AntebellumAmericaOutline

FreeEnterpriseSystem
AftertheAmericanRevolution,Americanswantedtobeeconomicallyselfsufficient
AlexanderHamiltonhelpeddevelopafreeenterprisesystembypromotinganeconomybasedon
industry.HealsousedpushedforgovernmentsupporttogrowU.S.industrythroughtheuse
ofprotectivetariffs,aNationalBank,andaninfrastructuretosupportbusiness.
Afreeenterprisesystemischaracterizedby:
EconomicFreedom
VoluntaryExchange
PrivateProperty
ProfitMotive
Competition
4questionsofafreeenterprisesystem:
Whattoproduce?
Howtoproduce?
Howmuchtoproduce?
Forwhomtopractice?

IndustrialRevolution
(Achangefromcottageindustrytothefactorysystememphasison
technologicalimprovements)
TheWarof1812
LedtoindustrializationintheUnitedStatesbecause,duringthewarwithGreatBritain,
tradingstoppedbetweenthetwocountries
TheUnitedStatesneededtoreplacethegoodsweusedtobuyfromGreatBritainbefore
thewarandtoalsoproduceitemsneededforwar.Factorieswerecreatedtosolvethis
problem
SamuelSlater
Broughtthesecretofthe
FactorySystem
fromGreatBritainin1789
GreatBritainpassedalawforbiddinganyonefromtakingplansofthefactorysystemout
ofGreatBritain,sohememorizedtheplansandleftfortheU.S.tobuildafactoryofhis
own
In1793,hebuiltthefirsttextile(clothing)factoryinPawtucket,RhodeIsland
FactorySystem
Broughtworkersandmachinestogetherinoneplacetoproducegoods
InterchangeableParts
Identical,machinemadepartsforatoolorinstrument
Theyallowedforgreaterquantitiesofgoodstobemanufacturedquickerforlesscost
EliWhitneyinventedthissystem
Originally,heusedthisconcepttomakemusketsforthearmy.Before
interchangeableparts,individualgunsmithswouldmakethepartsformuskets.If
thepartbrokeitwasverydifficulttoreplacebecausethepartswerehandmade

Nowthepartscouldbereplacedquicklybecauseallpartsforgunscouldbemade
identically
Thisconceptwassoonadaptedbymanufacturersforallsortsofothergoods
Allowedfactoriestohireunskilledworkerswhowerepaidlowerwages
CottonGin(Engine)
InventedbyEliWhitneyin1794
Thismachinemadeiteasiertoprocesscotton(separatecottonfromitsseeds)
Hethoughtthiswouldleadtolessslavery,butitledtomorebecauseplantationowners
sawanopportunitytoproducemorecottonandmakemoremoney
RobertFulton
Inventedthefirstsuccessfulsteamboatlinein1807
HisshiptheClermontsailedfromNewYorkCitytoAlbanyandbackin62hours,a
recordatthattime
Goodscouldnowbemovedquickerandcheaperthaneverbefore
JohnDeere
Inventedalightweightsteelplowin1825,whichmadeiteasiertobreakuptoughsoil
Lowell(MA)Girls
YoungwomenwhoworkedintheLowellMillsinMassachusettsduringtheIndustrial
Revolution
Manyofthemmovedtocitiesinordertofindwork,geteducated,andbecomemore
independent
NationalRoad
(InternalImprovement)
Firstfederallyfundednationalroadprojectbeganin1811
ItstretchedacrosstheOhioRiverValleyandconnectedthatareatotheeastcoast
ErieCanal
(InternalImprovement)
ArtificialwaterwaythatopenedinNewYorkstatein1825(projectbeganin1817)
ItlinkedLakeErietotheHudsonRiver
Urbanization
Processofapopulationshiftingfromfarmstocities
Themovementofpeoplefromfarmstocities
In1800mostAmericanslivedinrural,orcountryareas
DuringtheIndustrialRevolutionthatchanged
Newfarmingequipmentreplacedmanuallaborandpeoplestartedtomovetocitiesfor
jobswheretherewerefactories
ProblemswithUrbanization
Thegrowthofcitiescausedproblems.
Poorsanitation
Ledtodiseases
Nosewers.Wastewasthrownontothestreets
Crime
Poorhousingconditions/tenements
ChildLabor
Childrenasyoungas7workedbothinthefactoriesandonfarms

 Theywerepaidlessthanwomenormen
Childrencalleddoffersworkedinfactorieschangingequipmentonmachineswhen
needed
Thiswasverydangerousandmanychildrenwereseriouslyhurtonthejob
ChangesinHomeLife
TheIndustrialRevolutionledtomorefamilymembersgoingtowork
Womenandchildreninpoorerfamiliesoftenwenttoworkatfactoriestohelpsupportthe
family

SecondGreatAwakening
Seriesofreligiousrevivalsthatstartedin1801
StressedareligiousphilosophyofsalvationthroughgooddeedsandtoleranceforallProtestant
denominations(sects)
Revivalsattractedwomen,AfricanAmericans,andNativeAmericanscausedpeopletodesirea
changeintheirpersonallivesaswellassociety
Allotherreformmovements,especiallyabolitionism,wereasaresultofthismovement

ReformMovements
AbolitionistMovement
Abolitionistsfoughttoendslavery
TheUndergroundRailroadwasanetworkofstopstohelprunawayslavestravelto
freedomintheNorth
FrederickDouglasswasafamousspeakerandwriterwhobecameafamousabolitionist
WilliamLloydGarrisoncreatedanantislaverynewspapercalled
TheLiberator
AmericanColonizationSocietywantedtopurchaseslavessothattheymaybefreedand
movedtoAfrica
PresidentMonroepurchasedlandinWestAfrica,whichwenowcallLiberia,asa
placetosendfreedslaves
EducationReformMovement
EducationreformbroughttheeducationofallAmericanchildrenatpublicexpenseto
createamoreeducated,informed,moralcitizenry
3goalsofmovement:
Schoolsshouldbefreeandpaidbytaxes
Teachersshouldbetrained
Childrenshouldberequiredtoattendschool
Labor&PrisonReformMovement
Thelaborreformmovementworkedtorestrictchildlaborandimproveworking
conditionsinfactoriesandmines
Prisonreformleaderswantedtoeliminatecrowdedcells,debtorsprisons,andthedeath
penalty
Reformersinthecareofthedisabledfoughttocreatestatesupportedasylumsand
schools
TemperanceMovement

 Temperance=todrinklittleornoalcohol
Temperanceleadersfoughttoendtheuseofalcoholthismovementupsetalotof
Americans
WomensRightsMovement
Suffrage=therighttovote
Manyfemaleabolitionistsalsoworkedforwomensrights
TheSenecaFallsConventionof1848wasthefirstwomensrightsconventionheldin
SenecaFalls,NewYork
ElizabethCadyStantoncreatedandpresentedthe
DeclarationofSentiments&
Resolutions
attheconvention,whichdeclaredthatallmenandwomenare
createdequal
ModeledaftertheDeclarationofIndependence
OtherfamouswomenwhoattendedtheconventionwereSusanB.Anthony,
AngelinaGrimke,andSarahGrimke

OtherMovementsinAmericanSociety
Transcendentalism
Transcendentalismstressedtherelationshipbetweenhumansandnature,andthe
importanceofindividualconscience
Maingoalsofmovement:
Peoplecanfindtruthwithinthemselvesthroughfeelingandintuition
Practicedcivildisobedience(refusingtoobeylawsthatareseenasunjust)instead
ofcivicvirtue(followinglaws)
HudsonRiverSchool
TheHudsonRiverSchoolartistswereagroupofNewYorkCitylandscapepainters
Createdlandscapepaintingsthatreflectedtheartistsprideintheircountryandtheirlove
ofnature