The Market Revolution Essay Example

The market revolution took place in the nineteenth century, during 1815-1850. New forms of transportation rose up such as the railroads and the steamboat, which were later used to go through canals. The Market Revolution was also the time where changes in labor were being made. People are now starting to rely on inventions that help get jobs done quicker, such as the cotton gin, interchangeable parts, etc. (Linden-Brooks, Sarah). With all of the inventions to produce more products, trade became more consistent and began to happen more throughout the United States. The Erie Canal helped the Midwest transport goods to the Northeast. This shows that the Midwest and Northeast benefited off of each other. This paper with take the time to look at both the economic and social aspects of the Northeast and Midwest. 

In the Midwest, there were new products popping up to help with all of the farming. To name a few, there was the horse-pulled steel plows, which was used to break up the soil. “The steel plow allowed farmers to till soil faster and more cheaply without having to make repairs as often” (Boundless US History- Market Revolution). There was also the mechanical mower-reaper that was used to quintuple the efficiency of wheat farming (Boundless US History- Market Revolution). With things becoming easier, more land was needed. During this time, the West was still vaguely new, when it comes to land. As time went on, the Midwest gradually obtained land from the North. When that wasn’t enough, they even “conquered more land from the American Indians to plant more and more wheat” (Boundless US History- Market Revolution). The Midwest ended up making more wheat than they could consume and decided to start sending some to the North. 

Compared to the Midwest, the Northeast was more technology advanced. In the North, industrialization was causing a huge growth in products. Textiles were the dominate product and factories were being built to keep up with the demand. “As the textile industry took off, mill villages quickly grew into large factory towns, attracting rural workers from the surrounding countryside” (Boundless US History- Market Revolution). In order to support the abundance of factories growth, children were hired and were shown no mercy. Working in the factories was already tough due to long, grueling twelve to fifteen hour shifts, but they pay was also considerably low. A majority of the factory workers were women and children, but men were paid five dollars per week, while women were paid two dollars and children only one dollar (Linden-Brooks, Sarah). 

In conclusion, after taking a look at the Northeast and Midwest and viewing their economic and social aspects, it is clear that both regions fed off of each other. When the Midwest needed more land, it was given from the Northeast. When the Midwest made too much wheat, they gave some to the North. When the West was gained more land they had more room to grow to more crops and sell them. When farming became easier and more inventions were being made to speed up the process even more. Then, they eventually need more land, and they could only get it from taking it because more land equals more product. In the Northwest, factories were being pushed out to supply for the demand of goods. Under harsh work environments, women and children were greatly underpaid. Looking at both sides, they both show signs of doing whatever is necessary to produce the most amount of goods.