History 310 Online

Discussion Post #4: Did the market revolution and the growth of capitalism liberate or impoverish most people in the Early National period?

For this fourth discussion board assignment you will consider the concepts of liberty, equality, and capitalism in the Early National period of American history.

Premise: Most Americans simply assume that American freedom and democracy are best maintained economically by capitalism. Those who have touted other economic models, such as socialism or communism, have often been viewed with disfavor as “un-American.” With that familiar claim in mind, prepare a discussion post that addresses the following prompt:

Prompt: Did the market revolution and the growth of capitalism liberate or impoverish most people in the Early National period?

Directions:

To get started,

1. study our Week 11 lecture on the Market Revolution
2. read the OpenStax downloaded textbook sections from chapter 9  that I have posted this week.
3. Read the primary source documents provided:

• Orestes Brownson, The Laboring Classes
• “Factory Girls”

  Based on what you have learned from the assigned materials on the Market Revolution for this week, do the following: write a main post with a minimum 450 words that addresses the prompt above, using specific contextual examples and historical details drawn from our assigned sources to support your post.

• Please respond to at least ONE of your classmates’ posts, explaining why you agree or disagree with their conclusions (50 words minimum)