The Market Revolution In Jacksonian America And The Social Response

In the early 19^th century, especially in the Jacksonian America (1815-1846), America experienced a great change, which was called The Market Revolution. The Market Revolution is firstly an economic transformation. Secondly, it has an important significance to the American society, politics and ideology. The writer tries to do some research about the Market Revolution in Jacksonian America and the social response.Chapter 1: It is mainly about the Market Revolution in Jacksonian America. The concept of market revolution was firstly put forward by Charles Sellers in 1960s. Later, the other scholars made some different studies around the concept. In 1991, Sellers finished his synthetic study, and published The Market Revolution: The Jacksonian America, 1815-1846. Just because of this book, there was an upsurge in the study of the early 19^th century. About this concept, there are some questions, for example, the time when the revolution began and ended, the simplification of its duality when used. But many scholars admitted that it was the best interpretation frame of the Jacksonian history. From 1815, the fanning producing pattern: self-sufficiency, began to disintegrate. And with the help of all advantageous factors, the market tendency that had exited for long conquered the different difficulties, and became a market revolution. By the net of improved transportation, the market revolution pervaded the whole country.Chapter 2: It is mainly about the American new change brought by the market revolution. The Northeastern had had some commercial foundation, so the market revolution developed quickly there. And the Northeastern appeared dynamic. On the one hand, the Northeastern commercial capital was put into textile and manufacture earlier. On the other hand, the countryside was gradually channeled into the market revolution. Compared with the Northeastern, the West (mainly referring to the Old Northwest) was relatively undeveloped and the market revolution developed slower. But with the coming of a great number of immigrants, the West began to be developed. Especially with the improvement of the transportation, the West became more and more important in national market. The development of the market revolution in the South is different particularly. With the guide of the market, the South became the "Kingdom of Cotton" after 1815. The owners of the cotton plantation organized their production around the market. But the small farmers, who constituted the most population of the South, had been affected little by the market revolution because of consideration of their safty.Chapter 3: It is mainly about the social response to the market revolution. And with the development of the market revolution, all kinds of conflicts and struggles emerged in American society. In order to accommodate the strange social condition, the Americans began to carry out different kinds of reforms and experiments. All political forces struggled with each other for their own benefits. And this struggle caused the profound political transformation. Around the beginning of the market revolution, the Jeffersonians dominated the American politics. The Jeffersonians included not only the small farmers and the Old Republicans, but also the commercial group. In the market revolution, the interests of the commercial group were ensured. But as a result of the Panic of 1819 and the "bargain and corruption" in the president election of 1824, more and more people began to abandon the Jeffersonians and turn to the other politicalleader——Andrew Jackson. The reign of the Jeffersonians ended. Around Jackson, a newpolitical party——the Jacksonian Democrat was founded. During the reign of Jackson, theinterests of the commercial group who favored the market revolution were damaged, but the interests of the small producers, such as small farmers, small artisans, were protected. In thecourse of the struggle against the Jacksonians, the other national party——the Whig Party wasfounded. So there appeared a new form of mass democratic party politics. With the development of the market revolution, the Second Great Awakening sprang up. In the Second Great Awakening, all denominations tried to expand. But only those denominations that would accommodate the market and readjust their doctrines and preaching, can they get the best development. The development of the Methodists is the best example of this kind. The Second Great Awakening eroded patterns of deference to established authority and tradition, and elicited the common people's participation consciousness. And finally it nerved the Americans for their accommodation to the market revolution. The market revolution also brought some social evils. So a great deal of reformers tried all kinds of ways to improve the new society. A reform age appeared in America. The city morality, excessive drinking, the slavery, medical reform and so on, all became the target the reformers were concerned. Through the social reforms, the people gradually got used to the changed society.