Topic Description
The Market Revolution played a critical towards transforming the history of the United States. This revolution was concentrated in every urban region. The Market Revolution began in 1793. The revolution reshaped the country’s economic practices and immigration patterns. It also changed the manner in which the country consumed different forms of labor1. The country’s economic activities became obsolete especially after the invention of new communication and transportation techniques. Benjamin Carp also believes that the period paved way for the famous Industrial Revolution. The Market Revolution encouraged the people to embrace new methods of production. The revolution supported the needs of many cities in the north. This development made these cities powerful than ever before. The Market Revolution encouraged the American government to use better methods of transportation. This summary describes how the Market Revolution changed the history of the United States completely2. The proposed paper will examine the issues surrounding the Market Revolution. The paper will also analyze how the revolution affected the economy of every city in America. The paper discusses the impacts of the revolution on the lives of many urban residents throughout the 19th century.
Preliminary Thesis Statement
The Market Revolution of the early 19th century affected the lives of many urban residents while at the same time reshaping the economic positions of many cities across the United States. According to historians, the revolution changed the lives of many citizens in different cities. For instance, the country’s urban population began to grow at an unprecedented rate. Many people left their homes during the period. The people were searching for better opportunities. The country recorded a new wave of immigration. Many people were migrating from every corner of the globe. Every citizen in America was working hard in order to improve his or her lifestyle3. The increasing number of citizens in different American cities resulted in new economic activities. Many cities in the north were ready to embrace new methods of consumption and production4. This practice was critical towards changing the economic power of many American cities.
Study Approach
The proposed paper will be useful towards analyzing the issues associated with different American cities throughout the 19th century. The study will use both primary and secondary sources in order to understand the Market Revolution much better. The sources will offer numerous ideas and historical facts for the paper. The paper will use two primary sources. These sources include “Cumberland Road Debates of March 1806” and “The First Telegraph Message, 24 May 1844” by John McDonough. The main objective of the final paper is to describe how the Market Revolution of the 19th century played a significant role towards reshaping the history of different American cities. The paper will also focus on the experiences of many urban residents. The final paper will offer meaningful arguments in order to understand the history of different American cities.
Literature Review
The Market Revolution was in full force throughout the nineteenth century. The revolution encouraged more people to leave their societies. This development played a major role towards changing the economic patterns of many cities. For instance, new infrastructures and industries emerged. These industries absorbed many immigrants from different parts of the globe. The rich invented new methods of production5. The Industrial Revolution made it easier for the United States to produce new goods and services. This practice also discouraged the importation of goods from different European countries. The United States embraced the concept of Domestic Manufacturing (DM) in order to support its economy. New inventions were evident in different parts of the country.
On the other hand, the rich members of the society created new residences for themselves6. The rich began to hire house-cleaners and chauffeurs. They constructed new mansions and amenities. According to many historians, the rich benefited the most of the above revolution. Most of the immigrants were unable to have better living conditions. It was mandatory for these immigrants to offer cheap labor to the rich. This development created more problems thus forcing the people to fight for their rights and freedoms. The poor wanted to get new opportunities in the country. They also wanted to have better living conditions. This fact explains why the War of 1812 was inevitable.
As mentioned earlier, the Market Revolution was essential towards reshaping every American city. This development also led to the establishment of new social classes7. The practice was critical because it led to the creation of the middle class. The new middle class supported different economic practices in the country. New economic practices became evident between many businesspeople and farmers. Such practices were relevant towards supporting the economy of the United States8.
Historians have also identified the evils associated with these urban regions. For instance, new adversities such as poverty, inequality, and crime became part of these cities. Many people began to practice crime in an attempt to support themselves. The people produced more wastes thus contaminating their surrounding environments. New diseases and infections emerged in different cities. Such infections claimed the lives of many citizens9. The above problems forced the people to fight for their rights. During the same period, the gap between the affluent members of the society and the poor widened. The society expected the poor to work hard in order to join the middle class.
Many cities in the south resisted most of the ideas associated with the Market Revolution. Many people in these southern cities believed strongly in their traditional institutions. Most of cities in the north embraced better methods of production. This strategy was critical towards supporting the economic position of every city10. It is agreeable that the Market Revolution made the United States a leading player in the global economy. The efforts of many settlers and economists were critical towards increasing the United States’ power and wealth11.
Concluding Remarks
The final paper will use quality primary and secondary sources to support the suggested topic. The paper will also outline the implications of the Market Revolution on the lives of many Americans. The essay will also identify the benefits and disadvantages of the Market Revolution. The discussion will explain how different individuals managed to achieve their goals. The paper will also outline the major evils associated with different urban settlements across the country. The identified sources will be critical towards supporting the arguments in the paper. The final paper will be a useful source of historical information.
Bibliography
Anbinder, Tyler. “From Famine to Five Points: Lord Lansdowne’s Irish Tenants Encounter North America’s Most Notorious Slum.” American Historical Review 107 (2002): 351-387.
Carp, Benjamin. Rebels Rising: Cities and the American Revolution. New York: Oxford University Press, 2009.
Chudacoff , Howard P., and Smith, Judith. The Evolution of American Urban Society. Upper Saddle River: Pearson, 2005.
Hunter, Tera. “Reconstruction and the Meanings of Freedom.” In To ‘Joy My Freedom: Southern Black Women’s Lives and Labors after the Civil War, edited by Tera Hunter, 22-43. Cambridge: Harvard University Press, 1997.
Stansell, Christine. “Female Work and Poverty.” In City of Women: Sex and Class in New York: 1789-1860, edited by Christine Stansell, 3-18. New York: Alfred A. Knopf, 1986.
Footnotes
1 Benjamin Carp, Rebels Rising: Cities and the American Revolution (New York: Oxford University Press, 2009), 76.
2 Howard P. Chudacoff and Judith Smith, The Evolution of American Urban Society (Upper Saddle River: Pearson, 2005), 12.
3 Tera Hunter, “Reconstruction and the Meanings of Freedom,” in To ‘Joy My Freedom: Southern Black Women’s Lives and Labors after the Civil War, edited by Tera Hunter (Cambridge: Harvard University Press, 1997), 31.
4 Benjamin Carp, Rebels Rising: Cities and the American Revolution (New York: Oxford University Press, 2009), 76.
5 Tera Hunter, “Reconstruction and the Meanings of Freedom,” in To ‘Joy My Freedom: Southern Black Women’s Lives and Labors after the Civil War, edited by Tera Hunter (Cambridge: Harvard University Press, 1997), 31.
6 Hunter, “Meanings of Freedom,” 35.
7 Christine Stansell, “Female Work and Poverty,” in City of Women: Sex and Class in New York: 1789-1860, edited by Christine Stansell (New York: Alfred A. Knopf, 1986), 12.
8 Stansell, “Female Work,” 13.
9 Howard P. Chudacoff and Judith Smith, The Evolution of American Urban Society (Upper Saddle River: Pearson, 2005), 13.
10 Tyler Anbinder, “From Famine to Five Points: Lord Lansdowne’s Irish Tenants Encounter North America’s Most Notorious Slum,” American Historical Review 107 (2002): 367.
11 Anbinder, “From Famine to Five Points,” 371.