Download America in 1850

Let's look at the United States in 1850. In the years from
1845 to 1848, the United States expanded from less than
1.8 million square miles to almost 3 million through the
annexation of Texas, the Oregon Treaty, and then the
acquisition of half of Mexico in 1848 at the conclusion of
the US-Mexican War. Below is a brief outline to give you
a snapshot of the United States in 1850.
Maps to compare the United States at the start of
the century and at mid-century.
United States: 1800
From The National Atlas of the United States of America.
Ed. Arch C. Gerlach. Washington, D.C.: U.S. Dept. of the
Interior, Geological Survey, 1970. Scanned image
provided by Perry-Castañeda Library Map Collection,
University of Texas Libraries
(http://www.lib.utexas.edu/maps/)
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United States: 1850
From The National Atlas of the United States of America.
Ed. Arch C. Gerlach. Washington, D.C.: U.S. Dept. of the
Interior, Geological Survey, 1970. Scanned image
provided by Perry-Castañeda Library Map Collection,
University of Texas Libraries
(http://www.lib.utexas.edu/maps/)
America in 1850
I. Population
In 1800 - 5.3 million, 16 states In 1850 - 23
million, 4 million black slaves and 2 million
new immigrants, 31 states.
II. Immigration
From 1790 to 1820 - not much immigration
because of Napoleonic wars.
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After 1830 - increases fivefold from 1831 to
1840, triples from 1841-1850 and peaks at
450,000 in 1854.
Percentage of immigrants in population - 1.6%
in 1820s to 11.2% in 1860. In 1860 one out
of three white miles in North was foreign
born (1 out of 4 in South). Estimate today is
less than one out of twelve.
Who makes up these waves of immigrants?
Irish and German Immigrants
Characteristics: 1) largest influx of nonEnglish immigrants ever to US 2) poorest 3)
many were Catholics
Were immigrants desired or reviled?
Immigrants were desired as workers (e.g.,
Erie Canal finished by Irish contract laborers)
and to settle in west.
III. Irish Immigrants
What caused them to come? Push or pull (were
they forced out of their home country or
drawn by opportunities in the U.S.)?
Irish potato famine of 1845-1849. One million
died and another 1.5 million emigrated,
majority to US, especially East Coast ports.
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Example of Irish immigration into East Cost city:
Boston - 25% Irish by 1850.
Irish create their own communities within these
cities.
IV. German Immigrants
19th century immigration of Germans slower
than Irish but by 1860s surpassed Irish.
Many settle in Mississippi and Ohio River valleys.
Like the Irish, the German immigrants cluster in
their own communities. Many of those
communities are in agricultural areas and
can be found today in Texas, Midwest, and
Pacific Northwest. Germans also cluster in
"Little Germanies" in urban areas too.
V. Urban v. Rural
In 1820 only 6% of population in cities.
In 1850 - population of US was 15% urban and
85% rural. "Urban" is defined as living in
towns of 2,500 or more.
In North is 20% urban and 80% rural.
In South is 8% urban and 92% rural.
New York City's population in 1800 is 60,500
and by 1850 is 3/4 million and tops 1 million
in 1860.
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Instant cities - San Francisco grew to 35,000 by
1850 and Oregon City (largest town in
Oregon Territory) was 933. California grew
from 11,000 whites before 1849 Gold Rush
to over 100,000 in 1850s.
VI. Territorial Expansion
How much did the US grow in 1840s?
US grew 70% from 1845 to 1848 with
acquisition of Texas, Mexican Cession, and
Oregon country.
US was 888,685 square miles in 1800
Louisiana Purchase added 827,192 square miles
US before annexation of Texas in 1845 was
1,787,880 square miles
US added 1,204,740 square miles between 1845
and 1848
VII. Slave or free?
What legislation had affected whether a state
entered the Union as slave or free?
Northwest Ordinance of 1787 forbade
slavery. Old Southwest states of Mississippi,
Alabama and Louisiana had slavery and
entered as slave states.
Missouri Compromise of 1820 Debate in
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Senate in 1820 was the first extended
debate of slavery. Compromise - Missouri
comes in as slave but Maine comes in as
free. And slavery prohibited north of 36o30'
north latitude (southern boundary of
Missouri). Thus vast majority of Louisiana
Purchase would enter as free states - debate
over this will make Missouri Compromise
only a temporary solution.
Wilmot Proviso of
1846 Background Annexation of Texas in
1845 as slave state. Election of 1844 Liberty Party draws enough northern Whig
antislavery votes to cause Clay to lose to
Polk. Wilmot Proviso Wilmot (D-PA)
proposed amendment to military
appropriations. He used language from NW
Ordinance of 1787: "that, as an express and
fundamental condition to the acquisition of
any territory from the Republic of Mexico . . .
neither slavery nor involuntary servitude
shall ever exist in any part of said territory,
except for crime, whereof the party shall first
be duly convicted."
First breakdown of national party system.
©Susan Vetter 2011
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