Market revolution

Transportation Revolution

period when canals

Erie Canal

1825 canal linking Great Lakes to Hudson River; drastically reduced shipping costs and made NYC economic center

National Road

first major federal highway connecting Maryland to Illinois and encouraging westward migration

Steamboats

vessels enabling upstream travel and faster trade on American rivers

Railroads

fastest-growing transportation method; connected regions and accelerated market integration

Canals

man-made waterways connecting major rivers and markets during Market Revolution

Telegraph

communication system invented by Samuel Morse allowing instant long-distance messaging

Samuel Morse

inventor of Morse code and the telegraph system

Industrialization

shift from home-based production to factory manufacturing using machines and wage labor

Lowell Mills

textile factories in Massachusetts employing young women under strict rules and boarding houses

Waltham-Lowell System

factory model combining mechanized production with female labor and strict supervision

Putting-out System

early form of industrial manufacturing using home-based production

Mechanization

use of machines to increase production efficiency and decrease skilled labor demand

Interchangeable Parts

Eli Whitney’s system enabling mass production and standardization

Eli Whitney

inventor of the cotton gin and pioneer of interchangeable parts

Textile Industry

first major American factory industry focusing on cloth production

Wage Labor

system where workers sell their labor for hourly wages rather than producing goods independently

Urbanization

growth of cities due to factory work and immigration

Immigration (Irish and German)

mass arrival of Europeans supplying labor to factories and cities

Nativism

anti-immigrant sentiment driven by job competition and cultural fears

Know-Nothing Party

political party formed from nativist movements; anti-immigrant and anti-Catholic

Class Stratification

widening economic gap between wealthy industrialists and poor laborers

Middle Class

new socio-economic group formed from managers

Commercial Agriculture

farming for market sale using new tools and regional specialization

Steel Plow

John Deere’s invention enabling farmers to break tough prairie soil

Mechanical Reaper

Cyrus McCormick’s machine for harvesting crops more efficiently

King Cotton

dominance of cotton economy in the South due to gin and demand from textile mills

National Market Economy

unified economic system created by transportation and communication advancements

Boom-Bust Cycle

repeated pattern of economic growth followed by panic and depression

Panic of 1819

first major economic depression caused by banking failures and land speculation

Panic of 1837

severe depression caused by Jackson’s banking policies and collapse of credit system

Second Bank of the United States

national bank regulating currency and credit during early 1800s

Bank War

political conflict where Jackson destroyed national bank

Specie Circular

Jackson’s 1836 order requiring land purchases be made in gold or silver; contributed to Panic of 1837

Commercialization

transformation where people produce goods for sale rather than household use

Domestic Ideology (Separate Spheres)

belief that men belonged in public workplace and women in domestic sphere

Cult of Domesticity

ideology celebrating women’s moral superiority and domestic role

Seneca Falls Convention

1848 women’s rights meeting calling for equality and suffrage (driven partly by Market Revolution effects)

Labor Unions

worker organizations formed to demand better wages and conditions

Factory System

centralized production using machinery and wage labor

Internal Improvements

federally funded infrastructure supporting commerce

Tariffs

taxes on imported goods designed to protect American factories

Protective Tariffs

tariffs intended to support American industry by raising cost of foreign goods

Erie Canal System Impact

dramatically reduced transportation costs and stimulated westward movement

Morse Code

communication system used by telegraph operators

Water Power

use of rivers to operate early textile mills in New England

Time Discipline

shift where workers followed factory clocks rather than natural rhythms

Apprentice System Decline

diminishing role of skilled artisans due to factories

Free Labor Ideology

northern belief in upward mobility through hard work

Artisan Republicanism

labor ideology valuing independence and craft skill threatened by factories

Market Society

culture shaped by capitalism

Rise of Corporations

increased use of incorporation laws enabling businesses to grow with limited liability

Transportation Costs Decline

dramatic drop in shipping prices enabling cheap goods movement

Cotton as Export Powerhouse

cotton became over 50% of U.S. exports due to Market Revolution demands