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The United States between 1789 to 1850

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The United States between 1789 to 1850

America gained its independence from Britain in 1776. After gaining independence, the

country increased between the period 1789 to 1850. Their rapid growth is because America was

a new nation, and there was the fear that other countries would overtake them in terms of

development. Apart from this, the nation also feared that Britain would colonize them again. The

country took further steps in ensuring that they expand the land they owned. In their quest to

increase their territory, Thomas Jefferson engaged in war with the Spanish and eventually

controlled Florida (Miller and Miller, 2006). The country also grew because they were able to

purchase a large piece of land from the French. At the beginning of the 19th century, the French

government sold a large piece of land to the United States government, which greatly expanded

their territory.

The rapid expansion of the United States can be attributed to the cotton industry. After

opening the Southwest territory for settlement, people who owned slaves saw an excellent

opportunity to generate income by growing cotton plantations in the South (Olmstead & Rhode,

2018). The initial slaveholders who ventured into the cotton-growing greatly benefited, and they

were able to accumulate a lot of wealth. As a result, more slave owners ventured into the

industry and set up plantations in different territories. Because of the lucrative opportunity, many

people moved to the regions increasing population, and they were added to states causing the

United States to grow.

During the period between 1789 and 1850, slavery increased in the southern territories.

The growth of slavery in the United States can be explained in terms of technological, economic,

and political factors. However, the main reason for the growth of slavery is the economic factor.

As a result of the industrial revolution in Europe, cotton demand grew in the European
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industries, which made cotton cloth (Kowalski, Matera & Sokołowicz, 2018). The southern

territories had the best climatic conditions that favored cotton growing, and because of this, the

cotton planters saw an opportunity to ship their produce to the European markets. Slaveholders

were obsessed with making huge profits, which could only be achieved by acquiring more slaves

and more land tracks.

On the other hand, technological advancement also played a critical role in the growth of

slavery. The most critical technological advancement during the period was Eli Whitney's

invention in 1793 (Manna, 2017). Because of this technology, the speed at which cotton was

processed increased, and the cotton could be processed faster after being picked by slaves.

Technological advancement led to the increased demand for slaves by the slaveowners. During

the 19th century, there was also the development of rail transport, making it easier to transport the

processed cotton to the market. Therefore, there was the need to increase the speed of cotton

picking, which led to the growth of the plantations, the number of slaves, and slavery.

The political support which the slaveholders received helped them to acquire more slaves

despite the pressure from the northern people to abolish it. Leaders, for example, Andrew

Jackson, were slaveholders and defended the slave trade (Gauch, 2020). President Jackson went

to the point of acquiring more land in Georgia to increase the cotton plantations, increasing the

demand for slaves. Due to the political support, slavery continued to increase, and by the mid of

19th century, over 2 million slaves occupied the Southern territory.

During the early 19th century, the United States experienced changes. These

developments included social developments, the transport revolution, national disunity, and

economic development. Factories started developing along rivers so that they could provide

power to propel different machines. Different people started specializing in different fields of
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production hence making it efficient. Due to other developments, the traditionally trained

craftsmen and other artisans were threatened by these developments. During this period, the

country's political calm was also disrupted by the emergence of party conflicts between the

Republicans and Federalists. The country also participated in the war with Great Britain in 1812,

which significantly disrupted its political stability.

Between 1800 to 1850, the country expanded its territory, grew its economy, increased

immigration and industrialization. During this period, the country's population was also rising

rapidly, and regional differences also started developing. There were movements across different

regions such as the Appalachians, Mississippi, and the goal of reaching the Pacific Ocean, which

was encouraged by the Gold Rush. These movements led to some negative impacts, including

the removal of Indian nations in the Southeast and Northwest.

The economic development the country was experiencing led to an increase in wealth

among different people. Economic development also brought regional differences. The northern

part of the country started a path to the industrial revolution, technological advancements, and

urbanization, leaving the south less developed. The region also experienced a revolution in

different sectors, including transportation, where trans-regional roads, rails, and canals

developed. The southern part of the country continued to practice slavery, which led to the rise in

political debates, especially in the northern part, which advocated for the end of slavery.

Conclusion

America attained the path to economic development immediately after gaining its

independence from the British. Their rapid economic growth was a result of the expansion of the

cotton industry. Because of the expansion of the cotton industry, the demand for slaves
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increased. In the 19th century expanded its industries and increased its territory. This period led to

industrialization, which resulted in regional differences between the north and south.
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References

Gauch, K. (2020). The Destiny of the Slave States? The Southern Debate Over Reopening the

Transatlantic Slave Trade, 1853-1861.

Kowalski, K., Matera, R., & Sokołowicz, M. E. (2018). Cotton Matters. A Recognition and

Comparison of the Cottonopolises in Central-Eastern Europe during the Industrial

Revolution. Fibres & Textiles in Eastern Europe.

Manna, M. (2017). Fact or Myth: Was Eli Whitney the first to invent the cotton gin?

Miller, R. J., & Miller, R. (2006). Native America, discovered and conquered: Thomas Jefferson,

Lewis & Clark, and manifest destiny. Greenwood Publishing Group.

Olmstead, A. L., & Rhode, P. W. (2018). Cotton, slavery, and the new history of

capitalism. Explorations in Economic History, 67, 1-17.