Major Changes In America's Early Years

America’s Early Years

Over the first 100 years since America’s independence from England, America went through many changes. These changes included changes to the population, size, economy, and government. According to the U.S. census Bureau, the population of the U.S. in 1776 was 2.5 million. In 1870 that number had gradually ascended to 38.5 million. One of the causes of population increase was the immigration of the Irish and Germans. Due to the Irish potato famine, many of the Irish came to America looking for a new source of income, says the Pearson United States History textbook. Germans had also left their home country at this time, because their political revolution failed. The majority of the immigrant workers found work on the docks, in factories, at construction sites, or in roles as domestic servants. Some Germans could afford to set up shops. Many of the new workers were upset with the local African American populations, because they believed they were taking their jobs. This source of tension created riots, which caused the deaths of many African Americans.

also increased in size. By 1820, America had stretched all the way to the west coast. This increase in size was a result of the growing population, and a need to branch out in order to obtain more resources. Many of the people migrating west also believed in manifest destiny. The god given right for america to populate the U.S. from coast to coast. Some of the migrants were part of a sensation called the california gold rush, explains the Pearson United States History book on page 313. The miner camps where these miners lived had poor sanitation, and bred diseases. These diseases included cholera and dysentery. Some of the miners became rich. Many of the miners worked hard for little pay. In fact, many of the merchants who sold goods to the miners made much more money than the miners