The nineteenth century was a period of the United States’ history when significant development in transportation, communication, and trading led the country to the Market Revolution (1793–1909). The government established the American system that encouraged citizens to improve local markets, invest in railroads, and grow the internal economy instead of relying on imported goods. New conditions affected the perception of labor because of the rising demand in the workforce for new manufactures.
Women who have always been involved in housing got an opportunity to expand their activities during the market revolution. Factory employment and new wage labor conditions allowed people to find jobs beyond their farms or their families’ industries. Textile and clothing production required relatively light labor that young women were capable of performing. Many girls and young ladies worked in factories like Lowell Mills to support their families financially.
The Market Revolution changed women’s economic role and expanded their social value. Housekeeping and raising children were female responsibilities while generating income was the male one. Women’s ability to work changed that strict separation, however, the former’s labor had a lower value. Moreover, the working conditions sometimes were harmful to health, it severely affected the demographics and led female workers to organize strikes. For example, in 1836, the Lowell Female Labor Reform Association protested the twelve-hour workday and established the Factory Girls Association’s Constitution.
The Market Revolution still left the house’s responsibility, and children remained on women’s shoulders, and many struggled to balance work and family. Cultural attitudes towards women moved slower than the Revolution, and men found it hard to comply with new conditions of decreased authority. The nineteenth century’s changes became the turning point in women’s lives as it was the first step to their independence.
The American Revolutionary War ended in 1783 with the signing of the Treaty of Paris. However, the relationship between the United States, Spain, and Great Britain remained problematic. The main factor of foreign policy changes was the States’ involvement in European events like the French Revolution in 1789. Participation in conflicts between British and French governments was devastating for the United States’ economy and internal policy, thus President George Washington established the Proclamation of Neutrality in 1793.
Several foreign affairs occurred and affected the United States policy during the next 25 years. The brightest examples were Jay’s Treaty of 1794 and the Pinckney Treaty of 1795. The first Treaty was settled to regulate the British and Americans’ relationship after the latter declared independence. The agreement between the countries under Jay’s Treaty led the States to a surrender of the northwestern posts and to establishing proper trading relations crucial for the both sides’ economies.
The Pinckney Treaty of 1795 was a negotiation that led the United States and Spain to resolve their lengthy territorial disputes. The Mississippi River became the duty-free transportation way and helped both sides develop a better economic relationship. Moreover, Spain’s agreement led the United States’ positions on the European policy stage to enforce. American diplomatic success helped the country maintain strong foreign political positions and decrease the harm to internal economic development.
The United States participated in the War of 1812 and significantly improved its military forces by building ships and making strategic success. Moreover, the country’s foreign policy included establishing borders and opening trade channels with Russians. Lastly, the United States got control of Florida under the Adams–Onís Treaty of 1819. These actions significantly expanded America’s territories and then gave independence to Latin America’s regions like Argentina, Chile, and Mexico.