World History 201 chart

Category
North
South
West
Midwest
Political
Industry growth distinguished the disparity between rich and poor. Political views clashed the majority of the time.

African Americans left the South to work in the North and Midwest because there they would have a better chance of earning decent wages and improving their economic and social standings. The West faces problems, due to the friction between the Chinese and the white immigrants, the included riots and discriminatory laws.

Political campaigns took root in this region. Farmers were politically active in rural areas.
Social
Labor unions first formed here. Miners and steel workers were some of the first workers to use the strike as a bargaining tool against business owners. Slavery had ended, but post-Civil War South still continued to have race related issues. Segregation laws made it difficult for Southern African Americans to enjoy improved transportation. Settlement of the West increased access to already abundant natural resources. Chinese immigrants’ willingness to work for lower wages and cultural differences between them and white settlers led to friction. Labor unions were active in cities. Social reform movements arose in Ohio and Illinois. Social campaigns took root in this region.
Economic or Type of Economy Rapid growth manufacturing economy. Steel industry centered in Pennsylvania. The need for coal and iron led to the growth of the mining industry in the region. Textile mills, ironworks, and other industries existed across the South. But, overall production levels remained low. Most industries were destroyed during the Civil War. Ending slavery also took away the South’s main labor source. The South also began developing its timber industry. Coal and iron deposits gave rise to steel production in Alabama. Sparsely populated with little industrial development. The economy continued to be based on natural resources. Economic growth in both farming and manufacturing. The upper states along the Great Lakes became centers for industry and an axis for shipping and transport.
Population Change Manufacturing economy created need for workers. Cities became destinations for immigrants coming to the U.S. By 1870, approximately 15% of the U.S. population was foreign born. Many African Americans left the South to work in new factories in the North and Midwest. Chinese immigrants arrived looking for jobs in the expanding railroads. Population in the West was sparse. Rapid growth in cities attracted large amounts of immigrants. Chicago became one of the nation’s largest cities with a population of over one million in 1890. Waves of immigrants came to the Midwest’s cities.
Transportation
200,000 miles of railroad line connected cities by 1900. New railroads stretched as far south as Florida. The completion of the Transcontinental Railroad in 1869 linked the coasts of the U.S. Railways transported natural resources, like timber and gold, from the West to the East. Development of railways made Chicago a gateway between the East and West. Goods were carried by trains from eastern manufacturers to be shipped North to the Midwest and West across the Great Plains.
Part 1 – Complete the following chart using information from the lesson.