American

History
Friday, January 19th
 Warm Up
Flashback Friday

If you could go back in time and have a conversation

with any of the people we’ve talked about this
week, who would it be and why? What questions
would you ask them? What would you tell them
about the 21st Century?
 Today in History
1807 – Robert E. Lee is born
1809 – Edgar Allan Poe is born
1840 – Capitan Charles Wilkes claims part of
Antarctica for the U.S.
1847 – Charles Bent, a trader on the Santa Fe trail
and owner of Bent’s Fort, is murdered by angry
Mexicans as he served as the New Mexico governor.
 Life in the 19 th Century
Country Living
More than 80% of people lived on farms or in
small towns.
Private ownership of land:
1. instilled a sense of healthy pride
2. produced a desire to make a well-earned profit
3. assured the discipline and responsibility of
every family member.
 Life in the 19 th Century
Country Living
Farmers had to clear his land, plow the fields
and plant the crops.
The invention of the steel plow, reaper and
combine made work much easier and efficient.
He had to build a house for his family and a
barn for his livestock.
The entire family helped with chores.
 Life in the 19 th Century
Country Living
Plantation – larger farms where they would grow
cash crops such as tobacco, rice, sugar cane and
cotton.
Plantation owners depended on slaves to work the
fields for labor.
25% of white southerners owned slaves; half had
fewer than 4.
 Life in the 19 th Century
Country Living
Plantation – The invention of the cotton gin
revitalized slavery because a slave could clean
cotton faster.
A slave could clean 50 lbs. of cotton a day.
The south grew 7/8th of the world’s cotton.
 Life in the 19 th Century
Small Town Living
By 1860, 16% of Americans lived in towns with
a population over 8,000.
General Store – families would trade goods from
the farm for nails, cloth, sugar, tools and flour.
Towns also had a post office, school house,
church, blacksmith, etc.
 Life in the 19 th Century
City Living
20% of people lived in cities by 1860.
Crowded, dirty and hectic
Had more store and options than small towns,
such as a library, public transportation and
theater.
 Life in the 19 th Century
Improved Living
Technology and improvements made for better
living conditions.
Telegraph
Railroad
Gas lights
Indoor plumbing
Garbage collection
Police and fire departments