The period after the civil war saw the United States of America economy transform to become a national economy and an industrial giant. The already existing industries quickly expanded and new ones emerged including steel manufacturing, electrical power, and petroleum refining. This period saw the rapid expansion of the railroad network which would subsequently connect even the remote parts of the country into the national economic grid essentially transforming the regional markets into a national economy. Following the economic expansion, the American society was greatly transformed creating a new crop of wealthy individuals and a dynamic middle class. Additionally, there was a vast expansion of blue-collar job opportunities which quickly increased the country’s labor force. With immigrants arriving in large numbers together with rural migrants, the American economic society was diversified into heights never seen before. The post-Civil War expansion, evolution and expansion of the railroad, and Henry Clay’s role in the development of the American system played a crucial role in the development of America’s national economy.
Towards the end of the 18th century, the American economy was quickly transforming different sectors such as the textile industry and timely railroad expansion that connected the entire country using a well-orchestrated grid. Henry Clay, born in Kentucky in the year 1777, would become a crucial contributor towards the economic expansion and the end of the civil war towards 1860. As referred to by Abraham Lincoln, the beau ideal of a statesman, Clay would earn himself the title of the “Great Compromiser” for his great economic plans through his prowess in political strategies (Eaton, 1957). For instance, Clay is credited for the 1833 compromise which was crucial in the resolution of the South Carolina nullification crisis following the opposition towards the protective tariffs. Additionally, Clay was responsible for the 1850 compromise that led to the holdup of the civil war in the 1850s for approximately 10 years. The American System, Clay’s contribution, sought to unite the society economically thought the permission and support of the American domestic manufacturing industry.
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Clay presented the American System to the House of Representatives in a two-day long speech in March 1824 and again in 1832 to the country’s Senate. Under the American System, Clay had four principles: the improvement and development of the system of roads and canals through federal financing that would connect New Orleans to the Canadian border to expand the country’s market; the insulation of the domestic industries and businesses through a protective tariff; the efforts towards having a stable currency through re-chartering the Bank of the United States; and sourcing of public financing through the sale of public lands at higher prices (Heidler & Heidler, 2011). Even though Clay’s system received opposition during the era of the Jacksonian Democracy, it would subsequently be revitalized after the end of the civil war long after his death in 1852. The American System would play a crucial role in fueling the Manifest Destiny belief that saw great economic development in the country.
Besides the American System, towards the end of the 19th century saw the United States drastic growth both in size and power. Following the great explorative successes, some Americans would soon venture westwards which was largely supported by rhetoric, law and the vision of the founding fathers to have a far-reaching territory. As the manufacturing industry rose in New England, the westward expansion was both timely and economically viable. The American settlers were moving rapidly to what is referred to as the Midwest today and this necessitated the development of infrastructure through the development of canals, roads, and railroads. The rapid expansion of infrastructure, more specifically the railroads, would then purge the country into a new era of medicine, manufacture, and agricultural inventions (Neil, 1964). The Midwest became an inspiration that saw the symbolic development of the American identity in the 19th century with the development of acting, painting, and writing. Through such developments, America was quickly gaining worldwide recognition economically.
Towards the end of the 19th century, the period after the civil war, railroad expansion became a crucial foundation for the economic growth of the United States. The construction of the expansive railroad created a huge demand for goods and services. Such goods such as steel led to the development of the steel industry tremendously. More so, the construction was labor intensive and individuals migrated from different regions to aid in it. This led to the creation of jobs and the development of the manufacturing industry. Additionally, the construction of the railroads interconnected different states thus creating a national market. The boosted the economy in that goods could be produced in one state and consumed in another. Furthermore, the railroad became the backbone of the industrial revolution supporting all other industries such as the mining industry, the steel industry, and the movement of people (Kim, 1995).
The development of America’s economic expansion was characterized by challenges, visions, and efforts of the people. While the 19th century was characterized by wars and political unrests, it is an era in which the country economic foundation was laid. Through the efforts of individuals such as Henry Clay, the Westward expansion which saw the country become an economic powerhouse, and infrastructural development more specifically the railroad expansion, America changed tremendously. The country created wealth for the people, there was an increment in job opportunities, and the states were crucially interconnected leading to the shift from a regional to a national economy. Ultimately, the 19th-century changes in the United States economy laid the foundation for what became the world’s greatest and most powerful economy in the 20th and 21st centuries.
References
Eaton, C. (1957). Henry Clay and the art of american politics (13th ed.). Boston [u.a.]: Little, Brown and Comp.
Heidler, D., & Heidler, J. (2011). Henry Clay: The Essential American . New York: Random House Trade Paperbacks.
Kim, S. (1995). Expansion of markets and the geographic distribution of economic activities: the trends in US regional manufacturing structure, 1860–1987. The Quarterly Journal of Economics , 110 (4), 890.
Neil, W. M. (1964). The American territorial system since the Civil War: A summary analysis. The Indiana Magazine of History , 220.
