On the Antebellum Period: Technological/Sociological Development and Progress
Few periods of human history have marked such unprecedented levels of technological and sociological development as the Antebellum Period (1812–1861). The critical event marking the beginning of this period is the War of 1812, a tripartite war between the United States of America, Great Britain, and France. The War of 1812 was the impetus to industrialization in the United States because, prior to this war, much of the fruits derived from industrial forms of manufacturing that were present in the United States were shipped from Great Britain, but once this war started, the British “created a continent-wide blockade, cutting off their former subjects (the Americans) from all international trade” which caused the Americans to industrialize — new textile mills, iron foundries, metallurgical shops, etc. all sprung up — in order to create the items necessary to defend their Republic. This industrialization is that aforementioned technological development.
Subsequently, much sociological development took place due to the antecedent technological development. E.g., the technological development — railroads, the cotton gin, iron foundries, textile mills, metallurgical shops, etc. — allowed for what is known as the market revolution in the United States. The market revolution being that process whereby the general economic activity in America transitioned from solely insular/self-sufficient agricultural forms of enterprise to forms which were also supplemented by industrious forms of enterprise, allowing for increases in production and new jobs. E.g., case and point: Abraham Lincoln, before the market revolution, lived a simple and insular agricultural life, he and his family rarely traded with others, their subsistence was derived directly from the fruits of their agricultural labor. After the market revolution however, Abraham Lincoln became a “tremendous booster of railroads, and canals… and eventually became a lawyer.”
The effects of the market revolution are many: (1) prior to it, 95% of all labor in the United States was agricultural or very nearly related to agriculture, by 1860, however, only 53% of all labor in the United States was agricultural. Today it accounts for roughly 1.3%. This is owing to the fact that men and women left the farm to work at the factory and other similar forms of institution. (2) Owing to the invention of the clock, foremen began to order the working days of their laborers around said clock thereby implementing the now nearly universal notion of “being on the clock” rather than, say, being under the sun at this or that point in the sky. This regimented 5-or-6-days-a-week-from-9AM-to-5PM way of being still lingers to this day.
To conclude: I believe that this technological and sociological development is ultimately positive in that it has — in a round-about yet obvious way — been the connexion which has allowed for more people to come to self-consciousness and freedom by way of, say, the free market of ideas and mandatory schooling.
