The Market The Market RevolutionRevolution

Introduction: The Regional Introduction: The Regional Dimension of Market Dimension of Market

RevolutionRevolution Market revolution: national in scope, but with Market revolution: national in scope, but with important regional variationsimportant regional variations

– Manufacturing and industrial revolution in New England, Manufacturing and industrial revolution in New England, northeastern citiesnortheastern cities

– Commercialization of farming driven by transportation Commercialization of farming driven by transportation revolution in northwestrevolution in northwest

– Cotton Revolution in southCotton Revolution in south Laid groundwork for political sectionalismLaid groundwork for political sectionalism

What is a Market What is a Market Revolution?Revolution?

Not just more economic activity, but a new Not just more economic activity, but a new market orientationmarket orientation– Detaches people from local markets, connects Detaches people from local markets, connects

them to distant commercial marketsthem to distant commercial markets– For-profit, cash farming displaces subsistence For-profit, cash farming displaces subsistence

farmingfarming A new way of organizing work, new kind of A new way of organizing work, new kind of

relationship between worker and employerrelationship between worker and employer

The Economy before 1815The Economy before 1815

Subsistence Subsistence farmingfarming– Goal: Production Goal: Production

for your own for your own family, selling only family, selling only the extrathe extra

– People would People would borrow and barter borrow and barter for goods, not a for goods, not a huge amount of huge amount of money money exchanging exchanging hands.hands.

The Northern Economy before The Northern Economy before 18151815

Pre-industrial Pre-industrial manufacturingmanufacturing

– The workshop The workshop systemsystem

– Those who would Those who would want to purchase want to purchase a good would go a good would go straight to the straight to the factory to be factory to be sized up and sized up and place an order.place an order.

Transportation before 1815Transportation before 1815 Overland travelOverland travel

– Rough dirt roads and you Rough dirt roads and you could only carry what could only carry what could fit on a carriagecould fit on a carriage

River travelRiver travel– Challenging as Challenging as

steamboats were steamboats were available, but expensive available, but expensive and not many rivers were and not many rivers were navigable other than navigable other than travel downriver.travel downriver.

– Factory must be near a Factory must be near a riverriver

Transportation RevolutionTransportation Revolution

Surge in western Surge in western population, but population, but limited access to limited access to eastern markets eastern markets

Canal boom: the Canal boom: the Erie Canal, 1825Erie Canal, 1825

– 364 miles 364 miles long, 40 ft long, 40 ft wide, 4 ft wide, 4 ft deepdeep

– Linked Great Linked Great Lakes to Lakes to Albany and Albany and NYCNYC

– Transformed Transformed the northern the northern economyeconomy

Transportation RevolutionTransportation Revolution

Consequences in old Consequences in old northwestnorthwest– Population explosionPopulation explosion– Boom in canal-building, Boom in canal-building,

commercial farmingcommercial farming– Mechanization: the Mechanization: the

McCormick reaperMcCormick reaper– Raised standard of Raised standard of

living, increased living, increased dependency on credit, dependency on credit, distant marketsdistant markets

Impact of IndustrializationImpact of Industrialization Destroyed artisan classDestroyed artisan class Segregation of work from Segregation of work from

lifelife– Preindustrial workshopsPreindustrial workshops

Masters and workers “like a Masters and workers “like a family”family”

Work and living space the sameWork and living space the same Social lives integratedSocial lives integrated

– Industrial systemIndustrial system Masters absent, workers in Masters absent, workers in

boarding housesboarding houses Neighborhoods segregatedNeighborhoods segregated Socializing segregated: class-Socializing segregated: class-

based values, conflict based values, conflict surrounding forms of leisure (esp. surrounding forms of leisure (esp. drinking)drinking)

The New Factory and The New Factory and Showroom ComplexShowroom Complex