Give Me Liberty!: Volume 1

In 1824, the Marquis de Lafayette revisited the United States, exploring all 24 states and celebrating the nation’s expansion. The authors use his travels to highlight significant advancements in transport, like steamboats and the Erie Canal, demonstrating notable changes in both society and infrastructure.

Despite the celebratory nature of his visit, Lafayette’s observations on enslavement, the authors argue, underscored another contradiction in American liberty, as the institution persisted alongside free settlement in expanding territories.

A New Economy

The authors explain how the early 19th century witnessed the “market revolution,” driven by innovations like steamboats and the Erie Canal, which transformed American economics by enhancing connectivity and reducing transport costs. The Erie Canal, completed in 1825, particularly revolutionized commerce and urban growth, establishing New York City as a preeminent commercial hub. This period marked a shift from localized, artisanal production to a broader market-oriented economy, laying the foundation for the United States as a major economic power.

The Rise of the West

Between 1790 and 1840, massive westward migration reshaped the US into a regionally diverse nation. This expansion was driven by settlers moving into territories controlled by foreign powers or Indigenous groups, anticipating eventual US governance, as seen in the acquisition of Florida through the Adams-Onís Treaty. The West’s allure, the authors note, was synonymous with opportunity and freedom, despite intensifying national conflicts over enslavement and economic interests.

Market Society

While the South replicated its agrarian, enslavement-based economy, the North underwent significant industrialization, creating a dynamic economy of interconnected markets and cities. The market revolution introduced major changes in labor and urban life, particularly through innovations like railroads and the telegraph, which facilitated economic and territorial expansion. This era also saw the emergence of a factory system and a growing reliance on wage labor, setting the stage for future labor reforms.

The Free Individual

In the 1830s, America’s rapid expansion and the market revolution fostered a society characterized by individualism and mobility, noted by observers like Tocqueville and Harriet Martineau for its dynamic energy and pursuit of economic opportunity. The authors argue that this period solidified the concept of the free individual in American culture, emphasizing self-reliance and personal freedom against traditional social structures and constraints.

The second Great Awakening reinforced this individualism with a religious fervor, promoting personal moral agency and a direct, individual relationship with spirituality. This movement, they argue, democratized American Christianity, significantly affecting both the religious landscape and individual conceptions of freedom, emphasizing personal salvation through faith and good works.

The Limits of Prosperity

The authors argue that while the market revolution brought about widespread economic growth and material prosperity, symbolized by state seals like New Jersey’s “Liberty and Prosperity” (779), it also highlighted significant inequalities. One of their primary arguments is that this period, like many others, was marked by dramatic disparities in wealth and access to economic opportunities, particularly for racial minorities and women. Free Black individuals faced systemic discrimination and were largely excluded from the new economic prosperity, while women experienced shifts in their roles and opportunities within the market economy.

The cult of domesticity emerged as middle-class women were increasingly confined to the private sphere, their roles idealized as keepers of morality and domestic tranquility away from the public economic arena. This gendered division of labor celebrated women’s roles as nurturing and supportive, contrasting with the growing public sphere dominated by men.

The early labor movement arose in response to the market revolution’s disruptions, advocating for fair labor practices and addressing the inequalities spawned by rapid economic change. Workers organized to demand better working conditions, fair wages, and the right to unionize, challenging the prevailing notions of freedom and equality in a capitalist society.

The authors’ underlying argument is that while the market revolution expanded the scope of economic freedom for many, it also underscored the complexities and contradictions of American freedom. It catalyzed debates about rights, equality, and the true meaning of independence––which they consider to be the uniting thread of American history––which would continue to evolve in the face of ongoing social, economic, and political changes.