Chapter 1- Mid-nineteeth Century USA Flashcards
How much did the Louisiana Land Purchase increase the size of the USA?
It doubled it
How many states were there in 1860?
33 states
There were originally thirteen
What was the population in 1860? How many people were foreign born?
Population of 31 million in 1860
4 million of these foreign born
The white Americans enjoyed a better standard of living that any other people on earth, this encouraged immigration
What was the USA’s political system like?
It was the ‘great experiment’, the envy of European and British radicals
Americans considered themselves to be the worthless most civilised and fortunate people
Who did benefit from the USA political system?
Native Americans (land and culture lost)
African America- slaves
Slaves were an anomaly in the Declaration of Independence’s claim that ‘all men are created equal’
The fact slavery still existed was the major failing of the great experiment
How many people died in the civil war?
620,000 people ( as many who died in all subsequent US wars put together)
How could an area become a state?
First assumed territory status
Once population reached 60,000 it could submit its constitution and apply to become a state
How democratic was the USA?
By the 1820’s nearly all white men could vote
However women and African Americans could not
However the USA was far more democratic that Britain
What did Democrats believe?
The best form of Government is the least form of government (laissez-faire)
Oppose government intervention in economic matters
Feel that the USA would prosper if tariffs were lowered and the USA expanded West
Who voted Democrat typically (under the second party system)?
Strongest in the south and West
Could count in votes in northern cities (Irish Catholics)
What did the Whigs believe?
Favoured government intervention in economic and social matters
Support higher tariffs and government sponsored internal improvements (like railway building)
Northern Whigs often supported causes like the abolition of slavery
What was the second party system?
There were two parties (Whigs and democrats)
Although they operated nationally, they were not as united as modern political parties
Assortment that came together every four years to nominate a president and devise a national platform
What was politics like in the 1840’s?
The parties put platforms that evaded the most controversial issues (like slavery) but were contrasting in many things such as economics
Politics was like a ‘sport’, people committed themselves to one party and campaigns led to excitement and high turnout
Parties held BBQ’s and torchlit processions, campaign literature was distributed. Party- subsidised newspapers helped to raise tensions by attacking the enemy
Presidents didn’t tend to get involved in campaigns
Why was government’s impact on everyday life for most Americans limited?
Unusual for one party to control the senate, congress and the presidency- difficult for he federal government to do much
Many matters seen as state and not federal matters
Democrat notion that government should not interfere in social and economic matters
Congress was a talking shop
The federal government was very small and only had a handful of departments
State governments did little to impinge on people’s lives
What departments were there in the government? How were people appointed
Only the state. Treasury, interior, Navy, War and the Post office
In 1860, there were 36,672 people on the fed gift payroll (excluding armed forces). 30,000 of these were in the post office
Political appointments, patronage was an essential way of preserving and promoting party unity
Presidents were more figureheads who distributed patronage than policy makers
What was the American Dream?
The idea that the American way of life offers the prospect of economic and social success to every individual
Was the USA a society of equals?
There were opportunities for men of talent to rise to the top
Black slaves, Native Americans and Women were far from equal
There were huge inequalities in wealth among white men
Stats of white male inequality?
In 1860, the top 5% owned 53% of the wealth
The bottom 50% only owned 1% of the wealth
What was the Women’s status in society?
Seen as homemakers
‘Cult of domesticity’
In 1850 the average white woman had five children
Only 25% of women worked before marriage and fewer than 5% did while married
Responsible for children and seen as the guardians of morality -power??
Middle class women involved in reform movements like abolitionism and temperance
Why were Americans prosperous?
Had fertile land. Timber, minerals, navigable rivers
How much did the USA’s gross national product increase 1800-1850? What happened to family income in this time?
Seven fold
Average family income more than doubled
What was the population in 1840? 1860?
What factors caused this growth?
1840 17 million
1860 31 million
Natural increase, more babies, people living longer
Immigration from Ireland and Germany
How quicklydid the population West of the Appalachians grow 1815-1850?
Three times as quickly as the population of the original thirteen states.
How much did food production increase 1840-1860?
Why did this happen?
Increased four fold
Due to opening up of western lands
Due to new scientific techniques like fertilisation,crop rotation and new machinery
Did America become industrialised?
Yes an industrial revolution occurred in the North
Did Urbanisation happen in the USA? Give stats on this
Yes urbanisation occured
In 1820 fewer than 1 in 10 Americans lived in towns, by 1860 1 in 5 did
Chicago only had 40 people in 1830, by 1860 it had 109,000
New York had 800,000 inhabitants by 1860
What transport developments happened in the USA?
Steamboats
By 1850 over 700 steamboats operating on the Mississippi and tributaries
Canals
Railways
(In 1840 the USA had 3000 miles of track, in 1860 it had 30,000 miles, more than the rest of the world combined)
