Daily Life in the Early 1800s
Explore what it was like to live in the United States in the early 1800s.
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About
About
In the first half of the 19th century, the North and South found that they had increasingly little in common. For instance, they disagreed about the use of the labor of enslaved people. Politically, the two regions could not have been more different. And while much of the North’s population was concentrated in cities, the South was known for sprawling plantations and an abundance of small farms. This building tension eventually erupted in a civil war.
Essential Questions
Essential Questions
How did their economies lead to different ways of life in the North and the South?
In what ways did these regions disagree politically?
How did opposing viewpoints concerning the institution of slavery lead to war?
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Choose a Focus
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Note: Britannica School, BrainPOP, and Kids Discover are provided by Prenda. Make sure you are logged in via Clever.
Use the Suggested Activity to learn about your chosen focus in a fun way. Or visit the Activity Library to pick another interactive activity.
Note: Britannica School, BrainPOP, and Kids Discover are provided by Prenda. Make sure you are logged in via Clever.
Plantations Rule in the South
Plantations Rule in the South
A plantation is a large farm that usually specializes in a particular crop. In the South, cotton and tobacco plantations created clear class divisions and dependence on enslaved workers.
Essential questions:
What was life like for an enslaved person working on a Southern plantation?
How did the plantation system create a society that was sharply divided by class?
How was a plantation different than a small farm?
Suggested Activity: Be The Teacher
Harriet Beecher Stowe ⚒️
Harriet Beecher Stowe ⚒️
Harriet Beecher Stowe is the well-known author of Uncle Tom's Cabin, a novel that showcases the realities of slavery in the 1850s. Stowe also authored other books that show what life was like in America in the 19th century.
Essential questions:
Who was Harriet Beecher Stowe?
What is she well-known for?
In what ways would she be considered a Changemaker?
Suggested Activity: Social Media Post
The Urban North
The Urban North
The Industrial Revolution that began in England had made its way to the Northern states by about 1812. Entire families were sometimes hired to work in factories, which was often necessary for the family’s survival given the low wages most factories paid. Life in cities proved challenging, as poverty, disease, and overcrowding became commonplace.
Essential questions:
What was it like to live in cities in Northern states in the early 1800s?
What contributed to the growth of Northern towns and cities?
Who benefited from the factory system and who did not?
Suggested Activity: Picture It!
Curricular Connections
Curricular Connections
Continue your learning by choosing one of these related activities.
Continue your learning by choosing one of these related activities.
Related Social Studies Topics
Timeline Challenge
Start a class timeline (or add to an existing timeline) showing important American events in the early 1800s.
Debate
Statement: America is unique when compared to other nations, and it has a special mission to be an example to the rest of the world.
Socratic Discussion
Discuss how our Founding Fathers could have written about "all men" being "created equal" while some also supported slavery.
Create
Interview Someone Famous From History (in Prenda World)
Find Historical Turning Points (in Prenda World)
(Not sure what to do? Find out what the average wage for a factory worker was, what housing and food cost, and create a budget for a family of four!)
Other Fun Stuff
Image Attributions
Daily Life in the Early 1800s banner: Harper's Weekly, Public domain, via Wikimedia CommonsHarriet Beecher Stowe: Miscellaneous Items in High Demand, PPOC, Library of Congress, Public domain, via Wikimedia CommonsPlantations Rule in the South: Miscellaneous Items in High Demand, PPOC, Library of Congress, Public domain, via Wikimedia CommonsThe Urban North: Internet Archive Book Images, No restrictions, via Wikimedia Commons
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