The MARKET REVOLUTION'S Effect on SOCIETY [APUSH Review Unit 4 Topic 6] Period 4: 1800-1848

Summary

The video script from Heimler's History delves into the societal and cultural impacts of the Market Revolution in the first half of the 19th century. It explains how the integration of northern industries with western and southern farms through advancements in agriculture, industry, and transportation led to significant changes. The script highlights the surge in immigration, particularly from Ireland and Germany, and the subsequent effects on urban landscapes and labor markets. It also discusses the rise of the middle class with its emphasis on education, temperance, and Protestantism, and the emergence of leisure activities. The concept of the 'cult of domesticity' for women and the stark contrast between middle-class and laboring-class women's lives is explored. The video concludes by acknowledging the profound transformation of American society due to the Market Revolution.

Takeaways

• 📈 **Market Revolution Definition**: The linking of northern industries with western and southern farms through advances in agriculture, industry, and transportation.
• 🌐 **Societal Impact**: The Market Revolution led to significant societal and cultural changes in the first half of the 19th century.
• 📊 **Migration Surge**: Industrial cities in the north grew rapidly, fueled by European immigrants, especially the Irish and Germans, seeking better opportunities.
• 🍲 **Irish Potato Famine**: The famine in Ireland led to a large influx of Irish immigrants to the U.S., significantly contributing to population growth.
• 🏭 **Industrial Expansion**: Manufacturers capitalized on the influx of cheap labor from immigrants, leading to the expansion of northern industries.
• 🏙️ **Urban Cultural Shift**: Immigrants changed the urban landscape, establishing religious institutions and bringing their cultures into the cities.
• 🌳 **Westward Movement**: Some immigrants moved west of the Appalachians, developing new communities along the Ohio and Mississippi Rivers.
• 🤬 **Nativist Reaction**: The rise of nativists in the 1830s and 1840s led to negative stereotypes and discrimination against Catholic and Jewish immigrants.
• 💼 **Emerging Middle Class**: A new middle class emerged in the North, consisting of professionals like businessmen, shopkeepers, journalists, doctors, and lawyers.
• 📚 **Middle-Class Values**: Education, temperance, and Protestant religious affiliation became important norms for the middle class.
• 🏡 **Cult of Domesticity**: The idea that a woman's purpose was to be a wife and mother, providing a nurturing home for her family, was promoted among middle-class women.
• 🏭 **Factory Work for Women**: Women in factories, like those at the Lowell Factory in Massachusetts, worked long hours for low wages under strict supervision.

Q & A

What was the Market Revolution?

The Market Revolution refers to the linking of northern industries with western and southern farms, facilitated by advances in agriculture, industry, and transportation.

How did the Market Revolution affect society and culture in the first half of the 19th century?

The Market Revolution led to significant societal and cultural changes, including increased migration, the growth of industrial cities, the emergence of a middle class with its own social norms, and the introduction of the cult of domesticity.

Which immigrant groups were primarily responsible for the population growth in the northern industrial cities?

European immigrants, particularly the Irish and Germans, were primarily responsible for the population growth in the northern industrial cities.

What event led to a large influx of Irish immigrants to the United States?

The Irish Potato Famine, which caused widespread hunger and starvation, led to a large influx of Irish immigrants to the United States.

Why did many Germans immigrate to the United States?

Many Germans immigrated due to crop failures that displaced farmers and the disillusionment following the failure of the democratic revolutions in 1848, seeking a land where democratic values were thriving.

How did the increase in immigration impact the northern industry?

The increase in immigration provided an expanding pool of cheap labor, which manufacturers could underpay and expose to dangerous working conditions, leading to a significant expansion of the northern industry.

How did immigrants change the urban landscape where they settled?

Immigrants changed the urban landscape by establishing their own cultural institutions, such as synagogues, churches, and convents, and often settling in crowded, high-capacity building units.

What was the stance of nativists towards the immigrant cultures in the 1830s and 1840s?

Nativists were generally opposed to the immigrant cultures, spreading stereotypes and negative views about Catholics and Jews, accusing them of undermining American culture and values.

Who were the main constituents of the emerging middle class in the North?

The emerging middle class in the North consisted of individuals such as businessmen, shopkeepers, journalists, doctors, and lawyers.

What were the key values and norms that characterized the middle-class society?

The middle-class society valued education, temperance (moderation in alcohol consumption), and religious affiliation, particularly Protestantism, while distinguishing themselves from Catholicism.

How did the middle class differ from the lower laboring classes in terms of leisure activities?

The middle class had more disposable income to spend on leisure activities, such as attending plays, going to circuses, and spectating at sporting events, which was not a luxury available to the lower laboring classes.

What was the concept of the 'cult of domesticity' and how did it affect women's roles in society?

The 'cult of domesticity' was a societal expectation that presented women's primary identity and purpose as childbearing, child-rearing, and maintaining a home as a haven for their husbands. It reinforced the separation of public and private spheres, with men engaged in 'real work' outside the home.

What was the typical working condition for women in factories during the Market Revolution?

Women in factories, such as those at the Lowell Factory in Massachusetts, typically worked six days a week for very low wages, with long hours ranging from 12 to 13 hours a day, under close supervision that also controlled their leisure time.