Market Revolution Timeline by Aracelys Carballo

APUSH UNIT 4 : Market Revolution Timeline

acarb007 — 2024-11-01 12:09:52 UTC

The Market Revolution transformed the U.S. economy in the early 1800s. New roads, canals, and railroads facilitated the easier transport of goods. Factories and cities were now growing, and there were more job opportunities. People started working for pay, whereas, in the past, products had been made to sell rather than for personal use. Such a transformation in production then interconnected different parts of the country and formed the basis of the modern economy we know today.

1790: Rhode Island System

acarb007 — 2024-11-01 12:18:33 UTC

The Rhode Island System is a method of organizing factories that Samuel Slater introduced in 1790. It used water-powered textile mills and employed whole families, including women and children, to work in the mills. It established small mill communities where the workers lived next to the factories and followed a strict work schedule. For that reason, it was one of the very first large-scale systems of factory labor established in the United States.

1820-1830: Women's Work Experience

acarb007 — 2024-11-01 12:21:03 UTC

Within the Market Revolution, the nature of women's jobs changed dramatically. Generally, young women moved from farms to textile mills, in particular in New England. They usually lived in boarding houses, worked long hours, and gained wages, though usually lower than those men received. This era marked one of the first times that large numbers of women worked outside the home, giving them some financial independence, but with strict working conditions. Probably the most remembered example of this time is the "Lowell Mill Girls," located in Massachusetts during the 1820s and 1830s.

1813: The Lowell Girls

acarb007 — 2024-11-01 12:22:58 UTC

The Lowell Girls were young women who began working in textile mills in Lowell, Massachusetts, in 1823 during the Market Revolution. They lived in boarding houses and worked long hours under strict regulations. As some of the first women in the U.S. to earn wages in factories, they gained a sense of independence and financial freedom. However, they also had to endure challenging working conditions, which eventually motivated them to organize for improved rights and wages.

1829-1860: Irish Immigration

dreye008 — 2024-11-01 12:27:25 UTC

Between the 1820s and 1840s, a lot of Irish people moved to the U.S. because they were poor and because of the Great Irish Famine, which made many people hungry and sick. About 845,000 Irish people came to America by the end of the 1840s. The famine lasted five years and caused around 1 million deaths. Many of the Irish were Catholic, which led some people to worry and dislike them because they thought Catholics would weaken the Protestant religion. Even with these problems, the Irish managed to fit in well. They moved to both cities and the countryside, settled in the West, farmed, and became a strong part of cities like New York, Chicago, and San Francisco.

1816-1914: German Immigration

acarb007 — 2024-11-01 12:27:42 UTC

Between 1816 and 1914, millions of Germans fled economic struggle and political unrest in their home country to seek out better fortunes on American soil. The majority ventured mid-west to settle as farmers, while others moved to cities and became manufacturers, craftsmen, and laborers in various industries. The immigrating Germans developed American society with their culture, especially in foods, music, and customs. They founded strong communities in which they often succeeded in maintaining their language and customs; thus, they made a serious contribution to the U.S. workforce and cultural diversity.

1821: Women workers and Labor Movement

dreye008 — 2024-11-01 12:28:18 UTC

The women's labor movement in the U.S. was a group effort to make work better for women. Women dealt with long hours, strict rules, and low pay, so they started to organize and protest for better conditions. In 1821, young women at a factory in Boston went on strike when their pay was cut. In the 1830s, women workers in Lowell created a group to fight against pay cuts and later worked for a shorter, 10-hour workday.

1830-1831: Indian Removal

dreye008 — 2024-11-01 12:28:51 UTC

The Indian Removal Act let the president give land to Native tribes west of the Mississippi River in return for their original land. In 1830-1831, about 1,400 women signed petitions against moving Native Americans, which was the first time women in the U.S. took part in politics on a national level.

1845- Manifest Destiny

dreye008 — 2024-11-01 12:30:24 UTC

Manifest Destiny was the idea that white Americans were meant to take over all of North America. This belief led to the U.S. growing larger starting in 1845. During this time, women became pioneers and business owners, gaining new rights to own and manage land, which helped them make money from the expansion.

1846-1848: The Mexican-American War

dreye008 — 2024-11-01 12:44:05 UTC

The Mexican-American War happened between 1846 and 1848 when the United States and Mexico fought over land. The U.S. had taken Texas in 1845, but Mexico still thought of it as theirs. The U.S. wanted to expand its land, believing it was their destiny to do so. The war started when U.S. troops went into disputed areas, and Mexico attacked them. It ended with a treaty that made Mexico give up a lot of land, including what is now California, Nevada, Utah, Arizona, and New Mexico. This made the U.S. much bigger and caused more arguments about whether new states would allow slavery.