Middle Atlantic States A Region of Large Cities

Transcription

1 Chapter Three Middle Atlantic States A Region of Large Cities The Middle Atlantic States region is an area of large cities and urban areas. The three states in this region are New York, Pennsylvania, and New Jersey. The largest city in our country, New York City, is found there. This city is so large that many states have fewer people living in them than the population of New York City! area of the main cities, you have the metropolitan areas, often covering a very large region. The New York metropolitan area has more than 18 million people! Along the east coast of the United States there are many metropolitan areas that are close to each other. These areas form a megalopolis (meg a LOP oh lis). The largest megalopolis in our country starts in Boston, Massachusetts, and ends in Washington, D.C. Two other large cities in this area are Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, and New York City. New York City is the largest city in the United States Geographers study urban areas so that businesses can find which products sell in certain areas. Or, perhaps, city leaders want to know from them where most of the rich or poor people of their city live and why they live where they do. Geographers also use many words to describe parts in and around a city. One of these is suburbs, which is used to describe smaller towns and cities that surround large cities. If you take all the area of the suburbs, plus all the One of the biggest problems which faces most of the cities in this region is their population decrease. This greatly concerns leaders of the cities in the Middle Atlantic States. Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania is an example of a city where more people die each year than are born. The people who remain in many of these cities are getting older, and the younger families are moving to the suburbs or to other parts of the country. Other problems in the cities of this area are the high crime rates and the poor areas of the city called slums. People found in slums live in poverty and have barely enough money to live. Both of these problems have caused much concern to city leaders. Reformed Worldview Perspective: What is the response of Christians to poor people living in the slums? We as Christians have a calling to help those who are truly in need. If we or the deacons of the church become involved in giving help to the poor we must always witness to them about the saving work of Jesus Christ. 41

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4 2010 Population Map of the Middle Atlantic States New York - NY New Jersey - NJ Pennsylvania - PA 44

5 The Niagara Falls. The falls that are close up are in the U.S.A. The falls in the background are in Canada. Mountains and Plains Appalachian Mountains The Appalachian Mountains cover much of the land in the Middle Atlantic States. These forested mountains are not as high as the Rocky Mountains located in the western United States. While the Rockies reach an elevation of more than 14,000 feet, the highest point of the Appalachians in these states is Mount Marcy, at just over 5,000 feet. The Appalachian Range extends north from Georgia, all the way through Maine and into Canada. The Catskill Mountains in New York are part of this range of mountains. Reformed Worldview Perspective: Evolutionists say these mountains were formed millions of years ago when two large plates of the earth crushed into each other. What does the Bible say about the age of the earth and about the effects of the flood on creation? The Middle Atlantic States have several river valleys that cut through the Appalachian Mountains. The best known of these valleys is the Hudson River Valley which runs to the south from Lake Champlain to Long Island Sound. To the north of these states is the St. Lawrence River, which is very important to ocean trade. 45

6 Atlantic Coast and the Great Lakes Other areas of lowlands besides the river valleys are the Atlantic Coastal Plain in New Jersey and the lake plains near Lake Erie and Lake Ontario. Lake Ontario presents a problem to shipping because it is much lower than Lake Erie. A visit to the Niagara Falls will show you how much the river that connects the two lakes drops when the water rushes over the falls. Because of this you may wonder how ships and boats travel from the ocean through to the Great Lakes. Ships do this by traveling through a series of locks on the Welland Canal which is near the Niagara Falls. Locks are small sections of a canal in which a ship is raised or lowered by changing the water level. A boat going upriver first heads into a lock. After door-like gates close behind the ship, water is pumped into the lock to raise the vessel. When the water level is high enough, the ship can move upriver as the gates ahead of it open. Before the locks were built, ships first had to be unloaded, then after their cargo was moved past the Niagara Falls area, reloaded again on a ship that was headed north or west to the Great Lakes. Now, because of the locks, shipping can be done from along the Atlantic Coast through to the Great Lakes. Climate East of Lake Ontario and Lake Erie is an area that receives much snow in the winter. The cause of this is lake-effect snow. This occurs when cold air travels over a warm body of water. When a cold winter wind blows across warm Lake Ontario, the air picks up water. As the wind 46 The Welland Canal has many locks.

7 passes over the cooler land again in New York, it drops heavy snow. Winters in the Middle Atlantic States are not as harsh as winters in the New England States, except in eastern New York and some of the mountain areas which receive more snow and are colder. Because the Middle Atlantic States are farther south than the New England States, the summers are longer there. Especially in New Jersey, the summers are hot and humid. In the mountains and northern part of the Middle Atlantic States summers are cooler. Enough rain falls in this three state region to support farming. Manufacturing Steel is one of the products that we ship to other countries. For many years in our history the Middle Atlantic States led the nation in steel production. Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania was even known as The Steel City. But today, the Middle Atlantic States are concerned because California and the Great Lakes States produce more steel than they do. In addition to this, China and other foreign nations produce steel more cheaply because of lower labor costs. These two factors have caused many people to lose their jobs and to move from the region, making bigger problems for the cities. The coastal areas of the Middle Atlantic States rarely have hurricanes. However, the residents who live near the coast must be prepared for heavy rainfall and storm surges. A storm surge is caused when high winds push large waves against the shore. If the storm surge occurs in a place where people live, many homes and businesses can be destroyed. Economy Shipping The Atlantic Ocean is good for business in the Middle Atlantic States because cities such as New York City have harbors through which products have been brought into the United States since colonial times. A harbor is a large, deep bay of water that is protected from the ocean so that ships can be loaded and unloaded. Today, most ships carry cargo in large containers that can be moved easily onto trucks and trains. Intermodal transportation (moving cargo from one type of carrier to another) is the term that describes this method of shipping. Intermodal transportation is used for both the shipping of exports (products we ship to other countries), and for imports (products that are shipped into our country). Intermodal transportation at the Port of Newark, New Jersey Finance The Middle Atlantic States have many centers for the finance industry, such as banks and insurance companies. Known world-wide in the finance industry, the New York Stock Exchange, located in New York City, is a famous building where stocks are bought and sold. People all over the world are interested in the New York Stock Exchange because they can buy stock in companies in order to own part of them. 47

8 Reformed Worldview Perspective: As Christians we may also buy and sell stocks but we must learn not to put our trust in riches or love them. See I Timothy 6:10. Farming About one-quarter of the land in the Middle Atlantic States is farmland. The most profitable farms are found in the southeastern part of Pennsylvania. Two types of farms found in this area and in other parts of the Middle Atlantic States are dairy farms and market farms. A market farm or truck farm raises crops such as tomatoes, onions, peppers, sweet corn and other crops, which are enjoyed by people in urban areas like New York City and Philadelphia. New Jersey also became British lands after the defeat of the Dutch. Later, in 1681, Pennsylvania was founded by William Penn as a holy experiment in peaceful living. In the 1700s, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania would become an important city in the American Revolution because the Continental Congress met there during the war. During the French and Indian War ( ), Britain and the Iroquois fought against the French and their Indian allies for control of much of settled North America. A key victory for the British was won at Fort Duquesne (do CANE) near Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. After this war, the British kept control of the area of the Middle Atlantic States. 48 History Exploration and Colonial Life The natives of this region were the Lenne-Lenapi (LEN ee LEN a pee) and the famous Iroquois confederacy. The five nations of the Iroquois (EAR a coy) are the Seneca (SEN a cah), Cayuga (cay YOU gah), Oneida (o NIGH da), Onondaga (AH non DOG a), and the Mohawk nations. The Iroquois were well-known for their longhouses. The name Iroquois has the idea that these five nations should live in peace in one long-house. As early as 1524, An Italian named Giovanni de Verrazano explored the coast of New Jersey and New York on a voyage in the service of the French. In 1609, Henry Hudson, an English explorer, sailed into what is today New York harbor. People from the Netherlands settled much of the land around New York City and the Hudson River. In fact, as early as 1624, present-day New York City had the name, New Amsterdam. However, in the year 1644, the British defeated the Dutch and renamed the city New York, after a city in Great Britain called York. The larger settlements of New York and Independence Hall in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania where the Continental Congress met during the American Revolution. American Revolution Many battles of the American Revolution were fought in the Middle Atlantic States. In 1776, the colonists (settlers who fought for freedom from the British) lost New York City to the British, and during the rest of the war General George Washington tried to recapture it. Late in 1776, Washington had a victory at Trenton, New Jersey. However, in 1777, the British came

9 barge got to Albany, it could go down the Husdon River to the Atlantic Ocean Immigration back and captured Philadelphia. Because of this, the army of Washington had to endure a hard winter at Valley Forge, where many of his troops did not have shoes during the winter and are said to have left bloody footprints in the snow! After the colonists in that same year had a great victory at Saratoga, New York, France began to help them in their fight against Britain. Even though Washington and his army could not defeat the British in New York City, the colonists gained control of all the land and cities by defeating the British at the Battle of Yorktown, in The Erie Canal The Statue of Liberty After the war, America continued to grow. Because more settlers began moving west, it was important to have a waterway, not only for those moving west, but also to ship products back to the east. Therefore, in 1825, the Erie Canal (a canal is a man-made channel of water), which connected Lake Erie to the Hudson River, was completed. Using this canal, a barge could enter the Erie Canal at Buffalo, New York and travel down the canal to Albany, New York. Once the At the mouth of the Hudson River is New York City. This city has always been known as a place where immigrants entered the United States. Immigrants are people who move from their homeland to live in a new country. Dedicated in 1886, the Statue of Liberty (a gift from France) is a symbol that America is a land of liberty for immigrants from all nations. This impressive statue in New York harbor is visited by millions each year. New York: The Empire State New York City New York is called the Empire State because it plays such an important part in our nation s economy. To celebrate the fact that New York is the Empire State, New York City has named the tallest building in the city the Empire State Building. New York City has a rich history. As we learned, the English named the city after they defeated the Dutch in Then, during the American Revolution, New York City was controlled by the British until the colonists won the war. Few people know that after the American Revolution New York City was the national capital for six years. New York City is unique because most of the city is built on three islands, Long Island, Manhattan Island, and Staten Island. The city is divided into five sections called boroughs (BURR ohs). The boroughs of Brooklyn and Queens are on Long Island. The borough of Manhattan is located on the island of Manhattan, and the borough of Staten Island is on Staten Island. The Bronx is the only borough located on the mainland. Many bridges, tunnels, and ferries connect the boroughs to the other 49

10 parts of the city. The most famous bridge, built in 1883, is the Brooklyn Bridge. At the center of New York City is Manhattan. It is hard to believe that more than one and a half million people live on this small island, and that during the day millions more pour into Manhattan to work in the tall buildings located in Midtown and Lower Manhattan. 50 New York City was the center of attention in the United States and the world on September 11, On that day, two large airplanes which were taken over by terrorists crashed into the World Trade Center buildings. As a result, these two 110 story buildings collapsed to the ground causing much death and destruction. Most Americans who were living that day will never forget that tragedy. As a result of that incident, our government has worked very hard to fight terrorism in our country and in many other places around the world. The Land North of New York City, the state of New York has a variety of landforms. Lake Ontario and the St. Lawrence River form much of the state s northern boundary. Along these bodies of water are lowlands, while south of these lowlands are mountains and plateaus. In northeastern New This is Lake Placid in the Adirondack Mountains of New York. The Olympics were held here in 1932 and The Catskill Mountains in southeastern New York York, the Adirondacks are beautiful mountains which are part of the Canadian Shield landform. The Mohawk River, flowing east to west through the center of the state, separates these mountains from the Catskill Mountains in southeastern New York. The Catskill Mountains, along with the Allegheny (al-eh- GAY nee) Plateau, are part of the Appalachian Mountain range. A plateau is a large, flat land area that is at a higher elevation. Besides New York City, many of the state's largest cities are along the route of the New York State Canal System, a canal which contains parts of the old Erie Canal. The city of Buffalo is located at the western end of New York on the eastern shore of Lake Erie. The city of Rochester is on the south shore of Lake Ontario. Syracuse is in central New York state. Finally, at the eastern end of the Canal System, is the state capital of New York, the beautiful city of Albany, located at the point where the Mohawk and Hudson Rivers come together. (The place where two rivers meet is called the confluence of the rivers). East of the Hudson River, New York shares a border with three states, namely Vermont, Massachusetts, and Connecticut. Below the Erie Canal are several long, large lakes called the Finger Lakes, because they look like

11 fingers in the middle of New York State. These lakes all have names taken from the native peoples. Cayuga Lake is almost forty miles long and one-half mile wide. Seneca Lake is more than 600 feet deep! Farming Dairy farming is the top agricultural industry in New York. Butter, cheese, yogurt, and other milk products are produced in all parts of the state. These dairy products account for about half of the money that New York makes from farming. However, since all of those dairy cows need food, many of the field crops in New York are used to feed the animals. For many years Buffalo was a city known for its steel production. However, like in other cities of this region, steel output in Buffalo has gone down. The city of Syracuse is known for educational institutions such as Syracuse University. Millions of tourists visit the Empire State Plaza and the capitol building in Albany. The Finger Lakes area and the vineyards of New York also are popular to tourists. New York is known for its fruits and vegetables. Apples are grown mainly in the lowlands south and east of the Great Lakes, including the Empire Apple, which was developed in New York. Grapes are also an important crop, although New York's output is very small compared to California's. Vegetables grown in New York include cabbage, sweet corn, and onions. Economy New York s smaller cities are often forgotten because of the focus on New York City. However, important industries are located in some of these smaller cities. Rochester, for example, is the home of the Kodak Company, which for many years manufactured Kodak film and cameras. But in recent years, the digital camera has made the film camera almost obsolete. An obsolete product is something which people do not want to buy because a better product is available. In the past, when you took a picture with a film camera you had to wait to get the pictures. However, digital cameras allow you to see pictures almost instantly and can be printed at home. Therefore, Kodak is now working to develop digital cameras. This is the Empire State Plaza in Albany, New York. Pennsylvania: The Keystone State William Penn Pennsylvania, which was named for William Penn, actually means Penn s Woods. The largest city of the state is Philadelphia, a city which William Penn planned to be a place of brotherly love. Penn s ideas came from his 51

12 52 Quaker religion, a religion that promotes peace. In American history, the Quakers are remembered for being against slavery and against war. Today they are called the Society of Friends, and believe that people must live by a mysterious inner light which they say is given by God. Reformed Worldview Perspective: As Christians, we believe that people must live only according to what God s Word, the Bible says. How does that differ from the Quaker s idea of an inner light given by God? As more colonies were founded on the Atlantic coast, Pennsylvania was located right in the middle of them. That is why it is called the Keystone State. A keystone is the center stone of an arch. Because of its location, Pennsylvania was at the center of colonial life. Philadelphia is the fifth largest city in our country. While its influence and population have decreased, it is still important to America. After all, the Constitution was written and adopted there! Visitors can go there to see Independence Hall and the Liberty Bell. Both of these places are well-known symbols of freedom in our country. The Land Mountains and valleys make up much of the physical geography of Pennsylvania. However, in the western part of the state is the Allegheny (al eh GAY nee) Plateau. This plateau rolls down to Lake Erie in northwestern Pennsylvania where the state has its only access to Great Lakes shipping at the city of Erie. The large city of Pittsburgh is located on the Allegheny Plateau. In Pittsburgh, often called the city of three rivers", the Allegheny and Monongahela (mah non gah HEE lah) Rivers meet to form the great Ohio River. All of the water in these rivers flows down from the Appalachian Mountains. The mountains of Pennsylvania curve downward from the northeast to the south central part of the state. On a topographic map, you can see a series of ridges as well as valleys with fertile farmland. Rivers weave their way through the canyons. One such river is the Susquehanna (sus que HAH na) River, which runs through the state capital, Harrisburg. Finally, the land of the southeastern part of the state is called the Piedmont (PEED mont), which is another name for the foothills of the mountains. East of this area is the Delaware River, which forms the eastern border with New Jersey, and further south runs through the city of Philadelphia. Farming The Liberty Bell The Piedmont area of Pennsylvania is home to people called the "Pennsylvania Dutch," Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

13 descendants of German immigrants. They have farmed this fertile region for many years. Today visitors who come to this region can see how farming was done one hundred years ago. The people who live on these farms are called the Amish, a group of Pennsylvania Dutch people who believe that Christians should live a simple life. Many Amish, for example, believe that they should use a horse and buggy instead of a car. Reformed Worldview Perspective: We believe that a Christian should live in the world but not be of the world. We can use modern inventions because they are not sin in themselves. However, we must use all things to give glory to God. Dairy products are the most important farm product of Pennsylvania. Beef cattle are also raised, and as was true in New York, many crops to feed the cattle and dairy animals are grown there. Pennsylvania has many mushroom farms which produce billions of pounds per year. Mushrooms have many uses, the best known use probably being for topping on a pizza! A Changing Economy The economy of Pennsylvania has changed over the years. The city of Pittsburgh, for example, used to be the center of the steel industry. Many years ago the smoke from the factories in Pittsburgh made the sky dark in the middle of the day. Today, however, the city is much cleaner and modern looking. While the largest steel company, USX Corporation, still has its headquarters in Pittsburgh, many of the steel mills are gone. In addition to having been a center of the steel industry, Northwest Pennsylvania used to be known as a center of the oil industry. Already in 1859, Edwin L. Drake had an oil well in Titusville, Pennsylvania. At this point, the oil industry in the United States was born. Today, Pennsylvania provides very little of the oil in our country, and off shore oil pads, as well as the states of Texas and Alaska, produce more oil. Today Pittsburgh is better known for its educational and medical centers. The University of Pittsburgh s Cathedral of Learning is a beautiful tower in the city center and the medical center of the university is the city s largest employer. Pennsylvania has many coal mines located throughout the state. In 2005, only Wyoming, West Virginia and Kentucky mined more coal than Pennsylvania. Coal is used in the steel industry, at electric power plants, and in many other industries. Hershey, Pennsylvania should be a common name to you. It is the home to Hershey Chocolate Company, which always has been the largest chocolate company on the continent. So, if you have a sweet tooth, you will have to visit Hershey. Another tourist attraction is the Gettysburg National Military Park, located near Harrisburg, in the south central portion of the state. At this place, the most important battle of the American Civil War was fought. This battlefield site was the place where Abraham Lincoln gave his famous Gettysburg Address. East of Gettysburg, in the city of Philadelphia on the Delaware River, many major pharmaceutical companies have been built. These companies make medicine which is sold worldwide. New Jersey: The Garden State Cities New Jersey is the state located between New York City and Philadelphia. Many of New Jersey s largest cities are suburbs of these two 53

14 great cities. In fact, much of New York City s metropolitan area is in the state of New Jersey. Look at the population map on page 44 to see this large cluster of cities in the northeastern part of the state. One city in this cluster is Newark, New Jersey, a city with 277,140 people, and yet it is considered a suburb of New York City! While Newark has lost much of its population over the last fifty years, it would still be a very large city in many other states. The metropolitan area of Philadelphia extends into the Delaware Valley of New Jersey which is named after the Delaware River and is found in the southwestern part of the state. Trenton, the state capital, is located on the river north of this urban area. History Because New Jersey is between Philadelphia and New York City, the state played an important part in the American Revolution. As we learned, the British controlled Philadelphia in the winter of But when the British decided to leave Philadelphia and go to New York City instead, General Washington led the colonists in an attack on the British at Monmouth, New Jersey in June of Although neither side won the battle, most people remember this battle because of Molly Pitcher, the housewife who came to the battle with her husband. According to tradition, she brought water to the soldiers as they fired the cannons, and even fired the cannon herself. The Land The northwestern corner of New Jersey is mountainous, making it very difficult to build roads and buildings on the steep slopes. Because of this, most people live in the northeast, which is made up of the Piedmont on the eastern edge of the mountains, and the plains area. Another place in the state where few people live is the Pine Barrens, an area of pine forests, found in the center of the southern part of the state. The borders of New Jersey are mostly determined by bodies of water. The western border is formed by the Delaware River, while the northeast border is marked off by the Hudson River. The eastern border is the Atlantic Ocean with many long, thin, islands, just off the shore. At the southern tip of the beautiful Atlantic coast is Cape May, on the Delaware Bay which borders on the south. Farming New Jersey s nickname is the Garden State, because of the many truck farms found in the state. The produce that New Jersey grows is sold to markets in Philadelphia and New York City. However, the state s most important farm products are from greenhouses and nurseries. Examples of greenhouse products are roses, lilies, and poinsettias. Other nursery products such as sod and bushes are also grown in New Jersey. All of these products are readily sold in the nearby cities. The state also grows cranberries, peaches, and other fruits. New Jersey s blueberry crop is especially well-known because it produces about one-fifth of all the blueberries in the United States. Next time you open a box of blueberries, see if they are from New Jersey! To the right is a picture of the cranberry harvest in New Jersey. 54

15 Economy Many years ago, Thomas Edison, one of this country s earliest chemists, produced most of his inventions in New Jersey. Today, the most important industry of New Jersey is the chemical industry, which produces chemicals used in our homes and in manufacturing. The factories in New Jersey are located near large ports for two main reasons. First, this manufacturing often requires water, and secondly, the chemicals need Barnegat Lighthouse on the coast of New Jersey to be shipped to other ports by ship. For example, Jersey City, New Jersey, a suburb of New York City, makes chemicals, and ships them through the port of Newark, New Jersey, which at one time was the busiest port in the world. New Jersey is one of the main places in the United States where many of the world s leading pharmaceutical companies have factories that make various medicines and other health care products. Finally, New Jersey has much tourism along its coast. The long, thin islands have beautiful beaches and resorts popular with tourists. One of the most notable places in this area is the resort of Atlantic City, known for its gambling. Reformed Worldview Perspective: When somebody bets money hoping to receive money by luck it is gambling. What does the Bible tell us about luck and about wasting our money in the hope of gaining more? What does the Bible mean when it says that the love of money is the root of all evil? 55