Historical Period 4: Part 2 Flashcards
What was the Old Northwest?
It consisted of six states that joined the Union before 1860:
-Ohio
-Indiana
-Illinois
-Michigan
-Wisconsin
-Minnesota
Where from these states from?
They came from territories formed out of land ceded to the national government in the 1780s by one of the original 13 states
Why did the Old Northwest become closely tied to other northern states?
Because of military campagins by federal troops that drove American Indians from the land;
Because of the building of canals and railroads that established common markets between the Great Lakes and the East Coast
What were the two crops that were very profitable in the Old Northwest?
Corn and wheat
What technologies helped the Old Northwest grow corn and wheat?
The steel plow and mechanical reaper
What was Pennsylvania’s Lancaster Turnpike?
Built in the 1790s;
Connected Philadelphia with the rich farmlands around Lancaster
What was the National, or the Cumberland Road?
A paved highway and major route to the west extending more than a thousand miles from Maryland to Illinois
What was the Erie Canal?
Completed in 1825;
Located in the New York State;
Linked the economies of western farms and eastern cities
What did improved transportation mean?
It meant lower food prices in the East, more immigrants settling in the West, and stronger economic ties between the two sections
How did the development of steam-powered engines revolutionize the location of factories?
It meant that factories could be located anywhere;
Initially, factories had to be located on a stream since they ran on the power of moving water
What did steamboats do?
They made the time for the tranportation of people and goods shorter
How did the combination of railroads with the other major improvements in transportation change small western towns like Cleveland, Cincinnata, Detroit, and Chicago?
They became booming commercial centers of the expanding national economy;
They also linked the regions of the North and Midwest as people in growing cities in Massachusetts and New York purchased much-needed wheat and corn raised in the bread basket states
Why were railroads less common in the South?
Because it continued to rely on rivers more than rails
What was the telegraph?
It transmitted messaages along wires almost instantaneously;
As wires were strung around the country, people could communicate as fast as electricity could travel
What were the political effects of the telegraph?
It meant that politicians, government leaders, and military leaders could direct people even faster than before
How were inventors pushed to create new practical tools or machines?
By patent laws, which meant they would be rewarded handsomely if their ideas for new tools or machines
What did Eli Whitney do as an inventor?
Developed the cotton gin;
Developed the interchangeable parts system, which standardized product parts enough that one could be replaced for another
What law did New York pass in 1811 regarding stock?
It passed a law that made it easier for a business to incorporate and raise capital by selling shares of stock;
An investor only risked the amount of money the invested
In the 1820s, what was New England to the country?
It emerged as the country’s leading manufacturing center for two reasons
Why did New England emerge as the country’s leading manufacturing center?
Because of the region’s abundant waterpower for driving new machinery and the excellent seaports for shipping goods;
The decline of New England’s maritime industry = more capital available for manufacturing;
The delince of farming in the region = a ready labor supply
