What Changes Occurred During The Market Revolution

The market revolution was just that--a revolution. Momentous changes occurred during this time in history that left a unique mark on the United States. These changes were mainly social and economic, according to Sean Wilentz.

One social change involved family life. Male and female roles were more divided than ever inside and outside of the home. According to Sean Wilentz there was, "A male public sphere of politics, business, and the market, and a females private sphere of domestic duties and child rearing," (Wilentz 64). Women were expected to take care of the home and their family. Being home was important, as women were in charge of keeping the children clean and clothed. More importantly, the children must also be kept morally pure. This routine to which women adhered was known as the "Cult of Domesticity" and it was the reasoning behind these women's home lives.

Moreover, the market revolution created a myriad of economic dependencies that were not beneficial to many who dwell in the lower rungs of society. These people were, "immigrant and black day laborers, outwork seamstresses, the causal poor," that were effected by, "a combination of overstocked labor markets and intense competition among

In Charles E. Rosenberg's, "The Cholera Years" he alludes to the fact that immigrants were hit the hardest by the cholera epidemic. These immigrants were the absolute poorest of the poor, and in places such as New York City there were not many opportunities for betterment. Public policy at this time was not designed to help this class of people. Had city health officials taken the time to think about the immigrants coming into American ports and connected that their way of life before and after their journey to this new land made for a breeding ground of disease, perhaps cholera would not have touched the lives of so many lower class