-
First Shakers communities formed
Shakers – a communistic community (led by Mother Ann Lee); they couldn’t marry so they became extinct -
Samuel Slater builds first US textile factory
Samuel Slater – “Father of the Factory System”
learned of textile machinery when working in British
factory‡ he escaped to U.S., was aided by Moses Brown and built
1st cotton thread spinner in the U.S. located in Pawtucket, Rhode
Island (1791) -
Eli Whitney invents cotton gin
Samuel Slater – “Father of the Factory System”
learned of textile machinery when working in British
factory‡ he escaped to U.S., was aided by Moses Brown and built
1st cotton thread spinner in the U.S. located in Pawtucket, Rhode
Island (1791) -
Thomas Paine publishes The Age of Reason
a pamphlet, written by a British and American revolutionary Thomas Paine, that challenges institutionalized religion and the legitimacy of the Bible, the central text of Christianity. Published in three parts in 1794, 1795, and 1807, it was a bestseller in the United States, where it caused a short-lived deistic revival. -
Whitney develops interchangeable parts for muskets
this was the base of the assembly line which flourished in the North, while the cotton gin flourished South -
Second great awakening begins
-
Robert Fulton invented the first steamboat
Robert Fulton invented the first steamboat, the Clermont in 1807; steamboats were common by the 1830s
this caused an increase of U.S. trade because there was no concern for weather and water current
this contributed to the development of Southern and Western economies -
Cumberland Road construction begins
improvements in transportation were needed for raw material transport
Lancaster Turnpike – a hard road from Philadelphia to Lancaster, PA which brought economic expansion westward
The federal government constructed the Cumberland Road AKA The National Road (Maryland - Illinois) with state and federal money -
Erie Canal begins
Gov. DeWitt Clinton’s Big Ditch was the Erie Canal between Lake Erie and the Hudson River
it shortened the expense and time of transportation (to one
twentieth what it was before); cities grew along the canal and the
price of food was reduced
farmers were unable to compete in the rocky soils of the East, so they went to the West -
Jefferson founds University of Virginia
he 1st state-supported university was founded in the Tar Heel
state, the Univ. of North Carolina, in 1795; Jefferson started the
University of Virginia shortly afterwards (UVA was to be independent of
religion or politics) -
Cooper publishes Spy
The Blossoming of a National Literature Literature was imported or plagiarized from England
Americans poured literature into practical outlets (i.e. The
Federalist Papers, Common Sense (Paine), Ben Franklin’s
Autobiography, Poor Richard’s Almanack)
literature was reborn after the War of Independence and especially after War of 1812
The Knickerbocker group in NY wrote the first truly American literature 1st US novelist,
Leatherstocking Tales (which included The Last of the Mohicans -
Emma Willard — established Troy Female Seminary
Emma Willard — established Troy Female Seminary (1821) and Mount Holyoke Seminary (1837) was established by Mary Lyon -
Vesey slave conspiracy in Charleston, South Carolina
In the South at this time, Denmark Vesey, a free Black, led an
ominous slave rebellion in Charleston. This raised fears by Southern
whites and led to a tightening of control over slaves.
The South mostly complained because it was now the least expanding of the sections.
Cotton prices were falling and land was growing scarce. -
Mexico opens Texas to American settlers
Americans continued to covet Texas, and in 1823, after Mexico had
gained independence from Spain, Stephen Austin had made an agreement
with the Mexican government to bring about 300 families into a huge
tract of granted land to settle.
The stipulations were: (1) they must become Mexican citizens, (2)
they must become Catholic, and (3) no slavery allowed. These
stipulations were largely ignored by the new settlers. -
Lack of electoral majority for presidency throws election into the House of Representatives
In the election of 1824, there were four towering candidates:
Andrew Jackson of Tennessee, Henry Clay of Kentucky, William H.
Crawford of Georgia, and John Q. Adams of Massachusetts.
All four called themselves Republicans.
Three were a “favorite son” of their respective region but Clay
thought of himself as a national figure (he was Speaker of the House
and author of the “American System”). -
Erie Canal completed
-
New Harmony commune
Wilderness Utopias Robert Owen founded New Harmony, IN (1825) though it failed in confusion -
House elects Johns Quincy Adams president
John Quincy Adams was a man of puritanical honor, and he had
achieved high office by commanding respect rather than by boasting
great popularity. Like his father, however, he was able but somewhat
wooden and lacked the “people’s touch” (which Jackson notably had).
During his administration, he only removed 12 public servants from
the federal payroll, thus refusing to kick out efficient officeholders
in favor of his own, possibly less efficient, supporters.
In his first annual message, Adams urge -
American Temperance Society founded
The American Temperance Society was formed at Boston (1826) –
the “Cold Water Army” (children), signed pledges, made
pamphlets, and an anti-alcohol novel emerged called 10 nights in a
Barroom and What I Saw There -
Tariff of 1828 "Tariff of Abdominations"
In the Tariff of 1828, the Jacksonians (who disliked tariffs)
schemed to drive up duties to as high as 45% while imposing heavy
tariffs on raw materials like wool, so that even New England, where the
tariff was needed, would vote the bill down and give Adams another
political black eye.
However, the New Englanders backfired the plan and passed the law (amended).
Daniel Webster and John C. Calhoun reversed their positions from
1816, with Webster supporting the tariff and Calhoun being against it. -
The South Carolina Exposition
John C. Calhoun secretly wrote “The South Carolina Exposition” in
1828, boldly denouncing the recent tariff and calling for nullification
of the tariff by all states. -
First railroad in US
The 1st railroad in U.S. was introduced in 1828; by 1860, 30,000
miles of railroad tracks had been laid in the U.S. (3/4 of those tracks
were up North)
The railroads were 1st opposed because financiers were afraid of
losing money from Erie Canal traffic; railroads also caused fires to
houses from their embers.
Early trains were poorly constructed (with bad brakes) and the gauge of tracks varie -
American Peace Society
An Age of Reform
reformers opposed tobacco, alcohol, profanity, and many other vices, and came out for women’s rights women were very important in motivating these reform movements reformers were often optimists who sought a perfect society some were naïve and ignored the problems of factories they fought for no imprisonment for debt (the poor were sometimes locked in jail for less than $1 debt);there was agitation for peace (i.e. the American Peace Society) - William Ladd had some impact until -
Jackson elected president
When he became president, Andrew Jackson had already battled
dysentery, malaria, tuberculosis, and lead poisoning from two bullets
lodged somewhere in his body.
He personified the new West: rough, a jack-of-all-trades, a genuine folk hero.
Born in the backwoods of the Carolinas (we’re not even sure if it
was North or South Carolina, and both states still claim to be his
home), Jackson had been early orphaned, was interested in cockfighting
as a kid, and wasn’t really good with reading and writin -
Noah webster publishes dictionary
The idea of tax-supported, compulsory (mandatory), primary schools was opposed as a hand-out to paupers
Gradually, support rose because uneducated “brats” might grow up to be rabbles with voting rights
Free public education, triumphed in 1828 along with the voting power in the Jackson election
there were largely ill-taught and ill-trained teachers, however
Horace Mann fought for better schools and is the “Father of Public Education”school was too expensive for many community; -
Cyrus McCormick – invented the mechanical mower-reape
Cyrus McCormick – invented the mechanical mower-reaper to harvest grain
this led to large-scale production and growth of cash crops
The North produced more food than the South (who grew cotton);
products flowed from the North to the South via sea and rivers, not
East to West which need transportation revolution in roads and canals -
Joseph Smith founds Mormon Church
oseph Smith (1830) claimed to have found golden tablets in NY with
the Book of Mormon inscribed on them. He came up with Mormon or Church
of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints
antagonism toward Mormons emerged due to their polygamy, drilling militia, and voting as a unit -
Indian Removal Act
Jackson, though, still harbored some sentiment of Indians, and
proposed that they be bodily transferred west of the Mississippi, where
they could preserve the culture, and in 1830, Congress passed the
Indian Removal Act, in which Indians were moved to Oklahoma.
Thousands of Indians died on the “Trail of Tears” after being
uprooted from their sacred lands that had been theirs for centuries.
Also, the Bureau of Indian Affairs was established in 1836 to deal with Indians. -
Period: to
Finney conduct revivals
Liberalism in religion started in 1800 spawned the 2nd Great
Awakening a tidal wave of spiritual fervor that resulted in prison
reform, church reform, temperance movement (no alcohol), women’s
rights movement, abolition of slavery in 1830s
it spread to the masses through huge “camp meetings”
the East went to the West to Christianize Indians
Methodists and Baptists stressed personal conversion, democracy in church affairs, emotionalismCharles Grandison Finney – the greatest revival preacher who -
Tariff of 1832
n response to the anger at the “Tariff of Abominations,” Congress
passed the Tariff of 1832, which did away with the worst parts of the
Tariff of 1828, such as lowering the tariff down to 35%, a reduction of
10%, but many southerners still hated it. -
"Bank War"- Jackson veteos bill to recharter Bank of the United States
Andrew Jackson, like most westerners, distrusted big banks, especially the BUS—Bank of the United States.
To Jackson and westerners, the BUS was simply a tool of the rich to get richer.The BUS minted coin money (“hard money”), but not paper money.Farmers out west wanted paper money which caused inflation, and enabledthem to more easily pay off their debts.Jackson and westerners saw the BUS and eastern banks as being in aconspiracy to keep the common man down economically. -
Jackson defeats Clay for presidency
Jackson’s supporters again raised the hickory pole while Clay’s mendetracted Jackson’s dueling, gambling, cockfighting, and fast living.However, a new third party, the Anti-Masonic Party, made its entrance for the first time.Opposed to the fearsome secrecy of the Masonic order, it was energized by the mysterious murder of someone who threatened to expose
the Freemason’s secrets. While sharing Jacksonian ideals, they were against Jackson, a Mason -
Black Hawk War
a brief conflict fought in 1832 between the United States and Native Americans headed by Black Hawk, a Sauk leader. The war erupted soon after Black Hawk and a group of Sauks, Meskwakis, and Kickapoos known as the "British Band" crossed the Mississippi River into the U.S. state of Illinois in April 1832. Black Hawk's motives were ambiguous, but he was apparently hoping to avoid bloodshed while resettling on land that had been ceded to the United States in a disputed 1804 treaty. -
Period: to
SC Nullification Crisis
In the elections of 1832, the Nullies came out with a two-thirds
majority over the Unionists, met in the state legislature, and declared
the Tariff of 1832 to be void within S.C. boundaries.
They also threatened with secession against the Union, causing a huge problem.
President Jackson issued a ringing proclamation against S.C., to
which governor Hayne issued a counter-proclamation, and civil war
loomed dangerously.
To compromise and prevent Jackson from crushing S.C. and becoming
more popular, -
Compromise Tariff of 1833
The Tariff of 1833 narrowly squeezed through Congress.
However, to save face, Congress also passed the Force Bill (AKA the
“Bloody Bill”) that authorized the president to use the army and navy,
if necessary, to collect tariffs. -
Specie Circular issued
The Panic of 1837 was caused by the “wildcat banks” loans, the
over-speculation, the “Bank War,” and the Specie Circular stating that
debts must be paid in specie (gold or silver), which no one had. -
Bureau of Indian Affairs was established
Jackson, though, still harbored some sentiment of Indians, and
proposed that they be bodily transferred west of the Mississippi, where
they could preserve the culture, and in 1830, Congress passed the
Indian Removal Act, in which Indians were moved to Oklahoma.
Thousands of Indians died on the “Trail of Tears” after being
uprooted from their sacred lands that had been theirs for centuries.
Also, the Bureau of Indian Affairs was established in 1836 to deal with Indians -
Battle of the Alamo
After armed conflict and slaughters at the Alamo and at Goliad,
Texan war cries rallied citizens, volunteers, and soldiers, and the
turning point came after Sam Houston led his army for 37 days eastward,
then turned on the Mexicans, taking advantage of their siesta hour,
wiping them out, and capturing Santa Anna. -
van Buren elected president
-
Bank of the US expired
Hoping to kill the BUS, Jackson now began to withdraw federal funds
from the bank, so as to drain it of its wealth; in reaction, Biddle began to call for unnecessary loans, personally causing a mini panic. Jackson won, and in 1836, the BUS breathed its last breath, but because it had been the only source of sure credit in the United States, hard times fell upon the West once the BUS died, since the wildcat banks were very unreliable -
Texas wins independence from Mexico
The Texans (among them Davy Crockett and Jim Bowie) resented the
“foreign” government, but they were led by Sam Houston, a man whose
wife had left him.
In 1830, Mexico freed its slaves and prohibited them in Texas, much to the anger of citizens.
In 1833, Stephen Austin went to Mexico City to clear up differences and was jailed for 8 months.
In 1835, dictator Santa Anna started to raise an army to suppress the Texans; the next year, they declared their independence. -
Seminole Indians defeated and eventually moved from Florida
From 1835 to 1842, the Seminoles waged guerrilla warfare against
the U.S., but were broken after their leader, Osceola, was seized; some
fled deeper into the Everglades of Florida; others moved to Oklahoma -
Us recognizes Texas repibluc but refuses annexation
Texas was supported in their war by the United States, but Jackson
was hesitant to formally recognize Texas as an independent nation until
he had secured Martin Van Buren as his successor, but after he
succeeded, Jackson did indeed recognize Texas on his last day before he
left office, in 1837. -
Panic of 1837
The Panic of 1837 was caused by the “wildcat banks” loans, the
over-speculation, the “Bank War,” and the Specie Circular stating that
debts must be paid in specie (gold or silver), which no one had.
Failures of wheat crops caused by the Hessian fly also worsened the
situation, and the failure of two large British Banks in 1836 had
already started the panic going. -
John Deere – invented the steel plow
inventions that boomed agriculture
John Deere – invented the steel plow that cut through hard soil and could be pulled by horses -
Oberlin College admits female students
-
Emerson "The American scholar"
Ralph Waldo Emerson was popular since the ideal of the essay reflected the spirit of the U.S.
he lectured the Phi Beta Kappa Address “The American Scholar”
he urged U.S. writers throw off European tradition
influential as practical philosopher (stressed self-government, self-reliance, depending on self)
most famous for his work, Self Reliance -
Period: to
Cherokee Indians removed on "Trail of tears"
Some Indians violently resisted, but the Cherokees were among the
few that tried to adopt the Americans ways, adopting a system of
settled agriculture, devising an alphabet, legislating legal code in
1808, and adopting a written constitution in 1827. -
Buren establishes 10 hour day for federals employees
adult working condition improved in the 1820s & 30s with the mass vote given to workers
10 hour day, higher wages, tolerable conditions, public education, a ban of imprisonment for debt
in the 1840s, President Van Buren established 10 hour day for federal employees
many went on strike, but lost because employers simply imported more workers (the much-hated immigrants -
Harrison defeats Van Buren for presidency
In 1840, William Harrison was nominated due to his being issueless and enemyless, with John Tyler as his running mate.
He had only been popular from Tippecanoe (1811) and the Battle of the Thames (1813).
A stupid Democratic editor also helped Harrison’s cause when he
called the candidate a poor old farmer with hard cider and
inadvertently made him look like many poor Westerners. -
Brook Farm community established
Brook Farm – Massachusetts experiment (1841) where 20
intellectuals committed to Transcendentalism (it lasted until ‘4 -
Commonwealth v. Hunt in Massachusetts
labor unions formed in the 1830s, but were hit by Panic of 1837
case of Commonwealth v. Hunt in Massachusetts Supreme Court (1842) legalized unions for peaceful and honorable protest
however, the effectiveness of unions was small (due mostly to their
threat of a strike was always undermined by the management’s
ability to simply call in “scabs”, plentiful immigrants
eager to work) -
Dorothea Dix petition MA legislature on behalf on the insane
reformers were often optimists who sought a perfect society
some were naïve and ignored the problems of factories
they fought for no imprisonment for debt (the poor were sometimes
locked in jail for less than $1 debt); this was gradually abolished
reformers wanted criminal codes softened and reformatories created
the mentally insane were treated badly. Dorothea Dix fought for reform of the mentally insane in her classic petition of 1843 -
Anti catholic riot in Philadelphia
nativists feared that Catholicism challenged Protestantism (Popish
idols) so they formed the “Order of Star-Spangled Banner”
AKA, “The Know-Nothings”
they met in secrecy - “I Know-Nothing” was their response to any inquiries
fought for restrictions on immigration, naturalization & deportation of alien paupers
wrote fiction books about corruption of churches
there was mass violence, i.e. Philadelphia in 1844, which burnt churches, schools, and saw people killed -
First general incorpation laws in NY
Laws of “free incorporation” came about saying there
was no need to apply for a charter from a legislature to start a
corporation -
Oneida Community established
Oneida Community — practiced free love, birth control,
eugenic selection of parents to produce superior offspring; it survived
ironically as a capitalistic venture, selling baskets and then cutlery. -
Seneca Falls Woman's Rights Convention held
The Seneca Falls Women’s Rights Convention (1848) – held in NY, it was a major landmark in women’s rights
Declaration of Sentiments – was written in the spirit of the
Declaration of Independence saying that “all Men and Women are
created equal”
demanded ballot for women
launched modern women’s rights movement -
Democratic revolution in Germany
1 million Germans poured in between 1830s-1860s because of crop failures and revolution/war of 1848.
Liberals such as Carl Schurz contributed to the elevation of the U.S. political scene.
They had more money than the Irish, so they bought land in West, especially in Wisconsin.
Their votes were crucial, so they were wooed by U.S. politicians, yet they lacked potency because they were rather spread out.
The Germans contributed to the U.S. culture (i.e. the Christmas tree) and isolationism. -
Know Nothing party formed
The Know-Nothings”
they met in secrecy - “I Know-Nothing” was their response to any inquiries
fought for restrictions on immigration, naturalization & deportation of alien paupers
wrote fiction books about corruption of churches
there was mass violence, i.e. Philadelphia in 1844, which burnt churches, schools, and saw people killed
it made America a pluralistic society with diversity
as time passed, immigrants were less disliked since they were
crucial to economic expansion & more jobs were beco -
Hawthorne publishes The Scarlet Letter
reflections of Calvinist obsession with original sin and struggle between good & evil
Nathaniel Hawthorne - The Scarlet Letter (psychological effect of sin) -
Melville publishes Moby Dick
Herman Melville - Moby Dick, and allegory between good and evil told of a whaling captain -
Maine Law of 1851
Attack on the demon drink adopted 2 major lines attack…
stressed temperance (individual will to resist)
legislature-removed temptation - Neal S. Dow becomes the “Father of Prohibition”
sponsored Maine Law of 1851 which prohibited making and sale of liquor (followed by others) -
Whitman wrote Leaves of Grass
Walt Whitman wrote Leaves of Grass (poetry) and was “Poet Laureate of Democracy” -
Pony Express established
speedy communication popped up from Missouri to California, in the
Pony Express (going 2,000 miles in 10 days). The Pony Express was
short-lived though, lasting but 2 years, and was replaced by the
telegraph wire.