Unit 6 National Growth and Expansion Part 1: The Early Presidents Part 2: Westward Expansion Part 3: Industrialization In the early 1800s, the United States changed rapidly. New factories sprang up along the nation's waterways, and with them new towns and cities. The nation increased in size too, as settlers swarmed west. Change led to increased differences. Economic differences grew between the traditional farming society and the newer industrial society. Regional differences also grew between the North, South, and West. The nation's leaders struggled to strengthen and unify a rapidly expanding nation. They also faced the challenge of creating a new foreign policy, as neighboring nations in Latin America won independence.