Critical Changes in American Society From the 1790s to the 1840s

Introduction

The second third of the 19th century is one of the key stages in the historical development of the United States. Achieving excellent power status is impossible without expansion, which is a high road to world recognition. The general rule, however, is that such a rise is not a one-time process, requiring the clever use and combination of various forms of social, political, economic, and cultural change. From the 1790s to the 1840s, the inhabitants of the colonies had a chance to change their way of life radically.

US Industrial Revolution and Economic Growth

The industrial revolution, which unfolded mainly in the 1920s and 1940s, stretched over several decades. The reasons hindering its development were the economic dependence of the USA on England and the process of development of capitalism¹. A temporary return to manual technique accompanied the colonization of the West. In the first half of the XIX century, handicrafts and manufactories retained a significant share of the economy. However, the industrial revolution developed irreversibly, covering all new branches of production. Mechanical engineering grew: the harvester and the sewing machine were invented and introduced into mass production.

Politics Changes

The spirit of free enterprise that triumphed on American soil after independence made the new country even more attractive to people worldwide. The economic basis for the rapid development of capitalism was created over vast territories. At the end of the 18th, in close connection with the socio-political development of the country and the course of the class struggle, the two-party system went through several stages. Politically, the US existed based on a balance between a free North and a slave-owning South. A two-party Whig-Democratic system was established in the second quarter of the XIX century². In the 40s of the XIX century, a very influential radical party of free soilers was founded, whose motto was ‘Free land, free speech, free labor, free people’³. Thus, economic stability and growth set the vector for domestic and foreign policy development.

New Society

Economic growth between 1815 and 1860 was reflected in changes in American society. It was a combination of the transportation revolution, urbanization, and industrialization. In northern cities, a small, wealthy percentage of the population controlled a significant segment of the economy. Opportunities for social mobility were limited, although personal incomes were rising. For example, although slavery was abolished in the northern states by 1820, the status of free blacks was not much different from that of free blacks in the southern part of the country¹. In general, society has become more focused on development and freedom.

American Culture

Such rapid and abrupt changes in the social and political life of the country could not but affect the nature of its cultural development. The first symptom of the coming changes in culture was the Second Great Religious Awakening, which began at the turn of the 18th and 19th centuries and reached its apogee in the 1830s⁴. Americans tried to gain a new religious experience with itinerant preachers, the most famous of which was Peter Cartwright and Charles Finney⁴. Representatives of other cultures, such as Charles Dickens, noted the individualism of American culture in the mid-nineteenth century⁵. American writers themselves often raised the subject of identity and folk heritage⁶.

Conclusion

The beginning of the nineteenth century was a significant change in the United States. Economic, political, demographic, and territorial transformations have radically changed how Americans relate to themselves, their communities, and the rapidly growing nation. It was a period of great optimism when the possibilities of self-government extended to everything from religion to politics. From the 1790s to the 1840s, America had an active territorial expansion, economic development, and growth of internal contradictions.

Bibliography

“Charles Dickens.” Biography. A&E Networks Television, 2020. Web.

Locke, Joseph L, and Ben Wright, eds. “Religion and Reform.” The American Yawp. 2013. Web.

Locke, Joseph L, and Ben Wright, eds. “The Early Republic.” The American Yawp. 2013. Web.

Locke, Joseph L., and Ben Wright, eds. “Democracy in America.” The American Yawp. 2013. Web.

“‘Indian Presents’ Purchased by Meriwether Lewis.” DocsTeach. 1970. Web.

“The Age of Jackson.” PowerPoint Presentation.

Footnotes

1. Joseph L Locke and Ben Wright, eds., “The Early Republic,” The American Yawp (2013).
2. “The Age of Jackson.” PowerPoint Presentation.
3. Joseph L. Locke and Ben Wright, eds., “Democracy in America,” The American Yawp (2013).
4. Joseph L Locke and Ben Wright, eds., “Religion and Reform,” The American Yawp (2013).
5. “Charles Dickens,” Biography (A&E Networks Television, 2020).
6. “‘Indian Presents’ Purchased by Meriwether Lewis,” DocsTeach (1970).