American History

The end of the colonial era in America opened new opportunities. From 1815 to 1860, there was a drastic change in the manual labor system. Traditional commerce became obsolete, as there was a dramatic improvement in transportation and communication. Increasing industrialization, isolationism, and regionalism became dominant in North America. During the early national period, New England fared well. There was an increased in overall commercial production. Many of them participated regularly in commodity trade. Manufactured goods were purchased on a regular basis. Indeed, trading ports became the immediate markets of both manufactured and commercial goods. Many farmers became rich  owning large tracts of land and farming machineries.

The Boston merchants conducted business as usual. With the advent of steam engine in the early part of the 19th century, there was a resurgence of ship-building in the city. Steam ships carried goods from the Atlantic to the city port. The merchants then distributed the goods to other Atlantic cities like New York, New Jersey, and Washington. Some Boston merchants began to shift their investment to the manufacturing sector which made headway in the North.

For Frances Lowell, the Market Revolution was an age of opportunity. With the invention of the spinning jenny and the power loom, Lowell was able to establish the Boston Manufacturing Company  the first textile mill in America. The companys first mill (the Waltham Mill) became the role model of the 19th century American factory. He also pioneered the employment of women.

For the Charleston slaves, the Market Revolution was an age of terror and opportunism. Charleston became as busy as before, operating legally as a slave-trading district. With legal approval, badges were attached to slaves to indicate that they were legally purchased. As the demand for labor intensified in the South, slaves became commodities of exchange. Slaves were employed in large plantations of the south. In the North, they occupied the bottom of the social ladder.

The Market Revolution had many dimensions  each depended on particular perspectives.