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