Post on 17-Jan-2016
Foner, Ch. 9: Market Revolution, 1800-1840
1. A NEW ECONOMY
2. MARKET SOCIETY
3. THE FREE INDIVIDUAL
4. VISIONS, REALITIES, AND LIMITS OF PROSPERITY
MARKET REVOLUTION
• TRANSFORMING ISOLATED WESTERN AREAS• INTO COMMERCIAL ECONOMIES THROUGH
INFRASTRUCTURE INVESTMENT• LINKING EAST TO WEST• LINKING US TO REST OF WORLD
SITUATION IN EARLY 19TH CENTURY
• EAST IS ALREADY ENGAGED IN NATIONAL AND INTERNATIONAL TRADE
• WEST IS STILL ISOLATED• AMERICANS PUSH WEST AND BUILT
HOMESTEADS/FARMS• COULD NOT BUILD ROADS, BRIDGES, CANALS,
AND RAILWAYS
TRANSPORTATION AND COMMUNICATION REVOLUTIONS
• INVESTMENTS IN INFRASTRUCTURE REDUCED TRANSPORTATION COASTS
• BROUGHT AMERICAN FARMERS INTO NATIONAL AND INTERNATIONAL MARKETS
• MADE THEM CONSUMERS OF MANUFACTURED GOODS
• INCREASE IN TRADE
TRANSPORTATION AND COMMUNICATION REVOLUTIONS
• TO INCLUDE:• TOLL ROADS/TURNPIKES• STEAMBOATS, 1807• CANALS:• ERIE CANAL, 1825• OPENED MID-WEST TO GLOBAL MARKET• SPURRED OTHER STATES TO BUILD CANALS
TRANSPORTATION AND COMMUNICATION REVOLUTIONS
• TO INCLUDE:• RAILROADS• OPENED UP TERRITORIES FAR REMOVED
FROM WATER SOURCES• 1828-BALTIMORE AND OHIO RAILROAD• STIMULATED COAL AND IRON
MANUFACTURING
TRANSPORTATION AND COMMUNICATION REVOLUTIONS
• ALSO: • TELEGRAPH: 1844• INSTANT NATIONAL/INTERNATIONAL
COMMUNICATION• UNIFORM PRICES, AVAILABILITY OF NEWS
WESTWARD EXPANSION
• TRANSPORTATION AND COMMUNICATION IMPROVEMENTS
• -FOSTERED WESTERN MIGRATION• AFTER WAR OF 1812—4.5 MILLION PEOPLE
CROSSED APPALACHIAN MTN RANGE
WESTWARD EXPANSION
• REGIONAL PATTERNS:• -NORTH WEST REFLECTED CULTURE OF NY, NEW
ENGLAND• --CITIES, SMALL TOWNS WITH CHURCHES,
SCHOOLS, GENERALLY DEMOCRATIC, FREE LABOR• -SOUTH WEST REPLICATED PLANTATION CULTURE
OF SOUTH EAST• --FEW MAJOR CITIES, ELITE DOMINATED, SLAVERY
RISE OF COTTON KINGDOM
• INTENSIFICATION OF NORTH/SOUTH DIVIDE• -SPREAD OF SLAVERY/COTTON PLANTATIONS• CONTRIBUTING FACTORS:• -INDUSTRIAL DEMAND FOR COTTON• -COTTON GIN, 1793 (ELI WHITNEY)• -OPENING DEEP SOUTH TO WHITE
SETTLEMENT• --NATIVES CLEARED OUT AFTER 1815
REVITALIZATION OF SLAVERY
• 1 MILLION SLAVES FORCED WESTWARD• -SLAVE FAMILIES DESTROYED• SOUTH DOMINATED BY LARGE PLANTATION
FARMS• -GROWTH OF COTTON PRODUCTION:• --1796-5 MILLION POUNDS• --1820-170 MILLION POUNDS
MARKET SOCIETY
• SOUTH:• -REMAINS PRIMARILY RURAL, AGRICULTURAL,
SLAVE BASED, SELLING PRODUCTS OVERSEAS• NORTH:• -COMMERCIALIZATION OF NORTH WEST
FARMING• -FROM CRAFT PRODUCTION TO FACTORY MASS
PRODUCTION• -FACTORY SYSTEM
GROWTH OF IMMIGRATION
• ECONOMIC EXPANSION DEPENDED ON IMMIGRANT LABOR:
• -1840-1860: 4 MILLION IMMIGRANTS-MOSTLY TO NORTH• FACTORS INCLUDED:• -ACCESS TO JOBS/LAND IN NORTH• -DISPLACEMENT FROM EUROPE SPURRED IMMIGRATION• -CHEAPER LONG DISTANCE TRAVEL• -AMERICAN FREEDOMS• -IRISH POTATO FAMINE, 1845-1851
RISE OF NATIVISM
• ANTI-IMMIGRANT BACKLASH• IRISH PERCEIVED AS:• -SUBSERVIENT TO POPE• -STEALING AMERICAN JOBS• -LAZY, STUPID, EASILY MANIPULATED BY
POLITICIANS• 1840S-FIRST ANTI-IMMIGRANT RIOTS, NYC,
PHILADELPHIA
THE FREE INDIVIDUAL
• THE LINKING OF “THE WEST” AND “FREEDOM”• CHANGING DEFINITION OF FREEDOM:• --USED TO MEAN NATURAL RIGHTS/AMERICAN
RIGHTS• --NOW MEANT “INDIVIDUALISM”• --FREEDOM OF INDIVIDUAL TO FIND “SELF-
FULFILLMENT”• --FREE OF TRADITIONAL SOCIAL CUSTOMS AND
GOVERNMENT INTERFERENCE
VISIONS, REALITIES, LIMITS OF PROSPERITY
• IDEALS OF MARKET REVOLUTION:• --COMPETITION AND MATERIAL ADVANCEMENT OPEN
TO ALL• BENEFICIARIES:• --WHITES/NEW MIDDLE CLASS• BANKERS, MERCHANTS, INDUSTRIALISTS, PLANTERS• MIDDLE CLASS EMPLOYERS• COMMERCIAL FARMERS• PROFESSIONALS• CRAFTSMEN
LIMITS TO PROSPERITY
• FREE BLACKS:• --DOWNWARD SOCIAL MOBILITY• --DENOUNCE BY WHITE CRAFTSMEN AS
CHEAP LABOR• --RARELY HIRED• --MENIAL LABOR• INDIANA, ILLINOIS, IOWA, OREGON ALL
MOVED TO PROHIBIT BLACK IMMIGRATION
LIMITS TO PROSPERITY
• WOMEN:• -WORK SEEN AS VALUABLE ONLY IF YOU GET
PAID FOR IT• -WAGE-EARNING WOMEN PAID LESS THAN
MEN• MARRIED WOMEN DID NOT CONTROL OWN
WAGES
EARLY LABOR MOVEMENT
• CONCERNS:• -IRREGULAR EMPLOYMENT• -WIDENING INEQUALITY WITH WEALTHY/TERRIBLE PAY• FORMS:• -1820S WORKINGMEN’S PARTIES• -STRIKES/UNIONS• DEMANDS:• -LAND, PUBLIC EDUCATION, HIGHER WAGES, SHORTER
HOURS, LEGAL RIGHT TO ORGANIZE
EARLY LABOR MOVEMENT
• UNDERLYING VALUES :• --ECONOMIC AUTONOMY:• --WAGES MEANT ECONOMIC DEPENDENCE• SOCIAL EQUALITY:• --JEFFERSONIAN IDEAL OF ECONOMIC
INDEPENDENCE• --CHALLENGED IDEA THAT WORK ALONE
COULD LEAD TO WEALTH