Date
Name
The Market Revolution
TERMS AND NAMES
specialization In farming, the raising
of one or t~vo crops for sale rather
than a variety of foods for personal
use
market revolution Economic
In the last section, you read aDOUI the changes ~n working
conditions m the united States.
q ~his section, you wil earn aDOUl: changes ~n me
American economy
~se this ~a~ram ~o ~a~e ~o~es on ~e mar~e~ re~o~o~
~e ~e ~o×es o~ ~e le~ ~o ~rEe a~o~t ~he ~a~ses o~ the
marl<et revolution. Write me effects of the market revolution in the Poxes on time right.
changes where people buy and sell
goods rather than make them
themselves
capitalism Economic s’~srem in
which individuals and businesses
control the means of production
entrepreneur 3usiness owner
Samuel E B. Morse Inventor of the
telegraph
telegraph Device that senns
messages by wires
John Deere Inventor ofthe steel
alow
Cyrus McCormick nventor of the
mechanical reaper
Market
Revolution
1
thrmers raised a variety crops for their own thmilies. Now they turned to specialization, raising
oue or two crops that they could sell.
The United States experienced great economic These changes brought about a market revochanges during the first half of the 1800s. For onelution, in which people bought and sold goods
thing, the country" became more industrializedrather than making them for themselves. This new
One result of this was that workers spent the process depended on eapltallsm. Capitalism is an
money they earned on goods made by others. This eeouomie system in which private businesses 0J~d
led many farmers to change their practices. Before.individuals control production in order to make a
U.S. Markets Expar d/0ages 274-276
What was the Market Revolution?
CHAPTER 9 EXPANDING MPd~KETS ~ND MOVING WEST 95
profit. Under capitalism, entrepreneurs, or busi-expensive than by canals. However. railroads
ness owners, invested their money in new indus-moved goods faster. Eventually; the cost of shipping
tries. If the industries failed these entrepreneurs
goods by railroad became less expensive By 1850,
lost their money. If the businesses succeeded, they~most 10.000 miles of railroad track had been laid
in the United States. By 1859. railroads carried
grew ~vealLhy.
Inventor-entrepreneurs began malting goods2 billion tons of freight a year.
to make life more comfortable. Vulcanized rubber What ureas did inventions help to improve?
arid sewing machines were v~vo such important
inventions.
Farmers also did well. The growing populations
in the cities needed more and more food. Farmers
used machines to plant and har~est the crops thatNew larkets Link Regions
they then sold to the eiLies. With their cash. farm-~oa.~ ~s 278-279
ors bought manuf:actured goods As technology
did farming nnprove ?
improved, lnany of these goods grew less expensive.
Soon, many ~rnerieans could afford to buy a varietyBy the 1840s. improved transportation made
of manufactured goods.
America’s regions interdependent. America~ regions
developed regional specialties. The South exported
its eoh~on to England as well as New England. The
~Vest sent grahi and livestock to the East. The East
manufactured textiles and machinery.
The South remained mosely agricultural, raising
cotton,
tobacco, and dee.
The Economic Revolution
The Northeast became the nation’s manuthctur(pages 276-278)
ing center. Workers there made more and better
Z-Io r did inventions change life in
goods at lower prices than ever before.
the United States?
The Mid,vest became important for fam~ing.
Inventions helped make t~rmers" lives eas~er.
New inventions also changed life in the United
States. Some inventions made life more comfor~-Farmers used a steel plow invented by John
able. Other inventions helped cause an economicDeere to help them better prepare the land for
planting. During ha~est time, farmers used the
revolution by changing manufaeta~ring, transportamechanical reaper a new invention by Cyrus
tion, and col~lrmnieation.
Saruuel F. B. Morse invented the telegraph.McCormick. This invention made it possible fbr
This device could send messages by wire in a fewone farmer to do the work of five.
seconds. Businessmen used this new communica- Armed with plows and reapers, farmers could
tion device to transmit orders and relay" up-to-dateshift from t~arming for the t~amily to producing cash
information on prices and sales. The new railroadscrops, such as wheat and com. The same trains and
canals that brought them plows and reapers from
used the telegraph to keep trains mo~ing regularly
and to warn engineers of safety hazards. By 1854,distant t~actories would then carry their crops to
23,000 miles of telegraph wire crossed the country.markets in the East and in Europe.
Iuventions also improved transportation. What two inventions helped to improve farming?
Steamboats made river travel quicker and cheaper.
In places that dichTt have passable rivers, people
dug canals, which cut the cost of shipping goods.
The Erie Canal reduced freight charges and trausportation times
Soon, people began building railroads to move
goods. Transporting goods by railroads was more
Whet wus the market revolution?
96 CHAPTER 9 SECTION I