Crossing the Appalachians summary

Crossing the Appalachians summary

 

 

Crossing the Appalachians summary

Chapter 7 - section 1: Crossing the Appalachians

I. Population Growth- between 1780 and 1830 the U.S. Population increased from under 3 million people to about 12 million. 

  • This was much greater than the rate of population growth in any other nation, and was mainly attributable to a high birth rate among American families.
  • Immigration accounted for some of the increase.
  • In 1808, Congress passed a law outlawing any further importation of slaves into the United States.

II. Moving West- American settlement of land west of the Appalachian Mountains accelerated after the U.S. won its independence.

  • Following the Louisiana Purchase (1803) Americans began to settle west of the Mississippi River.
  • By 1830, the United States consisted of 24 states, as well as a large amount of unincorporated territory.
  • Western settlement required an extraordinary amount of effort by settlers ( difficult travel, clearing land, building shelter), and usually involved numerous dangers ( attacks by natives, starvation, disease).
  • In the South, many settlers brought their slaves along with them as they moved westward.

III. Acquiring Florida- had been a Spanish colony since the 1500’s.

  • In 1795, The U.S. and Spain signed the Pinckney Treaty, which settled the border between the U.S. and Florida.  In this treaty both sides agreed to maintain control of Native American tribes in their territories.
  • By 1818, Spain was facing rebellions in its South American colonies. 
  • The Seminole tribe in Florida began attacking U.S. settlements in Georgia.  Andrew Jackson was placed in charge of troops to protect Americans from the Seminoles.
  • Jackson took it upon himself to lead his force into Florida, and soon had seized control of much of the territory.  Spain was outraged.
  • Some members of the U.S. government wanted to punish Jackson for overstepping his authority.  However, American public opinion showed support for what Jackson had done.
  • Secretary of State John Quincy Adams convinced the government to sanction Jackson’s measures, and force Spain to negotiate.
  • In 1819 the U.S. and Spain agree to the Adams-Onis Treaty.

Adams-Onis Treaty:
1. Spain cedes Florida to the United States.
2.  Settled the border between Louisiana Purchase and Spanish territory to the west (U.S. gives up its claim to Texas and the Southwest).
3.  Spain gives up its claim to the Pacific Northwest.  As a result, U.S. territory now extended to the Pacific Ocean.

 

Chapter 7 – Section 2: Inventions and Innovations

From its beginning, the United States was a nation that was captivated with the ideas of progress and improvement.

  • One way that Americans sought to improve their society was through improving education.
  • There was a growing education system in the U.S. which included private schools as well as free public schools in many states.

I.  The Industrial Revolution – began in Britain in the 1700s. 
A.  New technology – In Britain, the steam engine is invented by James Watt and was applied mainly to textile manufacturing. 

  • Textile mills use machinery to produce clothing much faster than it can be produced by hand.
  • Samuel Slater, born in Britain, learns the technology of textile mills, and brings it to the United States in 1789. 
  • Slater is involved in opening the first textile mill in the U.S. in Pawtucket, Rhode Island in 1793. 
  • By 1814, there are over 200 mills operating in the U.S., mostly in the Northeast (New England).

B. Eli Whitney– an American inventor who developed the use of interchangeable parts, which he first applied to manufacturing guns.

  • By making parts according to uniform standards and measurements, products could be assembled more quickly.  This cut down on production time while improving quality and serviceability.
  • In 1793, Whitney invented the cotton gin, a machine that greatly increases the rate at which cotton can be processed.
  • By using the cotton gin, a single worker could easily process 50 times the amount of cotton as they could by hand.
  • Whitney’s invention made growing cotton much more profitable, causing a 6000% increase in the production of cotton by 1815.  This led to an increased demand for slave labor.
  • The institution of slavery now became a more firmly entrenched part of the southern economy.  Southern farmers would look to spread cotton production and the practice of slavery westward.

C.  Transportation and communication – as America increased in size and population, there developed a need for an improved system of transportation.

  • Both the national and state governments contributed to the financing of these internal improvements.
  • By the early 1800’s the steam engine is applied to transportation.  In 1807 Robert Fulton established the first successful steamboat service.
  • Canals were built to connect major waterways and create a more efficient network of shipping.
  • The Erie Canal made it possible to ship goods from the Midwest to New York City by connecting the Great Lakes and the Hudson River.
  • Many new roads were built, such as the Cumberland Road, (or National Road) financed by the national government.  Roads were often built by private entrepreneurs who charged a toll for their use. (turnpikes)
  • The steam engine is also used to create the locomotive.  By 1840, the U.S. had over 3300 miles of railroad tracks.
  • Railroads revolutionized transportation for both people and goods, and sparked extensive economic growth
  • Communication improved along with transportation.  News could travel faster with better transportation.
  • The postal service had expanded from 75 offices in 1790 to over 8000 offices by 1830.
  • The telegraph was developed in 1844 by Samuel Morse.  It soon revolutionized communication.

Chapter 7 – Section 3:  Social and Religious Life

I.  Social Mobility - In the U.S. the ability of people to improve their economic and social standing was greater then in Europe or most other parts of the world.

  • This was largely due to the availability of affordable land, as well as the fact that the U.S. economy was expanding rapidly.
  • Opportunities for betterment were not equally available to all groups.  Non-whites and women had far greater limits on both their economic and social opportunities.

II.  The Second Great Awakening - was a widespread evangelical movement in the early 1800’s to increase religious devotion amongst Americans.

  • It was primarily a Protestant Christian movement.  Many preachers traveled around the country to spread their message to as many people as possible.
  • Two of the most famous preachers were Charles Grandison Finney and Lyman Beecher.
  • It often involved large scale revival meetings (camp meetings) that lasted days or even weeks and were sometimes attended by tens of thousands of participants.  For some these meetings were deeply meaningful, for others they were more of a social outlet.

The Second Great awakening appealed to many Americans because it offered a more democratic approach to religion.

  • Many preachers stressed the role of the individual in obtaining their own salvation through their beliefs and behavior.  It stressed the innate goodness of human beings.
  • This was a rejection of the traditional theory of predestination, which held that man was inherently sinful and only a select few were destined for salvation.

The Second Great Awakening led to a significant increase in church membership and the growth of newer denominations especially Methodists and Baptists.

  • This time period also saw the establishment of many African American churches in response to discrimination that blacks faced in integrated churches as well as in society in general. 
  • African American churches were established mostly in the South, and often stressed themes of freedom and perseverance.  They sometimes provided a safe place were various forms of resistance to slavery could be planned.

 

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Crossing the Appalachians summary

 

Crossing the Appalachians summary

 

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Crossing the Appalachians summary

 

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