In the early years of the nineteenth century, Americans' endless commercial ambition remade the nation. Between the Revolution and the Civil War, an old, stubborn world died and a new more-commercial nation was born. Americans combined the technologies of the Industrial Revolution into a new commercial economy. Steam power, the technology that moved steamboats and railroads, fueled the rise of American industry by powering mills and sparking new national transportation networks. A "market revolution" was busy rebuilding the nation.
The revolution spread across the country. More and more farmers grew crops for profit, not for themselves. Huge factories and cities rose up in the North. Huge fortunes appeared. A new middle class soared, and as
The revolution spread across the country. More and more farmers grew crops for profit, not for themselves. Huge factories and cities rose up in the North. Huge fortunes appeared. A new middle class soared, and as