Raplh Waldo Emerson
A "transcendentalist" writer whose writings inspired a spirit of individuality and independence in the American people.
The basis for the American fur-trapping industry, many traders ventured to the Rocky Mountains each summer to trade with fur-trappers and Indians for pelts in exchange for manufactured goods.
A term referring to the reckless exploitation of the natural resources of the West (extinction of bison, otter, and beaver)
The first person to advocate the preservation of nature as a national policy. His proposal for the creation of a national park led to the foundation of Yellowstone and the National Park system.
An Irish moners' union that caused problems for the Pennsylvania coal districts because of poor working conditions.
A secret group formed by American navitists that worked to counter the effects of immigration by advocating restrictions and laws that provided for the deportation of poor immigrants.
Considered the father of the factory system, he was the first person to share British secrets of textile machines with Americans by reconstructing a machine to spin thread.
A movement that began in Europe, it included the shifting of manufacturing from independent sources to factories, drawing many people into cities and leading to the development of mass-production of materials.
The inventor of the sewing machine in 1846, which led to the boom of the clothing industry in the North
The inventor of the telegraph, which revolutionized communication in America and tied together the wide-spread American business industry
Commonwealth v. Hunt
The case in the supreme court of Massachusetts that ruled that labor unions were not illegal if their actions were "honorable and peaceful"
Cult of domesticity
The role of married women as homemakers. Women were given great moral power as they filled the role of teaching values to their children and shaped the character of the family.
Deere's Steel Plow
An invention that expanded agriculture by allowing farmers to till land more quickly and more easily.
This invention greatly increased the rate of production from Western farms and required less labor, expanding Western agriculture.
The first highway that was developed, it was a response to the ineffectiveness of slow water transportation and uncertain road transportation. It stretched from Philadelphia to Lancaster and inspired many other turnpike projects.
National (Cumberland) Road
A highway that was constructed to improve the transportation of people and goods to the West, it extended from Cumberland Maryland to Vandalia Illinios.
The inventor of the steamboat, which improved the flow of goods along rivers and waterways.
The first steamboat, created by Robert Fulton, which touched off the steam boat craze after it was able to travel up the Hudson Rover from New York City to Albany in 32 hours.
The leader of the project that led to the construction of the Erie Canal, which was dug by New Yorker's themselves after being cut off from federal funds.
A revolutionary steamboat that was the first steamer to cross the Atlantic Ocean in 1819.