Essay on The Market Revolution

The Market Revolution Many factors contributed to the Market Revolution beginning in 1815 and ending in 1860. These included economic, technological, and social aspects. Better transportation helped move people, materials, and manufactured goods from coast to coast. New inventions quickened the development of crops and manufacturing of goods. The country’s cities were growing fast, and people moved west in pursuit of cheap land and opportunity. Economically, means of transportation and communication systems improved drastically.

Railroads were created, which became a better alternative to ships. They took less time to build, less money to pay workers, and things were cheaper to transport on them then boats. New cities sprang up along the canals. Rochester and Syracuse were examples of the boom in industry in the state. Immigrants came to America to reap the benefits of the new profitability of farming. Movement shifted westward because of the availability and access of the land. Economic sectionalism separated the Northeast, the South, and the West, each having different needs from the government.

Along with these transportation and communication advances, new technology was created to help the American economy grow. Many inventions had been created to improve all aspects of life. Eli Whitney created the cotton gin, which heightened cotton production and gave new life to black slavery. He also created the system of interchangeable parts. Another prominent invention was the telegraph created by Samuel F. B. Morse. A painter turned inventor, Morse developed the first unfailing system for immediate communication.

In addition, the steel plow, created by Cyrus McCormick, increased the productivity of the American grain farmer. Every invention created benefited the people of America in many ways. Socially, the market revolution created a vast population increase of the American people. Cheap land created a mass movement westward in hopes of finding opportunities. Immigrants also moved west to reach the countries fast-growing cities. In 1850 half of the Americans were under 30 years old, and they were always on the move, especially westward. Family size decreased because of poor conditions. They were poorly fed, ll-fated, and lived in shanties. Because of their conditions, they were victims of disease, depression, and early death. Life was not only tough for families, but also for men. The Market Revolution was influenced by many factors economically, technologically, and socially. Many new transportation and communication systems, and technological advances improved conditions for many individuals. Westward movement and population contributed to the growing social aspect of America. These and many more examples describe the essence of the Market Revolution. Alexa Penalta Ms. Smith Period 2 13 February 2010