Day 49: Rise of a Mass Democracy/Forging the Nat’l Economy
Baltimore Polytechnic InstituteNovember 14, 2011
A.P. U.S. HistoryMr. Green
Objectives: Describe the growth and movement of America’s
population in the early nineteenth century.Describe the largely German and Irish wave of
immigration beginning in the 1830s and the reactions it provoked among native Americans.
AP FocusArriving in huge numbers in the antebellum period, Irish
and German immigrants coalesced into voting blocks, allowing them to play a significant role in the nation’s municipal, state, and federal elections. Concurrently, organizations and political parties, such as the Know-Nothings, formed to fight what they considered a weakening of American culture because of immigration.
Rise of a Mass Democracy
CHAPTER THEMEIn the era of Jacksonian democracy,
the American population grew rapidly and changed in character. More people lived in the raw West and in the expanding cities, and immigrant groups, like the Irish and Germans, added their labor power to America’s economy, sometimes arousing hostility from native-born Americans in the process.
Chapter Focus
Quiz on Thursday/Friday covering Chapter 14
Announcements
William Henry Harrison-WhigGeneral during the War of 1812Issueless/No platform
Martin Van Buren-Democratblamed for the economyout of touch with Americans
Whigsexpand and stimulate the economy
Democratsretrenchmentend banks/end aggressive corporations
Election of 1840
1. Triumph of a populist democratic style2. Formation of a vigorous/durable 2-party
systemDemocrats-states’ rights/federal restraint in
social and economic affairs, more humbleWhigs-use government to reach agenda,
supported the bank, protective tariffs, internal improvements, public schools, temperance, abolition, more properous
Both-mass based, mobilize as many voters as possible
Outcome of the 1840 Election
By 1850- ½ of Americans were under the age of 30
Moving west was difficult-poorly fed, ill-clad, poor housing, disease
Self Reliance-Ralph Waldo EmersonIsolated figures in literature
James Fenimore Cooper
Westward Movement
Population doubling every 25 years4th populous nation in the Western World43 cities with 20,000 or more by 1860What are the implications for large population
increases?
March of the Millions
Immigration-What are the implications for the U.S. ?
60,000/year to 18401840’s 180,000/year1850’s 240,000/yearMainly Irish and GermanNot all émigrés left for the U.S. Nearly half
went somewhere other than the U.S. Reasons?
Europe running out of roomFreedom and opportunityQuick trip
Immigration
NINANo Irish Need Applycame with nothingAncient Order of HiberniansMolly Maguires
Politics Tammany Hall-NYCPolice DepartmentsWashington support
Impact of Immmigration
Germanscrop failuresliberal political refugees-small amountMany possessed modest materialsMiddle West/Wisconsin-farmsLess politically strong than Irish-more scatteredSupported schools
Impact of Immigration
NativistsRoman Catholics-schoolsKnow-nothing partySeveral acts of anti-Catholic violence
Impact of Immigration
How were immigrants depicted in the media?
Re-read chapter 14Quiz on Thursday/Friday
Homework