Chapter 14: Forging the National Economy (1790-1860)

Ralph Waldo Emerson

Ralph Waldo Emerson

Central figure in the transcendentalist movement in the early 19th century

• urged people to trust their intuitions over societal expectations

individualism, self-reliance

Ralph Waldo Emerson advocated for ? and ?

Self-Reliance

In Ralph Waldo Emerson’s essay “?,” he argued people should overcome the conformation towards societal expectations

status quo, independence

Ralph Waldo Emerson was critical in challenging the ? and encouraging the spirit of ?

Rendezvous System

A trading method developed in the early 19th century primarily in fur trade

rendezvous, supplies, cultural groups

Under the rendezvous system, trappers would gather at designated locations known as ? to trade pelts for ? with merchants

• facilitated interaction among different ?

subsistence, market

The Rendezvous System helped to transition the West from a ? economy to a ?-oriented economy

George Catlin

An American painter and writer known for his portraits of Native American life during the early 19th century

• documented the cultures and traditions of the Natives

• advocated for the preservation of Native American cultures

evidence, life, culture

George Catlin’s works serve as historical ? of Native American ? and help us to understanding their ?

Black Forties

A decade during the 1840s where many Irish people immigrated to the US due to the Great Famine in Ireland

Irish, urban, labor, cultural, political

The Black Forties’ mass influx of ? people transformed ? demographics and ? markets in the US

• created a strong ? and ? presence for these people

Forty-Eighters

A name used to refer to the German immigrants who came to the US following the failed revolutions of 1848 in the German states

education, reform, civic, German, agriculture

The Forty-Eighters were vital in promoting ?, social ?, and ? participation

• brought along ? culture

• contributed to ?

Nativism

A reaction towards the increasing influx of immigrants in the mid-19th century characterized by the belief of native-born Americans being superior

• Also known as the “Know-Nothing Party”

• Targeted Irish and German immigrants

economic, cultural, unrest

Nativism was fueled by ? competition and ? differences, leading to social tensions and overall social ?

Eli Whitney

An American inventor best known for his creation of the cotton gin and interchangeable parts

efficiency, cotton, slave

Eli Whitney’s cotton gin significantly increased the ? of ? processing

• dramatically solidified the South’s reliance on ? labor

Wage Slaves

Laborers in the 19th-century industrial economy who depended on their low wages for survival

• typically faced harsh working conditions and long hours

working class, labor, workers’

Wage slaves represented the struggle of the ? and contributing to growing ? movements for ? rights

Commonwealth vs Hunt

A landmark decision in the early labor movement that affirmed the legality of labor unions

• Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court ruled that unions had the right to unionize

labors, organized

Commonwealth vs Hunt served as a precedent for future ? laws and movements

• demonstrated the importance of ? labor

Factory Girls

Young women who worked in textile mills in Lowell, Massachusetts in the early 19th century

• the women were drawn to factory work by the promise of economic independence and employment

• also known as the “Lowell Girls”

hours, strict, low, gender, labor

The Factory Girls faced long ?, ? supervision, and ? pay leading to labor activism

• highlighted the issues of ? and ? in America

Cult of Domesticity

Prevailing value system in 19th century that idealized women’s roles as homemakers and caretakers

• importance of woman in maintaining the family and moral standards

rights, feminist

The Cult of Domesticity led to early discussions of women’s ? and also led to early ? movements

Cyrus McCormick

An American inventor who developed the mechanical reaper in the 1830s

• revolutionized agricultural practices in the US

agricultural, modern

Cyrus McCormick’s reaper led to the ? expansion of the Midwest and helped to lay the foundation for ? agriculture

Erie Canal

A pivotal infrastructure project that created a canal that connected the Hudson River to Lake Erie

• encouraged population shifts and urbanization

• part of the greater Transportation Revolution

transportation, trade, markets, westward

The Erie Canal contributed to lowering ? costs and facilitating greater ? throughout the US

• it opened new ? and promoted ? expansion