Two Ways of Life

Name ______

Inventions:

Why did the North attract immigrants? More jobs in factories and mills

  • Cyrus McCormick’s reaper brought the Industrial Revolution to Northern agriculture.
  • In 1840, Samuel F.B. Morse received a patent for his “talking wire” which is also known as the telegraph.

What is Morse code? A system of dots and dashes that send messages

  • By 1860, the Midwest and the East were united by a network of railroad tracks.
  • Be able to use a map to tell what cities trains pass through.

How did geography affect the development of industry in the North? Soil was too rocky and climate too cold for agriculture so they had to turn to factories.

Factory Life:

  • What was a day in the factories like? Entire families worked in a factory, work until 7:30 pm; few or no windows or heating systems; poor lighting; no safety devices; long hours; no insurance; injuries
  • Why did factory owners allow such bad conditions to exist? They didn’t care. There were no laws or regulations in place.
  • List unskilled jobs today. ______

______

  • With other workers of the same skills, workers formed trade unions to fight for better working conditions.
  • Due to worsening factory conditions, workers turned to trade unions to help them stand up for their rights.

Immigrants:

  • Between 1840 and 1860, 1.5 million immigrants came from Ireland to America because of a severe famine in their home country.
  • What is a famine? _when there is a lack of food or crop production causes a food shortage
  • What were some contributions brought by the Germans? Custom of decorating the Christmas tree; kindergarten; horticulture
  • Why was people prejudice against these immigrants? Because they worked for less money and didn’t complain

Life in the South:

  • What was the effect of the cotton gin on slaves? _increased the demand for slaves
  • Why were few mills and factories built in the South? Because Southerners put their money into slaves and land
  • What transformed the stagnant economy of the South into a prosperous, robust economy? cotton
  • What methods were used to control slaves? Slave codes
  • Why was an extended family important among enslaved persons? Because you never knew if a family member would be sold off or sent away.
  • Nat Turner led a rebellion of slaves in 1831.
  • What were slave codes?Laws passed to keep slaves from rebelling or running away.