Chapter 14 Forging the National
Economy questions and answers
The Westward Movement - correct answer--The U.S. marched quickly toward the West
which proved to be very hard with disease and loneliness.
Frontier people were individualistic, superstitious and ill-informed of current matters.
Shaping the Western Landscape - correct answer--The westward movement molded the
environment.
Tobacco overuse had exhausted the land forcing settlers to move on, but "Kentucky
bluegrass" thrived.
Settlers trapped beavers, sea otters, and bison for fur to ship back East
The spirit of nationalism led to an appreciation of the American wilderness.
Artist George Catlin pushed for national parks and later achieved it with Yellowstone in 1872.
The March of the Millions - correct answer--In the mid-1800s, the population continued to
double every 25 years.
By 1860, the original 13 states now had become 33 states; the American population was 4th
in the world (behind Russia, France, Austria).
Urban growth continued explosively.
In 1790, only New York & Philadelphia had more than 20,000 people, but by 1860, 43 cities
had.
With growth came poor sanitation later, sewage systems and piped-in water came about.A
high birthrate had accounted for population growth, but near 1850s, millions of Irish and
German came.
They came due to a surplus population in Europe, but not all came to the U.S. The appeal of
the U.S. was for land, freedom from church, no aristocracy, 3 meat meals a day.
Also, transoceanic steamships were used meaning travel time dropped to 12 days and it was
safer.
The Emerald Isle Moves West - correct answer--The Irish potato famine in the mid-1840s led
to the death of 2 million and saw many flee to the U.S.
"Black Forties"—they mainly came to cities like Boston and especially New York (biggest
Irish city).
They were illiterate, discriminated against by older Americans, and received lowest-paying
jobs (railroad-building).
They were hated by Protestants because they're Catholic.
Americans hated the Irish (such as "NINA"—No Irish Need Apply); the Irish hated
competition with blacks for the low-paying jobs.
The Ancient Order of Hibernians was established to aid the Irish.
Gradual property ownership came about, and their children earned education.
The Irish were attracted to politics, and often filled police departments as officers.
The politicians tried to appeal to the Irish by yelling at London ("Twisting the Lion's Tail").
, The German Forty-Eighters - correct answer--1 million Germans poured in between
1830s-1860s because crop of 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.
They urged public education (started kindergarten) and freedom (they were enemies of
slavery).
They faced resent from old Americans because the Germans grouped themselves together,
were aloof, clung to their old ways and kept speaking the German language and religion,
and brought beer to the U.S.
Flare-ups of Antiforeignism - correct answer--"nativists" - older Americans who were
prejudiced against newcomers in jobs, politics religion
Catholicism became a major faith due to the immigration of the 1840s and 50s; they also set
out to build Catholic schools
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
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 becoming available (although they were low-paying)
Creeping Mechanization - correct answer--The industrial revolution spread to U.S. The U.S.
was destined to become an industrial giant because...
land was cheap, money for investment plentiful, raw materials were plentiful
Britain lacked consumers for factory-scale manufacturing whereas America had the growing
numbers
But, Britain's long-established factory system was in competition with the infant U.S.
industries
the Brits kept textile industry secrets as a monopoly (forbade travel of craftsmen & export of
machines)
Still, the U.S. remained very rural and was mostly a farming nation
Whitney Ends the Fiber Famine - correct answer--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 built a cotton gin (which was 50 times more effective than separating cotton seed
by hand)
cotton economics were now profitable and saved the South with "King Cotton"
the South flourished and expanded the cotton kingdom westward
Economy questions and answers
The Westward Movement - correct answer--The U.S. marched quickly toward the West
which proved to be very hard with disease and loneliness.
Frontier people were individualistic, superstitious and ill-informed of current matters.
Shaping the Western Landscape - correct answer--The westward movement molded the
environment.
Tobacco overuse had exhausted the land forcing settlers to move on, but "Kentucky
bluegrass" thrived.
Settlers trapped beavers, sea otters, and bison for fur to ship back East
The spirit of nationalism led to an appreciation of the American wilderness.
Artist George Catlin pushed for national parks and later achieved it with Yellowstone in 1872.
The March of the Millions - correct answer--In the mid-1800s, the population continued to
double every 25 years.
By 1860, the original 13 states now had become 33 states; the American population was 4th
in the world (behind Russia, France, Austria).
Urban growth continued explosively.
In 1790, only New York & Philadelphia had more than 20,000 people, but by 1860, 43 cities
had.
With growth came poor sanitation later, sewage systems and piped-in water came about.A
high birthrate had accounted for population growth, but near 1850s, millions of Irish and
German came.
They came due to a surplus population in Europe, but not all came to the U.S. The appeal of
the U.S. was for land, freedom from church, no aristocracy, 3 meat meals a day.
Also, transoceanic steamships were used meaning travel time dropped to 12 days and it was
safer.
The Emerald Isle Moves West - correct answer--The Irish potato famine in the mid-1840s led
to the death of 2 million and saw many flee to the U.S.
"Black Forties"—they mainly came to cities like Boston and especially New York (biggest
Irish city).
They were illiterate, discriminated against by older Americans, and received lowest-paying
jobs (railroad-building).
They were hated by Protestants because they're Catholic.
Americans hated the Irish (such as "NINA"—No Irish Need Apply); the Irish hated
competition with blacks for the low-paying jobs.
The Ancient Order of Hibernians was established to aid the Irish.
Gradual property ownership came about, and their children earned education.
The Irish were attracted to politics, and often filled police departments as officers.
The politicians tried to appeal to the Irish by yelling at London ("Twisting the Lion's Tail").
, The German Forty-Eighters - correct answer--1 million Germans poured in between
1830s-1860s because crop of 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.
They urged public education (started kindergarten) and freedom (they were enemies of
slavery).
They faced resent from old Americans because the Germans grouped themselves together,
were aloof, clung to their old ways and kept speaking the German language and religion,
and brought beer to the U.S.
Flare-ups of Antiforeignism - correct answer--"nativists" - older Americans who were
prejudiced against newcomers in jobs, politics religion
Catholicism became a major faith due to the immigration of the 1840s and 50s; they also set
out to build Catholic schools
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
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 becoming available (although they were low-paying)
Creeping Mechanization - correct answer--The industrial revolution spread to U.S. The U.S.
was destined to become an industrial giant because...
land was cheap, money for investment plentiful, raw materials were plentiful
Britain lacked consumers for factory-scale manufacturing whereas America had the growing
numbers
But, Britain's long-established factory system was in competition with the infant U.S.
industries
the Brits kept textile industry secrets as a monopoly (forbade travel of craftsmen & export of
machines)
Still, the U.S. remained very rural and was mostly a farming nation
Whitney Ends the Fiber Famine - correct answer--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 built a cotton gin (which was 50 times more effective than separating cotton seed
by hand)
cotton economics were now profitable and saved the South with "King Cotton"
the South flourished and expanded the cotton kingdom westward
