Slavery & Economy
Why did the South rely heavily on enslaved labor?
Plantation agriculture (especially cotton) required large labor forces to be profitable.
Most early 1800s immigrants came from which two countries?
Ireland and Germany.
What canal connected the Great Lakes to the Atlantic?
The Erie Canal.
What movement tried to reduce alcohol use?
Temperance.
Who organized the Seneca Falls Convention?
Elizabeth Cady Stanton & Lucretia Mott.
How did the cotton gin increase the demand for enslaved labor?
It made cotton production faster → plantations expanded → more enslaved workers needed.
What major event pushed many Irish to immigrate in the 1840s?
The Irish Potato Famine.
How did railroads change American society?
Faster travel, growing markets, westward settlement.
Who led major education reforms promoting public schools?
Horace Mann.
What document demanded equality for women?
Declaration of Sentiments.
One major economic difference between the North and South.
North = industrial/factory economy; South = agricultural/slave economy.
One way early immigration impacted cities.
Overcrowding, labor competition, or rise of nativism.
What type of roads were built using logs placed side by side?
Corduroy roads.
What reformer helped improve treatment of the mentally ill?
Dorothea Dix.
One major right women fought for.
Voting, property ownership, legal equality.
What cash crop dominated the South’s economy?
Cotton.
What political party opposed immigration in the mid-1800s?
The Know-Nothing Party.
How did infrastructure help unify the nation?
Connected regions through trade and communication.
What was the main goal of prison reform?
Improve conditions and focus on rehabilitation.
Which woman tirelessly fought for suffrage after the Civil War?
Susan B. Anthony.
How did slavery shape social hierarchy in the South?
It created a rigid class system with wealthy plantation owners at the top and enslaved people at the bottom.
How did immigration affect American politics?
Increased population, urban voting blocs, and conflicts over jobs & culture.
What innovation allowed farmers to ship goods much farther distances?
Steam-powered transportation (steamboats/railroads).
What idea stated that people could improve themselves and society?
The belief in individual/ societal “perfection” inspired by the Second Great Awakening
What issue caused a split between abolitionists and early women’s rights activists?
Whether Black men should get the vote before women.