Resource Center OLLibrary
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205. The Manufacture of Cotton;
Whitney invents the Cotton Gin, 1793; Results. The
year (1793) that the printing press in that enterprising
log city of Cincinnati began sending out its weekly
budget of news (§ 204) a great event occurred among
the cotton planters at the South. |
cotton,
by hand, in the United States. Moses Brown, a Providence
Quaker, wrote to Samuel Slater in England, urging him to
emigrate to this country and set up a cotton-spinning
mill here. He said to him, "If thou canst do this thing,
I invite thee to come to Rhode Island and have the credit
of introducing cotton manufacture (by water power) in
America." Mr. Slater was just the man who could "do this
thing," and he did it at Pawtucket, Rhode Island
(1790).|
1803-1814 ] |
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Ten years after the machine had gone into
operation (1803), we were exporting over 100,000 bags of cotton,
or more than 40,000,000 pounds, and every year saw an enormous
increase. The effect of Whitney's invention was equally marked
here. Up to this time, and much later, the cotton yarn spun in our
mills was all woven into cloth by hand in private houses. But
Francis C. Lowell of Massachusetts determined to establish a
cotton factory on a large scale, which could produce cloth like
that made in England. He constructed the first loom operated by
water power in America. He then built at Waltham, Massachusetts,
the first cotton mill in the world in which the raw material, just
as it came from Whitney's cotton gin, was spun into thread, woven
into cloth, and printed in colors all under one roof (1814).
Later, the great cotton-manufacturing city of Lowell was named in
his honor.
Before this, many men in both sections of the
country had deplored the holding of slaves. They had earnestly
discussed how to rid the country of what was felt to be both an
evil in itself and a danger to the nation. The invention of the
cotton gin put a stop to this discussion in great measure; for now
the Southern planters and the Northern manufacturers of cotton
both found it to their interest to keep the negro in bondage,
since by his labor they were rapidly growing rich.
To sum up: Whitney's great invention of 1793 did
four things:
1. It stimulated the production of cotton and
made it one of the leading industries of the country.
2. It increased our cotton exports
enormously.
3. It caused the building of great numbers of
cotton mills at the North.
4. It made a large class, both North and South,
interested in maintaining slave labor.1
1 Whitney received
$50,000 for his invention from South Carolina, besides something
from several other southern states. Other notable American
inventors of this period were: (1) Oliver Evans of Newport,
Delaware, who, about 1780, invented the grain elevator, and made
such improvements in milling that he "effected a revolution in the
manufacture of flour." In 1803 he constructed the first steam
dredge for deepening the channels of rivers. (2) Jacob Perkins of
Newburyport, Massachusetts, invented (1790) the first practical
nail machine; it was capable of cutting out two hundred thousand
nails a day. Formerly, all nails
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[1814 |
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206. The Whisky Rebellion; Treaty
with Spain. During Washington's second term of
office, the government, finding that it needed more
money, imposed (1794) a heavy duty or tax on the
manufacture of whisky. The whisky producers in western
Pennsylvania refused to pay the duty, tarred and
feathered one officer sent to collect it, and flogged a
second one with beech |
rods.
Next, they took up arms to resist the law.|
1814 ] |
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forts at Detroit and elsewhere along our northern frontier,
though she had agreed to give them up to us. The English also
interfered with our trade with France. Chief Justice Jay (§
200) went to England and obtained anew treaty (1795). It did not
satisfy the people, who thought that the English were getting the
best of the bargain; but the forts were given up to us. Washington
signed the treaty because he believed that we could not then
demand anything better.
Certain newspapers attacked him and Jay in the
most violent manner, and Washington, worn out with their abuse,
declared that "he would rather be in his grave than in the
presidency." The majority of the people, however, stood firmly by
the man who had brought them through so many dangers, and Congress
confirmed the treaty. When Washington retired from office he
issued a farewell address in which he besought his fellow-citizens
to cherish affection for each other, to cherish their love for the
Union, and to "observe good faith and justice towards all
nations."
He left the whole country in every way stronger
and more prosperous than he had found it, and with the three new
states of Vermont, Kentucky, and Tennessee (1791-1796) added to
the Union.
208. Summary. Washington, the first
President of the United States, held office for two terms
(1789-1797). During that time he, with his cabinet, got the new
government into practical operation, and through the wise counsel
of Hamilton our national credit was solidly established.
Washington's efforts prevented the nation from getting entangled
in European wars at a time when our greatest need was peace. He
also succeeded in making a very important treaty with Spain and
another with England. Three new states had been added; Marietta
and Cincinnati had taken firm root, and the vigorous life of the
West had begun. Whitney's invention of the cotton gin had an
immense effect on manufacturing and commerce, greatly increasing
the wealth of both North and South, but unfortunately it also
fastened slave labor on the country.
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[1797-1801 |
JOHN ADAMS (FEDERALIST)
209. Adams' Administration (Second President,
One Term, 1797-1801); the "X. Y. Z. Papers." Mr. Adams"
presidency began with strong prospects of war with France. The
French were enraged because we did not take sides with them in
their contest with Great Britain (§ 203). They captured our
merchant vessels, sold them openly in French ports, and insulted
the statesmen sent by us to France to represent the United States.
Finally, certain private agents of the French authorities made
demands, threatening war unless we bribed them with money -- "much
money" -- to keep peace. Pinckney, one of our representatives in
France, indignant at such treatment, replied, "Millions for
defense; not one cent for tribute."
President Adams substituted the letters X. Y. Z. for
the names of the French agents, and sent a full report of the
demands to Congress. The "X. Y. Z. Papers" roused the whole
country, and Pinckney's defiant words were echoed throughout
America, for sooner than spend a single copper in buying peace we
were ready to fight at any cost. War soon broke out, and our
sailors, with shouts of "Hail Columbia," the new song which every
American was then singing, fought and captured several French
vessels. When Napoleon Bonaparte came into power in France (1799),
he speedily made peace.
210. The Alien2 and the Sedition
Laws; the Kentucky and Virginia Resolutions (1798-1799); Death of
Washington. Several of the American newspapers were edited by
foreigners, or by men who sympathized with France and were anxious
to force us into a war with England. To put a stop to their
constant abuse of the
1 John Adams was born
in Braintree, near Boston, in 1735; died 1826. Thomas Jefferson
said of him that "he was the ablest advocate and champion of
independence" in the Congress of 1776. He was one of the
commissioners who negotiated the treaty of peace with Great
Britain at the close of the Revolution; and he was shortly after
sent as minister from the United States to England. He was elected
by the Federalists (§ 203) by only three electoral votes over
Thomas Jefferson, the Republican (or Democratic) candidate (Adams
had 71 votes, Jefferson 68). Mr. Adams used to call himself "the
President of three votes." According to the law (since changed)
(see the Constitution, Article 11, Paragraph 3), the candidate for
President getting the largest vote next to the one elected was
made Vice-President. This law gave that office to Jefferson.
2 Alien (ale'yen).
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government, Congress, with the approval of Mr. Adams,
passed (1798) the Alien and the Sedition Laws. The Alien
Law gave the President the power to banish any alien or
foreigner from the country whose influence he thought
dangerous to our welfare. The President never enforced
the law. The Sedition Law undertook to punish persons who
should speak, write, or publish anything false or
malicious against the President or the government of the
United States. Under it several persons were heavily
fined, and at least one was imprisoned.
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[1799 |
died at his home at Mt. Vernon (1799). The whole country united
to do honor to the memory of him who was "first in war, first in
peace, and first in the hearts of his fellow-citizens"; Bonaparte
ordered public mourning for him in France, and Lord Bridgeport,
commander of a British fleet of nearly sixty men-of-war, lying off
the coast of England, testified his respect by ordering his flags
to be lowered to half-mast.
211. Summary. The four chief events of
Adams' presidency were (1) the excitement caused by the "X. Y. Z.
Papers," followed by war on the sea with France; (2) the passage
of the Alien and the Sedition Laws; (3) the Kentucky and the
Virginia Resolutions; and (4) the death of Washington.
