Market Revolution Summary And Analysis

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The first half of the 19th century witnessed a huge economic transformation—the Market Revolution—initiated by rapid development in multiple domains in the United Stated. The most decisive driving force was, first of all, the invention of the cotton gin processing machine which easily separated cotton and accelerated cotton production. Meanwhile, transportation revolution such as the emergence of steamboat and railroad conveniently connected the different regions for the exchange and complement of different goods. The development of bank and credit system also promoted the Market Revolution by providing support to farmers to purchase cultivated land (Takaki 76). Although the Market Revolution created interdependent economic structure and boosted …show more content…

President Jefferson and President Jackson recklessly occupied the Indians’ lands for cotton production and their people as costless labor for plantation. Regarding them as livestock and property, the white community did not feel guilty of depriving the native Indians’ rights to be equal men, and even traded them as cheap slave labors for their lucrative cotton business. In order to fight for freedom and equal rights, the native Indians especially the Creeks acted like “savage bloodhounds” and “blood thirsty barbarians” (80). Believing that Indians were unable to coexist with the white community because they were subordinate to the white, President Jackson commanded his American troops to kill these brutal Indians and to “cut off their noses for body count” (80). While carrying out these massacres, he never realized that his immoral and racially discriminated deeds actually conflicted with the all men equal principle he declared as the foundation of establishing the United States of America. Instead, he considered the brutal slaughters a progress and advance of American civilization (82). Later, President Jackson eventually decided to relocate the native Indians to a place west of Mississippi rather than to continue killing them. During the Indian removal, President Jackson pretended he was the …show more content…

The development of convenient railroad also pushed the native Indians’ settlement to the west because the railroad companies viewed them as obstacles during the construction and even called for the approval of the 1871 Indian Appropriation Act to eliminate all Indian tribes (95). These behaviors caused by railroad companies were racially biased, violating the Founding Fathers’ principle of equal men. Nevertheless, Americans considered the disappearance of Indian tribes the advance of civilization and development of culture. Furthermore, the railroad construction resulted in a declined buffalo population, which threatened the livelihood of the Pawnee Indians’. Another group, the Sioux, also invaded the southern territory to search for new residence and massacred the Pawnee population (96). With all the hatred from both the white community and a neighboring tribe competing for survival, the Pawnees had no choice but to leave to Kansas. From all above-mentioned evidence, it is easy to conclude the unequal and discriminating way the native Indians were treated contradicted the essential principle of men equality recognized by the Constitution. Indeed, these tragic historical events convey one sad fact in the 19th century America—all men are created equal, but some people were not considered “men” of this category. In spite of their wrong doing in

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