History concepts and applications

American History: Important Changes From 1810 to 1830

The period of time from 1810 to 1830 was a major time of social, economic and political change in America. The most important of these changes are those whose impact can still be seen today. Three of the most important changes were the growth of manufacturing, the focus on the individual rather than the community and the acceptance of democracy.

The growth of manufacturing changed the nature of America forever, with manufacturing becoming more important than farming for the first time. Tocqueville (XIX) reflects on the focus America put on manufacturing saying, "No people in the world have made such rapid progress in trade and manufactures as the Americans." This rapid progress led to the industrial revolution and eventually the society we have today, with capitalism and manufacturing the basis society is built upon. As Tocqueville (XIX) argues, "Democracy not only swells the number of working-men, but leads men to prefer one kind of labor to another; and while it diverts them from agriculture, it encourages their taste for commerce and manufactures." Manufacturing becomes the chosen career even for those that would truthfully prefer to remain farming. Instead of remaining with farming, people give up their land and seek a quicker and more profitable career.

Manufacturing becomes the basis of society, with people pursuing careers in manufacturing and seeing it as the path to success. The effect of this is clear to see in modern society. The most successful people in America have built their fortunes in business and an individual's career has become the measure of success. This process began in the early 1800's when the idea of working off the land was overtaken by the idea of manufacturing.

The early 19th century was also a time when equality became an ideal society based itself upon. While equality was meant to offer every individual equal rights, it also had other effects. As Tocqueville (I) observes, "The principle of equality, which makes men independent of each other, gives them a habit and a taste for following in their private actions no other guide than their own will." Equality then actually divides people by making them follow their own private goals rather than the overall goals of society. At the same time, equality actually separates people into distinct groups. As Tocqueville observes (XIII), "No state of society or laws can render men so much alike but that education, fortune, and tastes will interpose some differences between them." This leads to a society where each individual, "Willingly acknowledges all his fellow citizens as his equals, but will only receive a very limited number of them as his friends or his guests" (Tocqueville XIII). These ideas of equality were first introduced in the early 1800's and have since become an ideal that society bases itself in. Yet, while it remains an ideal, it is also a fallacy. All people may accept others equally, but they also separate themselves from others and operate in their own private circles. Issues like racial tolerance and equal opportunity continue to be major ones in society and they can be seen to extend from this basic idea of accepting others in the name of equality, while at the same time excluding others.