Summary
Highlights
Large numbers of international migrants, primarily from Northern Europe (Ireland and Germany), moved to industrializing northern cities. Many Americans also moved west of the Appalachians, forming new communities along the Ohio and Mississippi Rivers. Irish immigrants, fleeing the potato famine, settled in northeastern cities as factory laborers due to limited resources. German migrants, with more means, moved further inland to engage in agriculture in the Old Northwest. Improved travel methods facilitated these migrations, but also led to crowded cities, crime, and nativist sentiments.
The American population grew rapidly, leading people on the East Coast to seek cheaper land and opportunities in the West, particularly along the Ohio River Valley for transportation access. The mean population center consistently shifted west. New cities in the Great Lakes region like Columbus, Detroit, Buffalo, and Chicago emerged as distribution centers. By 1830, one-third of the U.S. population lived west of the Alleghenies.
The Market Revolution generally led to a higher standard of living, driven by manufacturing growth. However, this prosperity disproportionately benefited the wealthy, widening the gap between rich and poor. While social mobility across generations was possible, it was rare within a single lifetime. The U.S. offered more economic opportunities than Europe, attracting workers willing to accept lower wages. Labor unions made some progress, winning collective bargaining rights and advocating for a 10-hour workday in some states, a reduction from the typical 12-hour, six-day work week.
Increasing numbers of Americans, including women and men, shifted from semi-subsistence agriculture to wage labor in factories. Small farmers, unable to compete with commercial farms, moved to factories in the Northeast. Even subsistence farmers found wage labor more beneficial than year-round farming. Commercial farms also hired seasonal workers for wages. This shift also meant the decline of homemade products as people could purchase ready-made goods with their wages.
The Market Revolution dramatically changed gender and family roles, emphasizing domestic ideals and a separation of public and private spheres. Women working in factories, like the Lowell mill girls, gained some independence, but usually left work upon marriage to focus on domestic duties. Common professions for women included teaching and domestic service. Families began having fewer children, as children became more of a financial burden in a wage economy compared to agricultural settings. The 'Cult of Domesticity' emerged, promoting the idea that women were responsible for the home, morality, and piety, while men handled the external financial aspects.