19th Century American History Terms

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Antebellum

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The period before a war; commonly used to describe pre-Civil War United States.

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Artisan

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An independent, skilled craftsperson.

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Baltimore and Ohio Railroad

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Founded in 1827, connecting Baltimore to the Midwest, boosting trade and transportation.

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Commonwealth v. Hunt

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An 1842 court case that ruled labor unions were legal and that workers could organize and strike for better conditions.

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Cult of domesticity

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The early 19th century belief that women were the guardians of religious virtue and family within the home.

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Erie Canal

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A man-made waterway that connected New York to the Great Lakes.

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Factory Girls Association

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A group of female workers in Lowell, Massachusetts, who organized in the 1830s to demand better wages and working conditions in textile mills.

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Factory system

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A method of manufacturing involving powerful machinery, usually run by water, allowing the use of unskilled labor and greater output than in the artisan tradition.

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Know-Nothings

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A 1850s political group that opposed immigration, particularly from Ireland and Germany, and wanted to limit the influence of immigrants.

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Lowell System

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A factory system used to mass-produce textiles, primarily in New England, relying on young women workers who lived in factory communities.