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Market Revolution Dbq Essay

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In the early nineteenth century, the United States experienced a huge overhaul. Though the reformations and Jacksonian democracy were also important, the Market Revolution managed to transform the United States on a massive scale due to the expansion of transportation, the creation of new jobs, and the newfound prevalence of slavery. Prior to the Market Revolution, transportation was an issue. Whether it was the transportation of goods, the transportation of people, or the transportation of ideas, Americans, particularly those in the North, thought the transportation was too slow and came up with ways to combat the grueling speeds. From 1800 to 1830, a road stretching from Maryland to the Mississippi River was built. Canals, waterways built for transportation, were also built for the shipment of goods and with the creation of the steamboat, canals could be used effectively. Another totally new form of transportation, the railroad, was created and by the time the 1860s hit, more than 30,000 miles of railroad tracks had been set down. Lastly, the telegraph …show more content…

Now people could get jobs building roads, digging canals, setting down railroad tracks, and stringing telegraph wires. In the North, factories began emerging. Many people, including women, make the shift from farming to working in factories. Children from families in the rural backcountry also joined the factory life. With these new jobs came new systems of payment. Beforehand, people were generally paid based on their finished product. Now, they were paid set wages. New jobs for the middleman sprung up as well. With the creation of factories, new jobs had to be made to help regulate production. Instead of working with their hands, these people worked with their heads. They were jobs like bookkeeping, office work, and clerical work. Many middle-class citizens held these jobs, different from the people doing factory work who were usually

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