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Difficulty: HardMarket Revolution: Social and Demographic Changes

“We find ourselves subjected to a system of labor that reduces us to mere machines, dependent on the wills of a monied aristocracy. The division of labor and the concentration of wealth in the hands of a few have destroyed the independence of the individual mechanic and divided society into two distinct classes: the idle rich and the laboring poor. Our families, once the centers of domestic industry, are now disrupted as members must seek employment in distant workshops and factories to subsist.”

— Address of the Working Men's Party of Boston, 1830

Which of the following developments in the early nineteenth century most directly contributed to the conditions described in the excerpt?

  1. A
    The federal government's enforcement of mercantilist regulations that restricted free-market competition
  2. B
    The decline of domestic manufacturing in New England caused by a reduction in protective tariffs
  3. The separation of home and workplace as production shifted to commercial factoriesAnswer
  4. D
    The rise of organized agrarian coalitions protesting the corporate dominance of transcontinental railroads

Answer

The separation of home and workplace as production shifted to commercial factories
The correct answer is correct because the Market Revolution led to the reorganization of production, shifting it from household manufacturing (cottage industry) to centralized factories. This transition separated the home from the workplace, altered family structures, and transformed independent artisans into dependent wage laborers, prompting working-class groups to protest their loss of autonomy and the growing wealth disparity.

Step-by-Step Solution

1
Analyze the primary source document to identify the core complaints of the author.
The author laments that workers have become 'mere machines' dependent on a 'monied aristocracy' and that families are disrupted because members must leave the home to work in distant factories.
Understanding the specific grievances helps link them to the broader economic changes of the period.
2
Identify the historical context and the time period of the document.
The document is from 1830, which is during the height of the Market Revolution in the United States.
Placing the source in its correct chronological context prevents confusing it with late-nineteenth-century movements or colonial-era policies.
3
Evaluate the options to find the development that directly caused the shift from independent, home-based production to factory-based wage labor.
The shift of production from traditional households to commercial factories separated home and work, creating a class of wage earners who felt their independence was threatened by industrial capitalists.
This matches the historical reality of the Market Revolution's social impact and addresses the specific complaints in the text.

Key Concept

Market Revolution: Social and Demographic Changes
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Topics

Market Revolution: Social and Demographic Changes

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