Chapter 8 Section 2

The Northern Section

Two regions Populous northeast- New

England, New York, New Jersey, & Pennsylvania

Old Northwest- Ohio, Indiana, Illinois, Michigan, Wisconsin, & Minnesota

Farming in the Old Northwest

Ideal growing ground for corn, wheat, & other grains

New innovations John Deere’s steel plow

could cut through the heavy soil

Cyrus McCormick’s mechanical reaper made harvesting grains less labor intensive & more profitable

Farmers had to use the grains quickly or they would spoil Fed to animals that

produced other things

Many specialized businesses arose to handle the processing, transport, & selling of farm products

Slaughterhouses, distilleries, shipping companies, & banks

Fueled the growth of cities

Industries of the Northeast

Most people still lived in rural areas

More started working in urban factories

More growth of industry than farming

Coal in PA Top producer in ships, iron,

lumber, leather, textiles, & glass

Massachusetts Carpet, bricks, & shoes

Lowell hired young, unmarried women to run their spinning & weaving machines

Owners promised them a moral environment & stable income

Made about $3.25 for a 72 hour week in 1830’s

Deduct $1.25 for room & board

Women were willing to work for ½ the price of men

Replaced by Irish in 1840’s

The Growth of Cities

Many people moved looking for work

Urban life differed greatly from the colonial times

Workers spent more time away from the household

Families often had no support in times of need Filled by hospitals & schools

Growing number of urban poor people lived in areas with cheap run down housing

Known as tenements

Cities couldn’t handle the rapid population increase

Many lacked sewage systems & reliable sources of fresh water

These urban areas acquired wealth & political influence gained from being creators of industry

Labor Disputes in Factories

Early industries aimed to make a profit at the expense of workers

Paid little & didn’t provide a healthy working environment

Workers go on strike

Complained about long hours & low wages

Occurred as early as the 1700’s- sailors & dockworkers

1834-1836 150 strikes took place

The First Labor Unions

National Trades Union 1834 300,000 people joined union by

1830’s Soon died out

Factory owners obtained court rulings that outlawed labor organizations