meetings
3) began to publish newspapers, pamphlets and gave speeches
4) became the corner stone of the movement – suffrage became to goal
The Emergence of American Literature and American Art
United States had no unique literary and artistic culture until after 1815
First 2 major Authors
1) Washington Irving
2) James Fennimore Cooper
Washington Irving
- wrote about life in the Hudson River Valley
- 1820 – The Sketch Book – contained the Legend of Sleepy Hallow and Rip Van Winkle
Fennimore Cooper
- wrote about the American Frontiersmen’s individualism
- Last of the Mohicans and The Pioneers
Growth of the Transcendentalists
Centered in New England
Emphasized
1) unity and divinity of human beings and nature
2) self-reliance
3) value of intuition over reason
4) individual conscience
Ralph Waldo Emerson
Led the group – American Freedom
Henry David Thoreau
Margaret Fuller
Longfellow
Hawthorne
This group then influenced
Herman Melville
Walt Whitman
These authors created a national literature, which took its themes, settings and characters from America
Changing American Attitude
make people see how great we were
we are no longer “poor relations of the English”
We will see some Romanticism
but the context was American
Romanticism and American Themes and settings carried over the American Art
Hudson River School – used landscape of the Valley in the Art
Thomas Cole
Asher Durand
Charles Wilson Peale } Painted scenes from
Gilbert Stuart }
the Revolution
Work Towards a More Perfect Society – society as a whole
Utopias developed – small communities of like-minded individuals who lived apart from society in self-sufficient
enclaves
Some Groups based on
1) socialism – work together and own all property in common
2) religious principles – Mormons
like other non-protestant religious groups Mormons were discriminated against
why
1) religious ideas were different
2) US didn’t agree with polygamy
3) Feared Mormon opposition to slavery – especially in Missouri
They will go west and settle in the Salt Lake Valley in Utah
Work Towards a More Perfect Society – looking to change certain things
1) Public Education
2) Temperance
3) Treatment of Mentally Ill, Handicapped and Prisoners
4) Abolition
Public Education
- led by Horace Mann
- Push for Tax Supported public schools
- we needed to
1) educate future voters
2) prevent social ills like crime and poverty
- most free states under the Northwest Ordinance set up these tax-supported schools
- some states worked hard to increase and improve teacher training
- but some still felt this wasn’t a good idea
1) churches had their own schools – parents didn’t want to support public school;s
2) people in the west saw no need for any schooling past the basics
3) southerners had tutors and sent their sons to private school
Reform of Treatment
1) Mentally Ill
2) Handicapped
3) Prisoners
All of these groups faced the same basic conditions in institutions
Dorothea Dix pushed for change
1) Asylum System – hospitals opened for the mentally ill
2) Prison System
i. Men and women separated, young and old separated
ii. No more prison for debtors
iii. No more whipping
3) Education of Handicapped
i.
Samuel Howe – Blind
ii.
Thomas Gallaudet – Deaf
Temperance
- Many thought our greatest social ills were the result of alcohol
1) poverty
2) crime
3) mental illness
Temperance Movement driven by two men
1) Lyman Beecher
2) Neal Dow
both were involved in the church and preaching
campaign was to get people to stop drinking
get govt. to prohibit the sale
1830’s – Maine will be the first state to act – others will follow
Abolition – the most significant movement of the time
led by William Lloyd Garrison
he published The Liberator
called for “immediate and uncompensated emancipation”
the movement will include many people who were involved in other movements
will really get moving after the era of Manifest Destiny in the 1850s
John Tyler and Manifest Destiny
April 4, 1841 – William Henry Harrison Dies
John Tyler – a Democrat – becomes President
1841- Whigs control majority in House and the Senate
They expected to come into office and put their program into effect
Whig Program
1) Repeal the Independent Treasury Act and charter a new Bank of the United States
2) Pass a protective tariff
3) Pass the Pre-emption Act – 1841
a. AKA – “Log Cabin Bill”
b. Provided for easier terms for getting western lands
4) give states $ from the sale of lands to create internal improvements
Tyler and the Whigs repealed the Treasury Act but…
Tyler vetoed 2 attempts to recharter the Bank
1842 a moderately protective tariff will be passed
Tyler refused to give federal money to the states
Tyler’s refusal to accept the Whig agenda brought an all-out party war
Clay’s followers in the Cabinet all resigned
With the exception of Webster – he was busy – will resign later
1842- the Democrats will take over in the House
Clay will resign to get ready for the election of 1844
Tyler picked a new cabinet
states’ rights
pro-south
1. John C Calhoun will be named Sec. Of State
Daniel Webster stuck around long enough to settle some disputes
Webster and the US had 2 major disputes
1) Boundary between Maine and New Brunswick
a. Aroostook “War”
2) Joint Occupation of Oregon
We were also involved in 4 minor disputes
1) Caroline Incident
a. British Authorities destroyed a ship flying an American flag that was trying to help Canadian
rebels
2) Creole Case
a. Ship carrying American slaves
b. Slaves had a mutiny, took control of the ship and sailed to the Bahamas
c. The British authorities in the Bahamas let them go
3) Issue of British interfering with American merchants suspected of engaging in the slave trade
4) Complaints against states which owed British investors $
In 1841-42 – British Prime Minister – Robert Pell – sends Lord Ashburton to Washington to settle the disputes with
Sec. Of Sate – Daniel Webster
The Result – Webster Ashburton Treaty
1) Boundary adjustment made from Lake of the Woods (Minn) to the Atlantic including through the Great
Lakes
2) US got 7000 square miles in Maine – 12000 had been in dispute
3) Britain officially apologized for the Caroline Incident
4) The US and Great Britain agreed to patrol waters off West Africa to catch smugglers
Webster will resign – Calhoun will take over and we will enter into the Era of Manifest Destiny
Manifest Destiny
Texas
1821 – Mexico got its Independence from Spain and we recognized it as a nation
1820’s – Mexico began to accept US citizens immigrating to it country – Texas
They asked 2 things
1) become Roman Catholics
2) live under Mexican law
a. including a ban on slavery
Moses and Stephen Austin – promoted the settling of the land
1830- 20,000 Americans in Texas – mostly from Tenn., Mississippi, and Louisiana
They came to establish large plantations
-Brought slaves anyway
1830– Mexico got concerned because Americans outnumber the Mexicans 5 to 1
1) they stopped immigration into Texas
2) reiterated the no slaves law
Anglo – Americans began to protest
1) wanted local self-govt. in Texas
2) complained about Mexican Law
a. no land contracts
b. placement of duties on imported goods
c. forbidding further immigration
3) feared Mexico would enforce the religious requirements
4) feared Mexico would take steps to free their slaves
Mexico lifted the ban on immigration because the tension was very high
1835 – Texans went after a customs official in Galveston
Santa Ana turned Texas into a military district
Oct 1835 – Sam Houston became the commander – in –chief of the Texas forces
1836 – Texas declared its independence from Mexico
Santa Ana gathered his troop and moved on Texas
March 6, 1836 – Santa Ana and 4000 soldiers attacked the Alamo and 187 Texans
Santa Ana and his troops continued on to Goliad
found 300 soldiers
the soldiers surrendered
but Santa Ana killed them in cold blood
April 21, 1836 – Sam Houston and Texan army moved to the San Jacinto River
Santa Ana and his troops were there and were ready
In the afternoon Santa Ana allowed his men to take a siesta
He forgot to post a guard
Sam Houston and 800 troops ambushed Santa Ana
In 20 minutes 600 Mexicans were dead
730 were captured including Santa Ana himself
Houston forced Santa Ana to sign the Treaty of Velasco – which recognized the independence of Texas
the Mexican Congress refused to ratify the treaty
but the Texans declared themselves the Lone Star Republic
Texas immediately applied for admission to the Union in 1836
This issue raised several questions
1) Constitutional Question
a. If the Congress of Mexico hadn’t ratified the treaty
b. They hadn’t recognized Texas as independent
c. We couldn’t annex it then
2) Treaty Obligation
a. We had been working with Mexico
b. It was a country that we recognized
c. We had been trying to purchase some land from them that had included Texas
3) If we did annex – would Texas be free or slave???
Two sides will develop
1) Northern States
a. Annexation would lead to war with Mexico
b. South only wanted Texas to upset the slave/free balance in Congress
2) Those in Favor of Annexation
a. Manifest Destiny Expansionists – mostly Democrats
b. Those ho thought Great Britain might try to ally with the new nation
c. Those who saw $ from Texas – cash crops – cotton and sugar
d. People who had land in Texas or who had invested in Texas
1836 – Jackson is leaving office
he recognized the Lone Star Republic
Martin Van Buren decided against annexation
too hot an issue – didn’t want to split his party
1844 John Tyler saw Texas as a way to stick it to the Whigs who had given him so much trouble from the
start
Tyler made annexation of Texas a goal
1) he set up a propaganda campaign to get people on his side
2) he exaggerated the British desire to take Texas
3) He had John C Calhoun negotiate a treaty of annexation with Texas
a. It was defeated in June 1844 by the senate
So Tyler turned it into a campaign issue in 1844
Election of 1844
Whigs – Henry Clay
Democrats – Martin Van Buren
party favorite for the nomination
Both Clay and Van Buren were
1) against annexation
2) refusing to discuss the Texas Issue
Pro-Texas Democrats refused to support the nomination of Van Buren
they pushed and got James K Polk as the Democratic nominee
Liberty Party – Anti-Slavery Party nominated James Birney
- they attracted many northern anti-slavery Whigs who were angry that Clay wouldn’t
take a stand on Texas
Polk – running on a plank of annexation
Polk
Clay
%
electoral
49.6
170
48.1
105
The difference was the northern Whigs who had gone with James Birney
Tyler saw Polk’s election as an endorsement for annexation
Tyler wrote a joint resolution for the annexation
- a joint resolution only needs a majority as opposed to the Treaty which requires 2/3
Whigs protested – but the resolution was passed and annexation took place 3 days before Tyler left office
Dec. 1845 Texas accepted the terms of annexation and began working on a constitution so it could become
a new state
There was still the question of the southern border
the US and Texas recognized the Rio Grande
Mexico recognized the Nueces River
This conflict will eventually lead to war
Acquisition of Oregon
Basis for American claims
- Late 18th century several nations had very vague claims on the Oregon Territory
1) Spain
2) Russia
3) France
4) Great Britain
- early 19th century – the US developed its own claim on the territory
1) Capt. Robert Gray discovered and explored the Columbia River
2) Lewis and Clark expedition 1805-1806
3) John Jacob Astor established Astoria in 1811 as a trading post
- Great Britain still had strong ties but everybody else had given up
1818 – the US and GB agreed to a 10 year period of joint occupation
1827 – the agreement was renewed for an indefinite period
- either country could terminate the agreement with one year’s notice
Migration to Oregon – 1830-1850 – migration was stimulated by
1) propagandists like Hal J Kelly who organized a society for the settlement of the territory
2) activities of businessmen like Nathaniel Wyeth showed the ability to go to Oregon by wagon
a. Oregon Trail
3) missionary activity by Protestants and Catholics with the Indians of the Pacific Northwest
1845 – 5000 Americans in the Oregon Country
Treaty in 1846
- 1843 - # of people going to Oregon increased
- Dec. 1945 – Polk asked Congress to suspend the joint occupation
- conflict will develop over where the border between the US and Canada will be
- Great Britain asked for the Columbia River
- Americans pushed for 54’40* and said the were “willing to fight”
- Britain couldn’t match the Americans person for person
- they didn’t have a military presence in Oregon
- a fight wasn’t practical
- Compromise was reached – continuation of the 49th parallel from the Rocky Mountains to the Pacific