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.

Outlines

00:00

📚 Introduction to the Market Revolution's Societal Impact

The video begins by welcoming viewers back to Heimler's History and recaps the previous discussion on technological and agricultural innovations that led to the Market Revolution. The focus then shifts to the societal and cultural effects of the Market Revolution in the first half of the 19th century. The Market Revolution is defined as the integration of northern industries with western and southern farms through advancements in agriculture, industry, and transportation. The presenter emphasizes the inevitability of societal change due to these transformations and outlines the topics to be covered, starting with migration.

Keywords

💡Market Revolution

The Market Revolution refers to the transformative period in the 19th century where advancements in agriculture, industry, and transportation led to significant economic and social changes. It is central to the video's theme as it sets the stage for discussing the various societal impacts, such as migration patterns and the emergence of a new middle class.

💡Migration

Migration is the movement of people from one region to another, often in search of better opportunities. In the context of the video, it highlights the influx of European immigrants, particularly the Irish and Germans, to the United States during the Market Revolution. This demographic shift had profound effects on the cultural and economic landscape of the country.

💡Irish Potato Famine

The Irish Potato Famine was a period of mass starvation, disease, and emigration in Ireland between 1845 and 1852. It is mentioned in the video as a key reason for the large-scale Irish immigration to the United States, which significantly contributed to the population growth and cultural diversity of American cities.

💡Nativists

Nativists are individuals who advocate for the interests of indigenous inhabitants over those of immigrants. In the video, they are portrayed as a group that opposed the establishment of immigrant cultures, particularly targeting Catholics and Jews with stereotypes and invective, reflecting the social tensions of the time.

💡Middle Class

The middle class is a social group that falls between the working class and the upper class, typically consisting of professionals, business owners, and skilled workers. The video discusses the emergence of this class in the North, emphasizing their focus on education, temperance, and Protestant religious affiliation as markers of their social status.

💡Cult of Domesticity

The cult of domesticity is a 19th-century ideology that prescribed a woman's role as a homemaker, wife, and mother. The video explains how this concept was propagated through literature and shaped societal expectations, influencing the roles and lives of women, particularly in the middle class.

💡Laboring Classes

The laboring classes refer to the working poor who engage in manual or industrial labor. The video contrasts the middle class's leisure activities with the laboring classes' necessity to work long hours in factories or fields, highlighting the socio-economic disparities of the era.

💡Factory Work

Factory work denotes employment in a manufacturing setting, which was a significant aspect of the Market Revolution. The video uses the example of the Lowell Factory in Massachusetts to illustrate the harsh working conditions and long hours that women, often from farming backgrounds, endured in these industrial environments.

💡Leisure

Leisure refers to free time spent on activities for enjoyment or relaxation. The video points out that the middle class had the financial means to engage in leisure activities such as attending plays, circuses, and sporting events, which was a distinguishing feature from the laboring classes.

💡Protestant Affiliation

Protestant affiliation in the video refers to the adherence to Protestant Christian denominations, which was a significant aspect of middle-class identity during the Market Revolution. It was a social marker that helped define the middle class, with a notable preference for Protestantism over Catholicism.

💡Technological and Agricultural Innovations

These innovations are advancements in farming techniques and technology that increased efficiency and production. The video mentions these as precursors to the Market Revolution, which in turn affected societal structures and cultural norms, leading to the changes discussed throughout the video.

Highlights

The Market Revolution linked northern industries with western and southern farms, driven by advances in agriculture, industry, and transportation.

Migration to industrial cities in the North was fueled by European immigrants, particularly the Irish and Germans.

The Irish Potato Famine and German crop failures, along with the failure of the 1848 democratic revolutions, were key reasons for immigration.

Immigration numbers surged from 150,000 in the 1820s to 1.7 million in the 1840s.

Immigrants provided cheap labor for expanding northern industries and transformed urban landscapes with their cultures.

Nativists in the 1830s and 1840s expressed prejudice against Catholics and Jews, promoting harmful stereotypes.

An emerging middle class in the North included professionals like businessmen, shopkeepers, journalists, doctors, and lawyers.

Education, temperance, and Protestant religious affiliation were important values for the middle class.

The middle class had disposable income to spend on leisure activities like attending plays, circuses, and sporting events.

The cult of domesticity dictated that a woman's role was to bear and raise children and maintain a peaceful home for her husband.

Laboring class women did not adhere to the cult of domesticity due to their need to work outside the home.

Factory work for women involved long hours and low pay, with the Lowell Factory in Massachusetts exemplifying these conditions.

The Market Revolution led to significant changes in American society and culture in the first half of the 19th century.

The video provides insights into Unit 4 topic 6 of the AP U.S. History curriculum.

The presenter encourages viewers to subscribe for more educational content.

Transcripts

Well hey there and welcome back to Heimler’s History.

We’ve been going through Unit 4 of the AP U.S. History curriculum and in the last video

we dealt with the all the technological and agricultural innovations that led to the Market

Revolution.

And this is basically part two and we’re going to talk about how the Market Revolution

affected society and culture in the first half of the nineteenth century.

So get them brain cows ready because I’m about to milk them, let’s get to it.

So in case you forgot, let’s start with a definition of the Market Revolution.

Essentially, it was the linking of northern industries with western and southern farms

which was created by advances in agriculture, industry, and transportation.

And with all this change going on, you didn’t think it wasn’t going to affect society

did you?

So let’s have a look.

First let’s talk about migration.

Across the northern part of the country, industrial cities exploded in both size and diversity.

A hulking portion of this growth was thanks to European immigrants, especially Irish and

German folks, who were flooding the shores of the United States.

The Irish came in large part because of the Irish Potato Famine which led to hunger and

starvation throughout the land.

The Germans came for less dramatic reasons.

Many of them were displaced farmers whose crop failures invited them to look elsewhere

to settle.

Others were disillusioned by the failure of the democratic revolutions in 1848, and sought

a land where a democratic way of life was flourishing.

And so in the 1820s 150,000 immigrants were registered on the rolls.

By the 1830s it was 600,000.

ANd by the 1840s, it was 1.7 million.

That’s a lot of immigrants, Tony.

It was indeed.

Many of these folks settled on the eastern seaboard and went to work in the industrial

sector.

ANd because manufacturers now had an expanding pool of cheap labor—because hey what’s

the use of hiring an immigrant if you can’t underpay them and expose them to dangerous

working conditions, am I right?—northern industry expanded greatly.

But these immigrants didn’t simply provide labor, they also changed the urban landscape

in the places where they settled.

Often crowded into poorly ventilated, high capacity building units, they brought their

culture with them.

Jews established synagogues and Catholics established churches and convents.

Others of these immigrants sought to settle on some land out west and so they moved west

of the Appalachians and developed new communities along the Ohio and Mississippi Rivers.

But, as you can imagine, not everyone was too excited about these immigrant cultures

establishing themselves in their towns.

Nativists flourished in the 1830s and 1840s spewing stereotypical invective against Catholics

and Jews.

Jews they portrayed as avaricious, underhanded moneylenders, and Catholics were accused of

being agents of the pope sent to overturn American culture.

Now, of course, these stereotypes weren’t true, but you know, nativists be nativists,

as nobody says.

Now thanks to this expansion of industry and its accompanying expansion of prosperity,

an emerging middle class developed first in the North.

The middle class included folks like businessmen and shopkeepers and journalists and doctors

and lawyers.

And the middle class developed its own kind of society with its own norms.

Education was a big deal for them.

So was temperance, which is to say moderation in alcohol consumption.

Additionally, religious affiliation meant a great deal to the middle class, especially

Protestant affiliation.

And it really didn’t matter what kind of Protestant you were, just as long as you weren’t

Catholic.

And so if you had enough money and you adhered to these social markers, well, baby, you’re

in the middle class.

And one of the main distinguishing factors that the middle class had from the lower,

laboring classes, is that they had money to spend on leisure.

And they spent that money attending plays, going to circuses, and spectating sporting

events.

Now, since we’re talking about how the Market Revolution changed culture, we also have to

talk about how things changed for women.

And here’s where I tell you about the cult of domesticity.

This idea was presented to women through an increasing number of books and magazines and

it basically said this.

A woman’s identity and purpose was to have babies, raise them, and provide a home that

was a haven of rest to her husband.

Her husband, on the other hand, was out doing real work in the world.

And this idea of the separation of public and private spheres, and that one gender was

assigned to each took firm hold, especially in the middle class.

I mean, laboring class women had nothing to do with that because they didn’t have the

excess income that allowed them to stay home and make their husband’s sandwiches all

day.

They were off, like their husbands, working in factories all day or out plowing the fields.

Speaking of women in factories, we should probably look at that for a minute.

Women who worked in factories typically worked six days a week for exceedingly meager wages

for 12 or 13 hours a day.

The Lowell Factory in Massachusetts was kind of a showcase for this situation.

Mostly it was staffed by former New England farm girls who were closely supervised by

bosses who also effectively controlled every aspect of their lives including what they

did in their leisure time.

And so all this to say, the Market Revolution fundamentally altered American society in

the first half of the 19th century.

Okay, that’s what you need to know about Unit 4 topic 6 of the AP U.S. History curriculum.

If you need more help than these videos are giving you then you might want to check out

on your exam in May.

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Heimler out.