Overview
This lecture covers key aspects of life in America around 1815, focusing on demographics, daily life, westward movement, the rise of cotton, and the impact on slavery.
Post-War Context (1815)
- The War of 1812 and Napoleonic Wars are over, allowing America to focus inward and expand westward.
- England no longer blocks American trade; America shifts attention from Atlantic trade to continental development.
Demographics and Major Cities
- Mexico City is the largest North American city (150,000 people, under Spanish control).
- Philadelphia and New York are the largest U.S. cities (~75,000 people each).
- In 1815, about 472,000 Native Americans live west of the Mississippi, down from 5–10 million estimated in 1600.
Native American Life and Impact of Expansion
- Plains Native Americans live nomadically, relying on buffalo (five buffalo per person per year).
- The horse increases mobility and contact with settlers, spreading disease.
- Overhunting reduces buffalo populations by 1840.
Daily Life in Early 1800s America
- Most people go barefoot; shoes are expensive and uncomfortable.
- Bathing is rare (once a year); outhouses are a luxury.
- People sleep communally near fires, with little privacy.
- High birth rates and early marriage; average American male is taller than European counterpart.
- American populations are healthier and more isolated, reducing disease spread.
Diet, Family, and Population
- North: wheat and beef; South: corn and pork; little fruit or salad.
- Farming is hard; most Americans live rurally, with large families (declining from 7 to 5 children per household by 1860).
- Rural living declines over time (down to 17.3% by 2020).
Technology and Economy
- Farm technology is outdated (plows unchanged since the Norman conquest).
- Poor transportation; water is preferred for shipping goods.
- Corn distilled into whiskey, which is used for barter, leading to increased alcoholism.
- Women are key in connecting families to the market economy.
- Most Americans participate in some form of market trade.
Slavery and Cotton’s Rise
- By 1815, America has 1.4 million slaves out of 8.4 million people.
- Slavery declines in the North but expands in the South due to cotton.
- The cotton gin (1793) and British textile demand transform cotton into America's leading export.
- Slavery becomes more entrenched; new pro-slavery justifications emerge.
- On large plantations, overseers (not owners) often inflict violence on slaves.
- Most slaves work on large cotton plantations and are kept healthy enough for labor.
Key Terms & Definitions
- Napoleonic Wars — European conflicts (1803–1815) ending in 1815, affecting global trade.
- Louisiana Territory — Vast region bought by the U.S., west of the Mississippi.
- Cotton gin — 1793 device by Eli Whitney that sped up cotton processing.
- Peculiar institution — Euphemism for slavery in the southern U.S.
- Overseer — Plantation manager supervising slaves.
Action Items / Next Steps
- Review Frederick Douglass's writings to understand urban slavery.
- Read about the invention and impact of the cotton gin.