What was the North like in the 1800s?
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Between 1880 and 1900, cities in the United States grew at a dramatic rate. Owing most of
their population growth to the expansion of industry, U.S. cities grew by about 15 million people in the two decades before 1900. Many of those who helped account for the population growth of cities were immigrants arriving from around the world. A steady stream of people from rural America also migrated to the cities during this period. Between 1880 and 1890, almost 40 percent of the townships in the United States lost population because of migration. Industrial expansion and population
growth radically changed the face of the nation's cities. Noise, traffic jams, slums, air pollution, and sanitation and health problems became commonplace. Mass transit, in the form of trolleys, cable cars, and subways, was built, and skyscrapers began to dominate city skylines. New communities, known as suburbs, began to be built just beyond the city. Commuters, those who lived in the suburbs and traveled in and out of the city for work, began to increase in number. Many of those who
resided in the city lived in rental apartments or tenement housing. Neighborhoods, especially for immigrant populations, were often the center of community life. In the enclave neighborhoods, many immigrant groups attempted to hold onto and practice precious customs and traditions. Even today, many neighborhoods or sections of some of the great cities in the United States reflect those ethnic heritages. During the final years of the 1800s, industrial cities, with all the problems brought
on by rapid population growth and lack of infrastructure to support the growth, occupied a special place in U.S. history. For all the problems, and there were many, the cities promoted a special bond between people and laid the foundation for the multiethnic, multicultural society that we cherish today. To find additional sources in Loc.gov on this general topic, use such keywords as city, neighborhood, immigration, industry, urbanization, transportation, suburbs, slums, tenements,
and skyscrapers. Documents
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Presentation U.S. History Primary Source TimelineThe Civil War had fewer devastating effects on the North than the South simply because most of the combat of the Civil War occurred on Southern soil. Even so, it is difficult to imagine a civil war that does not affect all portions of the society in which it takes place, and the Civil War affected the North and its
civilians in many ways. From time to time, Confederate cavalry raided into the North to bring the war home to Northerners and, they hoped, to influence Northern morale and support for the war. Southern supporters living in the North or border states sometimes fought deadly guerrilla warfare or simply bushwacked people they considered enemies in those regions. On the other hand, Unionists in the border states often mistreated Confederate sympathizers who lived among them. The war affected
the Northern economy both positively and negatively and changed the life course of many women. In searching Loc.gov for primary source documents related to this topic, try using search terms such as Civil War and Union troops. Part of
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What was life in the north like?The North had an industrial economy, an economy focused on manufacturing, while the South had an agricultural economy, an economy focused on farming. Slaves worked on Southern plantations to farm crops, and Northerners would buy these crops to produce goods that they could sell.
What was the North like in 1860?By 1860, 90 percent of the nation's manufacturing output came from northern states. The North produced 17 times more cotton and woolen textiles than the South, 30 times more leather goods, 20 times more pig iron, and 32 times more firearms. The North produced 3,200 firearms to every 100 produced in the South.
How did the North change in the early 1800s?Explanation: The North developed economically much more than the South in the first half of the 19th century. Slavery was quickly abolished and the economy reverted to the rising industry to such an extent that during the Civil War about 80% of the industry in the USA was in the North.
What was society like in the 1800s?Life for the average person in the 1800's was hard. Many lived a hand-to-mouth existence, working long hours in often harsh conditions. There was no electricity, running water or central heating.
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