EQ UNIT 5 SS 8th Grade

GTUSH Unit 5 Essential Questions: Expanding Nation

5.1 Industrial Revolution

• Interchangeable Parts

  • Invented by Eli Whitney.

  • Revolutionized manufacturing by allowing for:

    • Faster production.

    • Easier repairs.

    • Use of assembly line methods.

    • Employment of less skilled workers.

  • Eventually became the industry standard leading to mass production.

• Key Inventions:

  • Steamboat - Robert Fulton:

    • Enabled navigation against currents or strong winds.

  • Telegraph - Samuel Morse:

    • Used electric pulses over wires for communication.

  • Steam Locomotive - Peter Cooper:

    • Enhanced travel speed and trade, revolutionizing transportation.

  • Steel Plow - John Deere:

    • Reduced agricultural workload, expanded farming capacity.

  • Mechanical Reaper - Cyrus McCormick:

    • Automated cutting of grain and separating of wheat from husks.

5.2 Slavery Spreads

• Effects of the Cotton Gin on 1800s USA:

  1. Triggered westward expansion post-1840.

  2. Increased cotton production leading to higher exports.

  3. Forced Native Americans off their lands to create cotton plantations.

  4. Created a need for a larger workforce, increasing reliance on slavery.

• Spirituals:

  • Religious folk songs providing encouragement with hidden codes about escape routes.

  • Poor family life as slavery disrupted marriages and family structures.

• Nat Turner’s Rebellion:

  • Led to the death of 55 whites by Turner and 70 others.

  • Resulted in increased tensions, revenge killings of over 200 slaves, and stricter laws against African Americans.

5.3 Jacksonian Democracy

• Election of 1824:

  • Andrew Jackson lost despite popular vote; called this a corrupt bargain due to John Quincy Adams’ deal with Henry Clay.

• End of the Era of Good Feelings:

  • Resulted in the split of the Democratic-Republican Party into National Republicans (JQA) and Democrats (AJ).

• Jackson's Presidency:

  • Ineffectiveness of Adams' presidency due to Democratic control of Congress.

  • Expanding democracy termed Jacksonian Democracy initiated changes favoring the common man.

5.4 Nullification Crisis

• Economic Opinions:

  • North: Supported tariffs due to reliance on manufacturing and reducing foreign competition.

  • South: Opposed tariffs; agrarian economy meant increased costs on imported goods.

• Doctrine of Nullification:

  • Introduced by John C. Calhoun, promoting states' rights to nullify federal laws.

• South Carolina’s Actions:

  • Threatened secession, passed the Nullification Act in response.

  • Jackson's Force Bill empowered him to use military force.

• Resolution:

  • Compromise proposed by Henry Clay to gradually lower tariffs, accepted by SC and Congress.

5.5 Indian Removal Act

• Indian Removal Act:

  • Authorized forced relocation of Native Americans east of the Mississippi River to designated territories in the west.

• Cherokee Nation's Response:

  • Adopted white culture, created newspapers, and established schools to retain their national identity.

• Supreme Court Case:

  • Worcester v. Georgia: Court ruled against Georgia's attempts to expel Cherokees; labeled as a sovereign nation.

  • Andrew Jackson's response: Ignored the ruling, indicating federal decisions were unenforceable without military backing.

• Trail of Tears:

  • Forced removal leading to thousands of deaths during the journey to designated territories.

5.6 Jackson and the Economy

• Second Bank of the United States:

  • Jackson viewed it as unconstitutional, believing it held too much power.

  • Took measures to dismantle the bank by vetoing its charter and redistributing federal funds to state banks.

• Financial Panic of 1837:

  • Triggered by inflation caused by excessive printing of money by state banks; blamed on economic policies leading to bank failures.

5.7 Manifest Destiny

• Territorial Acquisitions:

  • Original United States: Treaty of Paris of 1783 (American Revolution).

  • Louisiana Purchase: Bought from France for $15 million (1803).

  • Oregon Territory: Settled with GB at the 49th Parallel (1846).

  • Mexican Cession: Acquired by Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo (1848).

• President credited with Manifest Destiny: James K. Polk.

• Start of Mexican-American War: Polk’s deployment of troops led to conflict after a skirmish on US soil.

• California Gold Rush: Led to immense population growth and establishment of boomtowns, increased Chinese immigration.

5.8 Immigration to the US 1840s

• Push and Pull Factors:

  • Push: Factors leading to emigration like the potato famine.

  • Pull: Attractive opportunities in the US, such as economic prospects and freedom.

• Positive Contributions of Immigrants:

  • Vital in factories, provided labor for infrastructure projects, preserved cultural traditions.

• Negative Effects:

  • Overcrowding, poor living conditions, spread of disease, increased crime, and prejudice.

• Formation of the American Party:

  • Origin from nativist sentiments against immigrants who could not adopt American customs; also known as the Know-Nothing Party.

5.9 Art & Literature

• Hudson River School Art:

  • Characterized by painting lush American landscapes.

• Civil Disobedience:

  • Defined as peaceful law disobedience to push for reforms.

  • Henry Thoreau's Practice: Refused tax payments to protest slavery and the Mexican War, embodying transcendentalist beliefs.

5.10 Social Changes in America

• Second Great Awakening:

  • Protestant movement prompting various future social reforms.

• Temperance Movement:

  • Aimed to reduce alcohol consumption, led largely by women.

• Labor Reform Movement:

  • Organized to improve wages, conditions, and reduce hours.

• Education Reform:

  • Spearheaded by Horace Mann, establishing public schools.

• Reform for the Mentally Ill:

  • Led by Dorothea Dix, resulting in the establishment of mental health facilities.

• Prison Reform Movement:

  • Focused on juvenile rehabilitation and creating humane conditions.

5.11 The Abolition and Women's Rights Movements

• Goal of the Abolition Movement:

  • To eradicate slavery across the nation.

• Key Figures:

  • William Lloyd Garrison: Anti-slavery newspaper publisher.

  • Frederick Douglass: Former slave who campaigned for abolition and published an autobiography.

  • Sojourner Truth: Formerly enslaved women’s rights advocate.

  • Harriet Tubman: Key conductor of the Underground Railroad, helping over 300 slaves escape.

  • John Quincy Adams: Former President advocating against slavery.

• Underground Railroad:

  • A network of secret routes and safe houses for escaping slaves.

• Seneca Falls Convention:

  • First major women’s rights convention, produced the Declaration of Sentiments advocating for gender equality.

• Leaders of Women's Rights Movement:

  • Susan B. Anthony: Key organizer and advocate for women's suffrage and property rights.