Chapter 9: The Market Revolution

Market Revolution

A period marked by rapid changes in transportation, production, and market expansion in the early 19th century.

Alexis de Tocqueville

A French political thinker known for observing and describing the restless, energetic society of Americans.

Manifest Destiny

The belief that the U.S. was divinely destined to expand across North America.

John L. O'Sullivan

Journalist who coined the term 'Manifest Destiny' in 1845.

Wallace Stegner

A writer who described the West as 'the last home of the freeborn American'.

Transcendentalism

A philosophical movement that emphasized individual self-reliance and the importance of personal conscience.

Ralph Waldo Emerson

A leading figure in Transcendentalism, promoting individual freedom and self-realization.

Henry David Thoreau

A Transcendentalist who advocated for self-reliance and critiqued industrial society.

Walden (1854)

A book by Thoreau that reflects on simple living and critiques materialism and industrialization.

Second Great Awakening

A religious revival movement aimed at self-improvement and democratized Christianity in the early 19th century.

Charles Grandison Finney

A key preacher of the Second Great Awakening known for his revival meetings and concept of a 'moral free agent'.

Expansion of Evangelical Christianity

The growth of denominations like Methodists and Baptists during the Second Great Awakening.

Joseph Smith

The founder of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints (Mormons) in the 1820s.

The Book of Mormon

A religious text that narrates the history of ancient Middle Eastern families in the Americas.

Polygamy

A controversial practice introduced by Mormonism that involved marrying multiple spouses.

Nauvoo, Illinois

The city where Mormons established a community before being led to Utah by Brigham Young.

Brigham Young

Successor to Joseph Smith who led the Mormons to Utah after the latter's death.

“Self-Made Man”

The ideal that success can be achieved through individual merit rather than privilege.

New Middle Class

A social class that emerged during the market revolution, consisting of urban clerks, accountants, and professionals.

Pat Lyon at the Forge

A painting symbolizing the 'self-made man' showcasing pride in hard work.

Economic Opportunities

The market revolution created opportunities for many but largely excluded black Americans.

Race and Opportunity

A term referring to the significant barriers faced by black Americans during the market revolution.

Cincinnati assault

A violent attack on free blacks in 1829 by white mobs in the city of Cincinnati.

African Methodist Episcopal Church

A religious organization founded by Richard Allen in response to racial discrimination.

Cult of Domesticity

An ideal emphasizing women's roles in creating a private home, separate from the market economy.

Separate Spheres

Cultural norms that dictated men's public work roles while women remained in the private sphere.

Decline in Birthrate

The drop in American birthrates from seven children per woman in 1800 to four by 1900.

Gendered Labor Divide

The division of labor that restricted women to low-paying jobs such as domestic work and factory positions.

Legal Restrictions

Laws that prevented married women from signing contracts or controlling their wages until reforms after the Civil War.

Middle-Class Respectability

The status symbol associated with having wives remain at home instead of working.

Family Wage Concept

The idea that a male head of the family should earn enough to financially support the entire family.

Economic Downturns

Periods of economic hardship, including the Panic of 1819 and the Depression of 1837.

Workingmen's Parties

Political groups formed by skilled craftsmen advocating for labor rights in the 1820s.

Union Organization and Strikes

The rise of labor unions and strikes in the 1830s as workers demanded better conditions and wages.

Freedom and Labor Rights

The connection between economic autonomy and freedom, highlighted by workers' protests for rights.

Conspiracy Trials

Trials in the 1830s where tailors were convicted for seeking higher wages, inciting public protests.

Lowell Mill Women

Women who organized strikes in the 1830s for better wages, emphasizing their rights as workers.

Critique of Market Individualism

Orestes Brownson's arguments for social reforms to ensure economic security.

Emerging Definition of Freedom

The increasing perception of economic security as an essential aspect of personal freedom.