The historical outline

THE USA IN THE FIRST HALF OF THE XIX CENTURY

LECTURE 14

14.1.1. During the 1790's work started on the construction of a new capital city for the United States. The place was chosen along the banks of the Potomac River. This land was called the Dis­trict of Columbia. The new city was named in honor of the first President. After winning independence, the United States became an important shipping nation. American trading ships sailed to China, Africa and Europe. Foreign trade created jobs for many American ship­builders, sailors, business people and shopkeepers. One of the most lucrative businesses was whaling. It is vividly described in the novel by the American novelist Herman Melville entitled Moby Dick.

14.1.2. The United States Congress declared war on Britain in 1812, because of the latter’s aggressions against American ships and support of western Native American tribes. At one time, a British force landed in Maryland, and marched almost unopposed to Washington, D.C., burning several government buildings. The Capitol Building and the White House were among the buildings destroyed. The British attacked Baltimore, but were held off by Americans at Fort McHenry who defended the harbor. It was this engagement that inspired a witness, American poet Francis Scott Key, to write “The Star-Spangled Banner,” which later became the national anthem.

14.1.3. In spite of all conflicts, technological change became a dominant feature in American life between 1783 and 1861. Samuel Slater began the production of textiles using stolen British machinery designs. Samuel Colt patented the revolver. Isaac Singer patented an improved mechanical sewing machine. The first electrical telegraph was invented by Samuel Morse in 1835. It was the first form of telecommunication. An important invention was made by Robert Fulton who designed the first efficient steamboat, thus inaugurating a new era of power-driven navigation. In 1807, Fulton's 45-m steamboat made its famous successful run of 240 km from New York City to Albany in 32 hours. Later, Fulton designed steamboats that sailed on the Potomac and Mississippi rivers, ferryboats for river crossings in New York, Boston, and Philadelphia.

14.1.4. During that time, the northern United States was taking its place as part of the financial and industrial center. Improvements in transportation transformed the old Northeast and the new Northwest into an integrated market society. The first and most spectacular example was the Erie Canal, completed by the state of New York in 1825. It connected the Hudson River at Albany with Lake Erie at Buffalo. The urban population of the United States began growing faster than the rural population, and American cities grew faster. There was intensive immigration which provided for new supply of cheap labor. The discovery of gold in California started the famous gold rush of 1849. The gold rush brought more than 80,000 people to California.

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