Entrance Exam Reading 1

Market Revolution Overview

Key Figures and Innovations

• Eli Whitney (1765-1825): Invented the cotton gin, significantly affecting American agriculture.

Context of the Market Revolution

• Early 1800s: Jefferson's vision of independent farmers predominates rural areas.

• Political Conflicts: Emerging issues over tariffs and improvements, such as the Bank of the United States.

Development of the Northwest

• Old Northwest States: Ohio (1803), Indiana (1816), Illinois (1818), Michigan (1837), Wisconsin (1848), Minnesota (1858).

• Governance: Governed by Northwest Ordinance (1787).

• Transportation Reliance: Initially reliant on the Mississippi River.

• Major Crops: Corn and wheat, facilitated by John Deere’s steel plow and Cyrus McCormick’s mechanical reaper.

Transportation Innovations

• Roads:

  • Lancaster Turnpike (1790s) linking Philadelphia and Lancaster.

  • National Road: Major route from Maryland to Illinois.

• Canals:

  • Erie Canal: Completed in 1825, connecting western farms to eastern cities, triggering further canal construction.

• Railroads:

  • First railroads established in the late 1820s.

• Steam Engines and Steamboats:

  • Clermont (1807): First successful steamboat voyage that improved freight transport time.

Communication Innovations

• Telegraph:

  • Introduced in 1844 by Samuel F. B. Morse, using dots and dashes for messages.

Growth of Industry

• 19th Century Manufacturing: Surpassed agriculture by mid-century.

• Mechanical Inventions: Whitney’s interchangeable parts revolutionized mass production.

• Corporations: New laws facilitated business incorporation, encouraging stock sales.

• Factory System:

  • Initiated by Samuel Slater in textile manufacturing; New England became a manufacturing hub.

• Labor Sources: Inclusion of women and children, with recruitment spurred by factory shortages.

Unions and Labor Rights

• Emergence of trade unions advocating for labor rights and better conditions.

Market Revolution Impact on Agriculture

• Transition to a focus on cash crops, particularly cotton.

Cotton and Southern Economy

• Cotton established as the primary cash crop after the cotton gin's introduction.

Effects of the Market Revolution

• Societal Changes: Increased interdependence between urban and rural areas.

• Economic Mobility: Real wages improved, even as wealth gaps expanded.

• Urbanization: Urban population soared from 5% in 1800 to 15% by 1850; cities developed around transport hubs.

• Organized Labor: Workers formed unions that achieved some legal recognition of workers' rights.