1. What was the Market Revolution? What types of inventions came out of it?

Why
was it considered a Revolution?
1. The Market Revolution was a period in the early 19th century when a series of
transportation and communication innovations transformed the U.S. economy,
greatly enhancing commercial activity.
2. "Its catalyst was a series of innovations in transportation and
communication.”“The market revolution represented an acceleration of
developments already underway in the colonial era.” (331)
3. The Market Revolution was a significant economic shift driven by technological
advancements, making it revolutionary in how it drastically altered commerce and
daily life in the United States.
2. Why were steamboats so important for early American shipping? What was the
Erie Canal how did it factor into the market revolution and growth of America?
1. Steamboats revolutionized early American shipping by enabling efficient
upstream travel, while the Erie Canal significantly boosted trade and urban
growth by connecting the Great Lakes with New York City.
2. "Steamboat, canal, railroad, and telegraph wrenched America out of its economic
past.”"The invention made possible upstream commerce (that is, travel against
the current) on the country’s major rivers.”"The completion in 1825 of the 363-
mile Erie Canal across upstate New York... allowed goods to flow between the
Great Lakes and New York City.” (333-334)
3. Steamboats in transforming commerce by overcoming the challenge of upstream
travel and emphasize the Erie Canal's role in linking key trade routes, which led
to economic growth and competition among states to replicate New York's
success.
3. What impact did railroads have on America and its economy?
1. Railroads impacted America by opening vast new areas for settlement,
stimulating industrial growth, and expanding the nation's transportation network.
2. “The railroad opened vast new areas of the American interior to
settlement.”"Railroads stimulated the mining of coal for fuel and the manufacture
of iron for locomotives and rails.”"By 1860, the railroad network had grown to
30,000 miles, more than the total in the rest of the world combined.”(335-336)
3. Railroads expanded the country's reach into new territories, boosted industrial
sectors like coal and iron, and created an extensive transportation network that
was unprecedented in scale, which together significantly fueled America's
economic growth and development.
4. Briefly describe the West.
1. The West emerged as a powerful and distinct region in the United States, shaped
by mass migration, territorial expansion, and the replication of regional cultures
from the East.
2. "Improvements in transportation and communication made possible the rise of
the West as a powerful, self-conscious region of the new nation.”"The West
became the home of regional cultures very much like those the migrants had left
behind.” (336-337)
3. The West became a significant and distinct region through extensive migration,
the replication of familiar cultural patterns, and the expansion of U.S. territorial
boundaries, reflecting the West's critical role in the nation's growth.
5. What is sectionalism (consider the root word)? How were the North, South, and
West already different from each other?
 1. Sectionalism refers to the division of the United States into distinct regions—
North, South, and West—each with its own unique economic, cultural, and social
characteristics.
2. "The West became the home of regional cultures very much like those the
migrants had left behind.”"Upstate New York and the Upper Northwest
resembled New England, with its small towns, churches, and schools.”"The
Lower South replicated the plantation-based society of the southern Atlantic
states.”"One stream of migration... flowed out of the South to create the new
Cotton Kingdom of Alabama, Mississippi, Louisiana, and Arkansas.”"Many farm
families from the Upper South crossed into southern Ohio, Indiana, and
Illinois.”(336-337)
3. Different regions of the U.S. developed distinct cultural and economic identities,
leading to sectionalism, as the West, North, and South each reflected the
characteristics and traditions of the populations that settled them, reinforcing
regional differences.
6. What were the causes of the Industrial Revolution? Why did it "take off" faster in
the North than in the South?
1. The Industrial Revolution "took off" faster in the North than in the South due to
the North's focus on industrial manufacturing and its access to water-powered
machinery, while the South remained reliant on agriculture, particularly cotton
production.
2. "The early industrial revolution, which began in England and soon spread to parts
of the North, centered on factories producing cotton textiles with water-powered
spinning and weaving machinery.”"These factories generated an immense
demand for cotton, a crop the Deep South was particularly suited to growing
because of its climate and soil fertility.” (346-339)
3. The North's embrace of industrial manufacturing, driven by water-powered
factories, contrasted with the South's deepening dependence on cotton
agriculture, which, bolstered by the cotton gin, led to the region's continued focus
on slavery and slowed industrial growth, causing the Industrial Revolution to
advance more quickly in the North.
7. What was the Cotton Kingdom? What role did it play economically within the
U.S.? What role did Whitney's Cotton Gin play in the Cotton Kingdom?
1. The Cotton Kingdom was the dominant agricultural economy of the Deep South,
driven by the production of cotton, which played a critical role in the U.S.
economy, and was greatly expanded by Eli Whitney's invention of the cotton gin.
2. "These factories generated an immense demand for cotton, a crop the Deep
South was particularly suited to growing because of its climate and soil
fertility.”"Whitney’s invention revolutionized American slavery... now embarked on
a period of unprecedented expansion.”(339)
3. The Cotton Kingdom was a crucial part of the U.S. economy, providing the raw
material for the industrial revolution in the North. Whitney's cotton gin significantly
boosted cotton production, leading to the expansion of slavery and the economic
power of the South.
8. What type of economy was the South based on?
1. The South's economy was primarily based on an agrarian system reliant on
slavery.
2. "…the South’s expansion westward simply reproduced the same agrarian, slave-
based social order of the older states.”(341)
 3. The South's economy was deeply rooted in agriculture, particularly in the
plantation system, which relied heavily on slavery, with minimal industrial or
economic diversification.
9. Discuss the link between Western farms and the cities of the East. What impact
did the McCormick reaper and John Deere steel plow have on this.
1. Western farms were closely linked to Eastern cities through a market economy
where Western farmers provided agricultural products, while Eastern cities
offered markets, credit, and agricultural machinery.
2. "Western farmers found in the growing cities of the East a market for their
produce and a source of credit.”"Loans originating with eastern banks and
insurance companies financed the acquisition of land and supplies and, in the
1840s and 1850s, the purchase of fertilizer and new agricultural machinery to
expand production.”"The steel plow, invented by John Deere in 1837 and mass-
produced by the 1850s, made possible the rapid subduing of the western
prairies.”"The reaper, a horse-drawn machine that greatly increased the amount
of wheat a farmer could harvest, was invented by Cyrus McCormick in 1831 and
produced in large quantities soon afterward.””Between 1840 and 1860, America’s
output of wheat nearly tripled.” (342)
3. Technological advancements like the steel plow and the reaper boosted
agricultural productivity in the West, which in turn created a strong economic link
with Eastern cities that provided essential market access and financial support.
10. How did the transportation revolution lead to the growth of cities? Which regions
experienced the most growth?
1. The transportation revolution led to the growth of cities by enhancing trade and
connectivity, with regions like the Northwest and cities such as Chicago,
Cincinnati, and St. Louis experiencing the most significant growth.
2. "Western cities like Cincinnati and St. Louis that stood at the crossroads of inter-
regional trade experienced extraordinary growth.”(342)
3. Improvements in transportation facilitated trade and economic opportunities,
which fueled the growth of cities, particularly in the Northwest, where major cities
like Chicago, Cincinnati, and St. Louis thrived.
11. Describe the life of Mill Girls. Who made up this group, what did they do? 1. Mill
Girls were young, unmarried women from Yankee farm families who worked in early
New England textile mills, and they experienced a unique mix of supervision and
independence that contrasted with their previous domestic roles. 2. "The early New
England textile mills relied largely on female and child labor.”"At Lowell, the most famous
center of early textile manufacturing, young unmarried women from Yankee farm
families dominated the workforce.””Lowell owners set up boarding houses with strict
rules regulating personal behavior.”"Most valued the opportunity to earn money
independently at a time when few other jobs were open to women.” (347-348) 3. Mill
Girls highlight the transition from farm life to factory work, the controlled environment of
the mills, and the temporary nature of their employment.
12. What were the major immigrant groups that came to the United States and where
and why did they settle? Why was immigration more common in the North rather
than the South?
1. The major immigrant groups that came to the United States were primarily Irish
and Germans, who settled in the North due to abundant job opportunities and the
absence of competition with slave labor, with immigration being more common in
the North because of these economic factors.
2. "Between 1840 and 1860, over 4 million people (more than the entire population
of 1790) entered the United States, the majority from Ireland and
 Germany.”"About 90 percent headed for the northern states, where job
opportunities were most abundant and the new arrivals would not have to
compete with slave labor.”"Immigrants were virtually unknown in the slave states,
except in cities on the periphery of the South, such as New Orleans, St. Louis,
and Baltimore.”"The largest number of immigrants, however, were refugees from
disaster—Irish men and women fleeing the Great Famine of 1845–
1851.”"Germans also settled in tightly knit neighborhoods in eastern cities, but
many were able to move to the West, where they established themselves as
craftsmen, shopkeepers, and farmers.”(348-349)
3. Irish and German immigrants were the predominant groups, with most settling in
the North due to better economic opportunities and less competition from slave
labor, explaining why immigration was more concentrated in that region.
13. How did the foreign-born population become a major factor in American political
life between 1820 and 1850? (hint: Nativism)
1. The foreign-born population became a major factor in American political life
between 1820 and 1850 by intensifying nativist sentiments, which led to
discrimination, political opposition, and violent riots against immigrants,
especially Irish Catholics.
2. "As Roman Catholics, they [the Irish] faced discrimination in a largely Protestant
society in which the tradition of 'anti-popery' still ran deep.”"The Irish influx of the
1840s and 1850s thoroughly alarmed many native-born Americans.”"Those who
feared the impact of immigration on American political and social life were called
'nativists.'”"Nativists contended that the Irish, supposedly unfamiliar with
American conceptions of liberty and subservient to the Catholic Church, posed a
threat to democratic institutions, social reform, and public education.”(350)
3. The increasing presence of Irish immigrants, especially Catholics, led to a surge
in nativist attitudes, which in turn influenced American politics through
discrimination, political opposition, and violence, highlighting the immigrants'
significant impact on the era's political landscape.
14. Briefly describe the idea of Manifest Destiny. What motivations led people to head
West?
1. Manifest Destiny was the belief that Americans were divinely destined to expand
across North America, driven by the desire for land, freedom, and economic
opportunities.
2. "John L. O’Sullivan first employed the phrase 'manifest destiny,' meaning that the
United States had a divinely appointed mission...to occupy all of North
America.”"Their right to the continent was provided by the nation’s mission to
extend the area of freedom.”"A sense of spatial openness, of the constant
opportunity to pick up and move when the pursuit of happiness seemed to
demand it, became more and more a central component of American
freedom.”"This generation of Americans believed that the United States had been
selected by God for the greatest experiment in human history, the achievement
of liberty, and that westward expansion was part and parcel of this
destiny.”"Freedom in the United States...meant 'a liberty of action and motion
which the American uses to expand over the vast territory that Providence has
given him and to subdue it to his uses.'”(352)
3. Manifest Destiny was driven by the belief in a divine mission, the pursuit of
freedom, and the promise of economic opportunities, all of which fueled
westward expansion.
15. Describe the idea of Transcendentalism. How could it be said to have originated
from the Market Revolution?
 1. Transcendentalism was the belief in the primacy of individual judgment and self-
reliance, which emerged as a response to the individualistic and self-directed
nature of the Market Revolution.
2. “The restless, competitive world of the market revolution strongly encouraged the
identification of American freedom with the absence of restraints on self-directed
individuals seeking economic advancement and personal development.”"In
Emerson’s definition...freedom was an open-ended process of self-realization by
which individuals could remake themselves and their own lives.”"The keynote of
the times, he declared, was 'the new importance given to the single person' and
the 'emancipation' of the individual, the 'American
idea.'”"Transcendentalists...insisted on the primacy of individual judgment over
existing social traditions and institutions.”(353)
3. Transcendentalism arose as a philosophical response to the Market Revolution’s
emphasis on individualism and personal growth, which reshaped traditional views
on freedom and self-reliance.
16. What was the cult of domesticity? How did this mark a change away from the
previous idea of republican motherhood?
1. The cult of domesticity emphasized a woman's role in creating a private,
nurturing environment at home, marking a shift from the previous idea of
republican motherhood, which recognized women's public role in shaping future
citizens.
2. "As the household declined as a center of economic production, many women
saw their traditional roles undermined by the availability of mass-produced goods
previously made at home.”"Others embraced a new definition of femininity, which
glorified not a woman’s contribution to the family’s economic well-being, but her
ability to create a private environment shielded from the competitive tensions of
the market economy.”"The earlier ideology of 'republican motherhood,' which
allowed women a kind of public role as mothers of future citizens, subtly evolved
into the mid-nineteenth-century 'cult of domesticity.'”"'Virtue' for a woman meant
not only sexual innocence but beauty, frailty, and dependence on men.”"But the
idea of domesticity minimized women’s even indirect participation in the outside
world.”(362-363)
3. The shift from republican motherhood, where women had a public role in
fostering citizenship, to the cult of domesticity, which confined women to the
private sphere and emphasized their dependency and nurturing roles, reduced
their influence in public life.
17. What was the factory system? How did this relate to the war of 1812?
1. The factory system centralized production under one roof, using power-driven
machinery, and its development was significantly stimulated by the Embargo of
1807 and the War of 1812.
2. "Factories gathered large groups of workers under central supervision and
replaced hand tools with power-driven machinery.""The cutoff of British imports
because of the Embargo of 1807 and the War of 1812 stimulated the
establishment of the first large-scale American factory utilizing power looms for
weaving cotton cloth.”"In the 1820s, they expanded their enterprise by creating
an entirely new factory town (incorporated as the city of Lowell in 1836) on the
Merrimack River, twenty-seven miles from Boston.”(343-345)
3. The war of 1812 and the associated trade restrictions spurred the growth of
domestic manufacturing, lead to the establishment of centralized factories and
the expansion of industrial towns like Lowell.
18. Describe the Second Great Awakening. What was its impact on religion and the
individual? What role did Charles Finney play in this movement?
1. The Second Great Awakening was a widespread religious revival that
emphasized personal salvation, democratized Christianity, and deeply influenced
individuals' roles in society, with Charles Finney playing a pivotal role through his
powerful revival meetings.
2. “The popular religious revivals that swept over the country during the Second
Great Awakening added a religious underpinning to the celebration of personal
self-improvement, self-reliance, and self-determination.”"These revivals, which
began at the turn of the century, were originally organized by established
religious leaders alarmed by low levels of church attendance in the young
republic.”"They reached a crescendo in the 1820s and early 1830s, when the
Reverend Charles Grandison Finney held months-long revival meetings in
upstate New York and New York City.”"The Second Great Awakening
democratized American Christianity, making it a truly mass enterprise.”"At large
camp meetings, especially prominent on the frontier, fiery revivalist preachers
rejected the idea that man is a sinful creature with a preordained fate, promoting
instead the doctrine of human free will.”(357-358)
3. The Second Great Awakening significantly transformed American religion by
spreading Christian beliefs widely, empowering individuals to seek personal
salvation, and challenging traditional views on sin and predestination, with
Charles Finney's revival meetings playing a central role in this movement.
19. Summarize this chapter in 5-6 sentences, citing historical/textual evidence
1. Between 1800 and 1840, the United States underwent profound transformations
due to the Market Revolution, which introduced key innovations in technology,
agriculture, and transportation. "Steamboat, canal, railroad, and telegraph
wrenched America out of its economic past.”"The invention made possible
upstream commerce (that is, travel against the current) on the country’s major
rivers.” (333) The rise of roads, steamboats, canals (such as the Erie Canal),
railroads, and the telegraph drastically expanded manufacturing and agricultural
production, linking the Western farms with Eastern cities and fostering economic
growth. "Western farmers found in the growing cities of the East a market for
their produce and a source of credit.” (342) This period also intensified
sectionalism, with the South's economy deeply reliant on the cotton kingdom and
slave labor, while the North became more industrialized, especially with the
emergence of the factory system and the "Mill Girls" workforce. "At Lowell, the
most famous center of early textile manufacturing, young unmarried women from
Yankee farm families dominated the workforce.” (347) Immigration from Ireland
and Germany increased urban populations, creating new social tensions and
giving rise to nativism, while westward expansion and the ideology of Manifest
Destiny reinforced beliefs in American exceptionalism. "John L. O’Sullivan first
employed the phrase 'manifest destiny,' meaning that the United States had a
divinely appointed mission...to occupy all of North America.” (352)Amid these
changes, movements like Transcendentalism emphasized individualism, the
Second Great Awakening democratized religion, and the Cult of Domesticity
redefined gender roles, all reflecting the diverse and evolving identities shaping
the nation. "But the idea of domesticity minimized women’s even indirect
participation in the outside world.”(363) Ultimately, these developments fueled
regional divisions, particularly over the issue of slavery, while also unifying the
country through economic interdependence.