Topic+Outline

a) The transportation revolution and creation of a national market economy

 * The new greatly improved steam boats contributed to promotion of building canals and using rivers for national transportation. Unlike the other canals that later tried to duplicate Erie Canal, the building of the Erie Canal was the greatest construction project the U.S. had ever taken and its distance of 363 miles was uncomparable even to the present day. The construction begin on July 4, 1817 and opened in October 1825. The Erie Canal that connected to Chicago through Great Lakes gave New York access to growing western products especially agricultural goods. By 1833, most of the canals were mainly located in the North and only few states in the South built canals.


 * As the idealogy of Manifest Destiny grew popular, the trails to the West (or New Frontier) was formed. The first known group who traveled to the West was the Mormon. The Mormon Trails were mainly used until new trails were found such as Oregon Trail which begins from Oregon to California Coast and was mainly used in 1840s.
 * In 1820, John Stevens ran a locomotive and cars around circular track on his New Jersey estate. Later on, a railroad company, Baltimore and Ohio opened a 13 mile track in 1830. In the early nineteenth century, railroads track were only used to connect water stations. However, in the beginning of 1850s, promotion of building transcontinental railroad rose as America people migrate to the west in order to ease transportation between the west and the east.


 * As technology advances and people migrating to the west, transportation became difficult especially shipping goods across the nation. In 1830s, the national transportation such as canals and railroads only stretched to Mississippi River and the only way to travel/transport between the west and the east was using the trails which was lengthy and arduous.

b) Beginnings of industrialization and changes in social and class structures

 * Although Industrial Era began way before 1800s, the industrialization in Antebellum era had profound effect on social and class structures.
 * The opening of vast, fertile new farmlands in the Midwest, the improvement of transportation systems, the development of new farm machinery changed conventional technique of farming. As food production increased, farmers realized to migrate west in order to expand their farming business and many farmers in northeast abandoned their small land to become a working class. The migration of farmers in the north greatly affected the class structures as many women had to work outside of home to produce income for their family.
 * Women who worked were mainly unmarried young women. Women in the Antebellum era was barred from working heavy jobs that many (men and women) considered was for man such as construction. Women in the north mostly worked in cotton factories.
 * Skilled workers were struggling to compete with factories products that sold for a fraction of the artisans' prices. Although some skilled workers were able to turn their business into industry, they still struggled to stay in business. The dissident workers made first American labor union and the National Trade Unions were formed for mutual aid.
 * Rapid growing new social class was the middle class which originated from profession such as doctors. Like the wealthy class, the middle class society tend to own their own home and used new household inventions such as cast-iron stove.
 * Women's role as middle class wife was conventional and didn't change in the antebellum era. The establishment of middle class society strengthened women's expectation as mother. However, the new culture, women's separate sphere, was the beginning of social network that were going to become great importance in various reform.