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Industrialization North
During the 1800s, many people living in the Northwest were living on farms; however, there was a growing number of people who were attracted to urban areas. These new urban areas were characterized by their close proximity to various businesses and a growing number of factories that were forming in the area. Urban areas provided an alternative to rural living as well as additional job opportunities.As a result, the population density, or the number of people living within an area, dramatically -
Leading Industries of the North
Other industrial areas that continued to grow during this period were in Pennsylvania and Massachusetts. Pennsylvania’s population boom was due largely in part to the coal industry, which began organizing in the early 1800s. Besides coal, Pennsylvania was a leader in the production of iron, leather, ships, lumber textiles, and glass.
Massachusetts became a leader in industry due largely to the efforts made by Francis Cabot Lowell. Lowell is credited with building the first totally centralize -
Farming Industry (North)
The territories in the Northwest were ideal for farming. Corn, wheat, and grains all became profitable products grown in this region. As a result, the region saw the introduction of “supporting” businesses that developed due to the farming industry. For example, farmers raised pigs in these territories, and the pigs were sustained by corn. Pigs were a food source. As a result, slaughterhouses became successful businesses within this region. -
Poor Living Conditions in the Cities
Urban dwellers found a completely different existence from rural residents. There were no large houses. Instead, there were small, cramped apartments, known as tenements, which lacked proper sanitation or safety standards. These tenements could barely house a family of four, but they provided a shelter of sorts. Cities gave rise to hospitals and schools in an effort to care for the sick and educate their youth.
Because cities were growing so rapidly, they lacked proper planning, which resulted -
The Southern Territories
Similar to the northern region, the South was experiencing a surge of growth. Because the South was considered more rural—made up of farms and countryside—the basis for most of its growth was due to cotton. Initially, farms in the South consisted of small plots of land that were sustained through hard work. Most farmers worked the land themselves with the help of their families. For those who did own slaves, it was usually just a few due to the cost and due to the fact that property was not larg -
Leading Industries of the South
Life would change in the South with the advent of the cotton gin. Farmers could not get their hands on enough land to grow more cotton. In just a decade, many of these pioneers would be bought out by wealthy gentlemen farmers who had the revenue and resources to transform these small plots of land into vast tracks of cotton plantations. However, the entire South did not succumb to the mystique of cotton. Virginia and North Carolina continued to devote themselves to the tobacco industry, while S
