United States History Student Edition

The United States, 1820 By 1820, a number of new states and territories had become part of the United States as the nation continued to expand.

GEOGRAPHY CONNECTION 1. Exploring Location What was the only state located west of the Mississippi River in 1820? 2. Exploring Regions Compare the North and the South in 1820. The dividing line was often considered to be the Ohio River and Pennsylvania’s southern border. Does either region appear geographically larger? Based on that dividing line and the existing territories, which region seems set for greater growth?

110°W

100°W

90°W

80°W

50°N

70°W

120°W

OREGON COUNTRY

NH

VT

ME

MA

Michigan Territory

NY

RI

Missouri Territory

40°N

CT

PA

NJ

OH

M i s s i s

IN

IL

MD DE

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VA

R

o

i

s i p

h

O

KY

p i

NC

TN

R

Arkansas Terr.

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ATLANTIC OCEAN

SC

PACIFIC OCEAN

GA

AL

MS

30°N

N

LA

E

States Territories Claimed/Disputed areas Foreign areas

W

Gulf of Mexico

S

0 400 kilometers 400 miles 0 Albers Equal-Area projection

their profits. As a result, many Southerners sought to preserve, and expand, the practice of slavery. The Industrial Revolution The Industrial Revolution began in Great Britain but reached the United States as British workers brought new inventions across the Atlantic. Samuel Slater memorized the design of the machines in the British textile factory where he worked. In the 1790s, he built copies of these devices in the United States. Using those machines, Slater established the first successful cotton mill in the United States, which was located in Rhode Island. In the years that followed, a number of textile mills were developed by Slater and others across New England, where rivers could power the machinery. Samuel Slater’s efforts marked an important step in the Industrial Revolution in the United States. The Industrial Revolution shaped how people lived and worked in many parts of the world. During this era, new inventions influenced both

agriculture and industry. They impacted how crops were processed and how goods were produced and typically increased production and expanded output. For example, the spinning jenny was used to spin wool or cotton into thread. The invention sped up the process of making thread and dramatically changed the textile industry. The cotton gin, which was developed by Eli Whitney in 1793, was another important invention. This device made it easier to remove the seeds from cotton plants, which sped up the harvesting process. Inventions and other technological advances transformed transportation and communication, affecting how and where Americans lived. However, new devices and changes to production also resulted in workers toiling for longer hours in farm fields and in factories. Often, they had to perform repetitive tasks or backbreaking labor. During the 1800s, more and more people began to call for changes to improve workers’ lives and to end the brutal practice of slavery.

Life in the North and the South 359