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Chapter 4 : Toward a Democracy

After the War of 1812, a spirit of nationalism swept the United States. Roads, canals, and railroads began to cross the landscape. A new national bank stimulated the economy, and tariffs protected American manufacturers from foreign goods. In foreign affairs, a more assertive United States proclaimed the Monroe Doctrine in an effort to close the Western Hemisphere to further European colonization.

The Industrial Revolution brought changes to all sections of the country. In the North, goods became cheaper and more widely available, and workers formed labor unions to improve their lives. In the South, the cotton gin strengthened the importance of both cotton and slavery to the region's economy. The Northwest saw an influx of settlers and the growth of towns and cities.

The period from the 1820s to the 1850s was a time of increased interest in reform. During the administration of Andrew Jackson, presidential power increased, the American definition of democracy broadened, and people began to expect more from their political system.

McGraw-Hill/Glencoe