Innovations in technology, agriculture, and commerce powerfully accelerated the American economy,

precipitating profound changes to U.S. society and to national and regional identities.

Textile machineryo Samuel Slatero Sewing machine – Singer

Steam Power interchangeable parts - Eli Whitney

o Whitneyo Leads to assembly line

Telegraph - Samuel Morseo Transatlantic cable - Cyrus Field

Agricultural Inventions o Cotton gin – Eli Whitney (puts more

land under cultivation and increases need for slaves)

o Mechanical reaper - McCormicko Thresher – Case o Steel plow - Deere

Necessary to connect northeast and other sections

Road building – public and private financing. Largely in the NE.

Canal building – Erie Canal (1825). NYC to Great Lakes. Linked NE to NW. NYC replaced NOLA as main export port for NW produce.

Steam boats - turned rivers into two-way highways

Railroads – also linked NE and NW.o advantages over canalso safety concerns

From farm to factory Emerging Class System

o increase in prosperity and standards of living for someo emergence of a larger middle class o small but wealthy business elite o large and growing population of laboring poor.

Gender and Family Roleso domestic ideals that emphasized the separation of public and

private spheres.o Factory system – Lowello nursing, domestic service, teaching o Work before marriage, housewives after marriageo families grew smaller

Large numbers of immigrants moved to industrializing northern cities, o Irish – Boston and NYC

• Potato famine• Hated (Catholic, illiterate, job competition)• Attracted to politics

o German - Midwest• Crop failure, Revolution 1848• Self-isolated • Influence: kindergarten, abolition, beer, Christmas tree

Many Americans moved west of the Appalachians, developing thriving new communities along the Ohio and Mississippi Rivers

National and international commercial tieso Southern cotton production (growth of a distinctive

Southern regional identity)o Northern manufacturing, banking, and shipping

industries Debates continued over whether policies would benefit

agriculture or industry (North or South) Interdependence

o extended and enlarged marketso North and Midwest more closely linked than either was

to the South.

Was the overall impact of the Market Revolution positive or negative?

Identify which side each document/piece of evidence would support and explain how you can tell.

You will move around the room to examine each piece of evidence.