Regional Societies-TheNorth&Midwest
Marisa Mortari
Northern Society
The Wealthy Upper Class
- Consisted of prosperous bankers, manufacturers, merchants
- Lived in lavish homes with running water, elegant furnishings and many household conveniences
- Concerned with maintaining their status
The Urban Poor
- Lived in small crowded apartments, cellars, or attics
- Few conveniences and no sewers
- Neighborhoods filled with crime, disease, and filth
- Disease killed many people
The Middle Class
- Possible to make it to the middle class from being poor
- The middle class arose during the early 1800s
- Lived in simple but comfortable homes
- Consisted of prosperous artisans, farmers, lawyers, ministers, shopkeepers, and their families
- Homes had conveniences such as bathing stands and bowls, iron cookstoves, lamps, and rugs.
- Bought basic necessities
- Specialization of male and female roles
Male Roles
- Expected to work outside the home and earn money for the family
- Shifted from farmwork to work in factories, offices, and mills
Female Roles
- Expected to stay at home with children
- Expected to do house work
- "Cult of true womanhood"
Middle Class Children
- Typically did not have to work to help support family
- Boys were sent to school
- Lived at home longer than kids do now
The Rise of Trade Unions
- Even though there was economic prosperity, many families were still living in poverty
- Children in harsh working conditions in factories
- National Convention in 1834: Founding of the National Trades Union
- NTU gave workers reforms (i.e. shorter work day)
- Workers used the strike to protest against low wages or wage reductions
- Tensions arose between wealthy factory owners and poor factory workers
- Union activity and strikes forced politicians to deal with these problems
Immigrants
- More than 1.5 million Germans immigrated to the US during 1831-1860
- Came because of religious or political motives
- Looking for economic prosperity
- Went into baking, brewery, butchery, cabinet making, or cigar making.
- In larger cities the Germans were close knit, read German newspapers, and attended lessons in German
Nativist Response
- Some people protested the arrival of immigrants
- Nativism: favoring native-born Americans over foreign born
- Viewed immigrants as politically corrupt & socially inferior
- Some wanted to restrict the immigrants from having the right to vote or hold public office