6.+Transformation+of+the+Economy+and+Society+in+Antebellum+America+&+7.+The+Transformation+of+Politics+in+Antebellum+America

6: Transformation of the Economy and Society in Antebellum America
=== a) The transportation revolution and creation of a national market economy ===
 * The new greatly improved steam boats contributed to promotion of building canals and using rivers for national transportation. Unlike the other canals that later tried to duplicate Erie Canal, the building of the Erie Canal was the greatest construction project the U.S. had ever taken and its distance of 363 miles was uncomparable even to the present day. The construction begin on July 4, 1817 and opened in October 1825. The Erie Canal that connected to Chicago through Great Lakes gave New York access to growing western products especially agricultural goods. By 1833, most of the canals were mainly located in the North and only few states in the South built canals.
 * [[image:http://media-3.web.britannica.com/eb-media/76/8376-004-11D811DE.jpg]] ||
 * The Erie Canal after it finished in 1825 ||


 * As the idealogy of Manifest Destiny grew popular, the trails to the West (or New Frontier) was formed. The first known group who traveled to the West was the Mormon. The Mormon Trails were mainly used until new trails were found such as Oregon Trail which begins from Oregon to California Coast and was mainly used in 1840s.
 * [[image:http://www.ourhealdsburg.com/history/historyhome_files/western_trails.jpg width="432" height="363" align="center"]] ||
 * The existing trails from east to the west (1810-1860s) ||
 * In 1820, John Stevens ran a locomotive and cars around circular track on his New Jersey estate. Later on, a railroad company, Baltimore and Ohio opened a 13 mile track in 1830. In the early nineteenth century, railroads track were only used to connect water stations. However, in the beginning of 1850s, promotion of building transcontinental railroad rose as America people migrate to the west in order to ease transportation between the west and the east.

=== b) Beginnings of industrialization and changes in social and class structures ===
 * As technology advances and people migrating to the west, transportation became difficult especially shipping goods across the nation. In 1830s, the national transportation such as canals and railroads only stretched to Mississippi River and the only way to travel/transport between the west and the east was using the trails which was lengthy and arduous.
 * Although Industrial Era began way before 1800s, the industrialization in Antebellum era had profound effect on social and class structures.
 * The opening of vast, fertile new farmlands in the Midwest, the improvement of transportation systems, the development of new farm machinery changed conventional technique of farming. As food production increased, farmers realized to migrate west in order to expand their farming business and many farmers in northeast abandoned their small land to become a working class. The migration of farmers in the north greatly affected the class structures as many women had to work outside of home to produce income for their family.
 * Women who worked were mainly unmarried young women. Women in the Antebellum era was barred from working heavy jobs that many (men and women) considered was for man such as construction. Women in the north mostly worked in cotton factories.
 * Skilled workers were struggling to compete with factories products that sold for a fraction of the artisans' prices. Although some skilled workers were able to turn their business into industry, they still struggled to stay in business. The dissident workers made first American labor union and the National Trade Unions were formed for mutual aid.
 * Rapid growing new social class was the middle class which originated from profession such as doctors. Like the wealthy class, the middle class society tend to own their own home and used new household inventions such as cast-iron stove.
 * Women's role as middle class wife was conventional and didn't change in the antebellum era. The establishment of middle class society strengthened women's expectation as mother. However, the new culture, women's separate sphere, was the beginning of social network that were going to become great importance in various reform.

c) Immigration and nativist reaction

 * Between 1840 and 1850, more than 1.5 million Europeans moved to America. In 1850, the total immigrant population was 2.2 million out of 23 million people in the U.S. Most of these immigrants were principally Irish and Germans who faced economic difficulty in their native countries.
 * immigrants were a great source of cheap labor
 * because they were a source of cheap labor, the native workers tend to hold contempt against immigrants especially toward Irish who made up 45% of immigrants in 1860.
 * Many nativists who weren't simply racist argued that the new immigrants were inferior and socially unfit. The Nativists viewed immigrants with contempt and prejudice, and judged them with low potential of succeeding. They pointed out the urban and sometimes rural slums in which immigrants chose to live in. Economically, the nativists argued that the immigrants were stealing jobs the native labor force, and used Irish's religion, which is Catholic, as a weapon in order to discriminate from working.
 * In 1845, nativists held a convention in Philadelphia and formed the Native American Party and was later united under the Supreme Order of the Star-Spangled Banner. They advocated in excluding the foreign-born from holding public office, more restrictive naturalization laws, and literacy tests for voting.
 * Later the group turned to politics and received the name, "Know-Nothings". In 1854 election, they astonishingly won popular votes in the east especially in Pennsylvania, but in other areas, the activities of nativists were modest. After 1854, the strength of Know-Nothings declined.

d) Planters, yeoman farmers, and slaves in the cotton South

 * Political, economic, and social life of the region in the south was determined by few wealthy plant owners who owned at least 50+ slaves and 800 or more acres. The capitalist society in the south was similar to industrial capitalism in the north. The planters in the south faced competition with other staple planters in the south (and from Europe) and was vulnerable to unstable market.
 * Slaves in the cotton south worked in Gang System. The Gang System was to divide the slaves into groups and was directed by overseer who dictates the reasonable work hour. The slaves who worked under Gang System tends to be arduous and severe.