In A Shop Keeper’s Millennium, Paul Johnson uses a studied approach proving that while religion played an integral part in the formation and development of Rochester’s industrial expansions, Charles Finney’s revivals were a part of a trio of catalysts that spurred a city’s transition from being traditionally business-based to technologically-revolutionized. Because of this, inhabitants of the town also went through economic, social, and political changes alike while shifting into a time of an increasingly capitalized market. The economy of Rochester was originally heavily based in country trade; however, with the tide turning in favor of higher profits and faster production, businesses began shifting to a middle-man system of fabrication. Causing production time of goods to greatly decrease, this form of manufacturing quickly became popular. Conversely it also allowed for the decrease of artisan skillsets, a division of labor, and the ushering in of workers moving into their own private homes and away from workplaces. Although the revivals in the …show more content…
Church membership exploded as more and more people began attending services. The way Finney preached attracted all types of people, but his colloquial speech and the class he exhibited also attracted Rochester’s elite, thus allowing for reformations to start with those in the upper class at control. Those with wealth and business power were “determining which families needed help and which deserved it” (p.118). His preaching also endorsed principles that encouraged forms of social control in the workplace. Prohibition on alcohol, and one’s church-attending status became key factors to workers acquiring jobs, and that became a serious issue for a wide group of people. Reasons like these were factors behind the formation of a rising middle class of people who would separate themselves by the neighborhoods they lived in and the actions they
Sam Patch’s father, who was a drunkard, exhausted all his family fortune, and in 1807 the Patches moved to the mill village of Pawtucket. This was a climactic moment in their history because it marked their passage out of the family economy and into the labor market. This caused the Patches to be dependent on factory owners for a job. Factory spinners, including Sam Patch, were people with a lot of pride and dignity. Before 1820, most spinners in New England mills were emigrants from the factory towns of Lancashire England. They were veterans who knew that their skills were essential, and they commanded respect (Johnson 23). Industrialization brought with it urbanization or city growth but it had an unintended consequence of creating massive wealth gaps between the rich people and the working class people.
The Industrial Revolution in America began to develop in the mid-eighteen hundreds after the Civil War. Prior to this industrial growth the work force was mainly based in agriculture, especially in the South (“Industrial Revolution”). The advancement in machinery and manufacturing on a large scale changed the structure of the work force. Families began to leave the farm and relocate to larger settings to work in the ever-growing industries. One area that saw a major change in the work force was textile manufacturing. Towns in the early nineteen hundreds were established around mills, and workers were subjected to strenuous working conditions. It would take decades before these issues were addressed. Until then, people worked and struggled for a life for themselves and their families. While conditions were harsh in the textile industry, it was the sense of community that sustained life in the mill villages.
Paul E. Johnson displays incredible insight on the 1820s to the 1830s in his book “A Shopkeeper’s Millennium” of how the changes in Rochester evolved socially, economically, and spiritually. It was widely accepted and was told to be brutally honest about the intentions of the elites of the time The truth that was spilled onto the pages and were revealed masterfully through his work. It took many years of tracking down enough primary sources to write the book. He touches broadly on all points of change in Rochester. Johnson gives unique insight through primary sources that shatter the previous theologies of the growing society in Rochester.
Methodism was thought to be an integral part in the social evolution of the country. It had a stabilizing effect for those involved with the church, as well as a model for the political development of the working-class people. The church believed in equal political, economic, and social rights for all people and it also had a strict, structural organization, which encouraged stability amongst its members. (1) While the churches had a soothing effect on the citizens of London, social and political reform increased concern, awareness, and uncertainty. The organization of the government in London contributed to the discontent of its citizens.
A society consists of a community of people living together and sharing customs and traditions. Once immersed in this society, one can begin to see certain standards woven into the social fabric of the community. These standards, ranging from not walking into public areas scantily clad to not embarrassing people in front of others, are usually unspoken and sometimes cause strife. Young adults often find these standards to be extremely restricting and favor freedom of action over the collective control. Commonly known as individualism, this social theory is very alive in the hearts and actions of young adults and never quite leaves a human as he or she grows older and “matures.” In middle class, Protestant America individualism is subverted in favor of traditional societal standards and customs. Protestant America happens to be the setting of three stories written by author John Updike. An examination of these short stories reveals that John Updike incorporates the struggles young adults experience as they attempt to hold on to their individualism and to protest as well as to question the fact that society's standards are out of focus.
The industrial cities that spawned during and after the birth of the Industrial Revolution were very different from the cities that existed before to the revolution. Prior to the Industrial Revolution, cities were a market where trade goods could be bought and sold. Trappers and hunters would come into towns to sell their goods to shoppers who were eager to obtain these items. Blacksmiths and barbershops, saloons and banks, farmers and stable masters were typically the primary typical businesspersons within a typical pre-industrial revolution city. The traditional American city went through many drastic changes in a short period of time during the Industrial Revolution, and would never be the same. Some may claim that American cities during the Industrial Revolution were suffering due to the sudden growth that they were experiencing. Although American cities were in fact riddled with problems during the Industrial Revolution, the innovations to solve these problems would change the shape of America forever, for the better.
Companies realize what people need and they take it as sources to produce commodities. However, companies which have famous brands try to get people’s attention by developing their products. Because there are several options available of commodities, people might be in a dilemma to choose what product they looking for. In fact, that dilemma is not real, it is just what people want. That is what Steve McKevitt claims in his article “Everything Now”. When people go shopping there are limitless choices of one product made by different companies, all choices of this product basically do the same thing, but what makes them different is the brand’s name. Companies with brands are trying to get their consumers by presenting their commodities in ways which let people feel impressed, and that are some things they need to buy. This is what Anne Norton discussed in her article “The Signs of Shopping”. People are often deceived by some famous brands, which they will buy as useless commodities to feel they are distinctive.
The open shop movement was an attempt on the part of corporations, trade associations, chambers of commerce, and their political supporters to weaken the organized labor movement by requiring employees to work in an open or nonunion workplace. Gains in labor union membership in the early 20th century prompted sharp responses from employers and businessmen, and antiunion organizations such as the National Association of Manufacturers (NAM) and the American Anti-Boycott Association organized campaigns at both the local and national level aimed against strikes, boycotts, and political action among workers. Although the majority of employers had long opposed labor unions and resisted the closed or union shop (whereby workers were required to join the union as a condition of their employment), the open shop movement began in earnest in response to the wave of labor unrest that followed World War I.
During the late 1700’s, the United States was no longer a possession of Britain, instead it was a market for industrial goods and the world’s major source for tobacco, cotton, and other agricultural products. A labor revolution started to occur in the United States throughout the early 1800’s. There was a shift from an agricultural economy to an industrial market system. After the War of 1812, the domestic marketplace changed due to the strong pressure of social and economic forces. Major innovations in transportation allowed the movement of information, people, and merchandise. Textile mills and factories became an important base for jobs, especially for women. There was also widespread economic growth during this time period (Roark, 260). The market revolution brought about economic growth through new modes of transportation, an abundance of natural resources, factory production, and banking and legal practices.
Different ideas were being expressed through The Second Great Awakening. The religious focus was now turning to God’s mercy and benevolence, which sparked other beliefs and ideas. People started believing that they could control their own fate. Worship services consisted of singing hymns and personal testimonies to make it more emotional. Many found religion as a soft comfort during the difficulties of this time period. Charles Finney was one of the most effective evangelists of the time. He entertained and edified, preached on conviction, repentance, and reformation (DOC B). The belief that parents could contribute to their child’s salvation led women to want to spiritually educate their children. Spiritually educating led to the belief that education was important. Schools were started to educate children while they were young. Many lower-class families had to go to high extremes to put their children in school. Children were needed to help work in the homes, but families saw that education was important, and they would allow their children to attend half a day or more of schooling (DOC E). Religion and education was becoming better known throughout society. America saw they needed to apply higher principles to gain benefits of the highest physical, intellectual, and moral education in order to be a gre...
In the nineteenth century America plunged into the Industrial Revolution. In the eighteenth century, goods were produced in home system operations. The remarkable development of capitalism in Boston became evident after the French and Indian war of 1812. Two of huge factories privately owned in Boston were Francis Lowell's Boston Manufacturing Company in Waltham and Merrimack Manufacturing Company in Lowell. As the role of women in society became more indiscriminate, young females dominated factory towns such as Lowell. They came from all over New England's farms and small towns, worked for a few years and then returned. Thus the mill populations were transient. With mechanization of textiles, new styles and fashions developed. Thus newness was becoming a virtue rather than peril.
Jacobs, Jane. "12-13." The Death and Life of Great American Cities. New York: Random House, 1961. N. pag. Print.
In the late 1800’s the socio-economic system within America began to change. There was a boom of commercial enterprise, which was a result of mass Industrialization. Banks, Railroads, and Factories seemed to sprout up in a matter of months. With the sudden change in enterprises there also came a shift in material longi...
Garwood, John. “Religious and moral Character of the Pensioners, and Provisions made for their Instruction.” Social Investigation/Journalism – The Million-Peopled City. (1853): 94-96. 11 Mar. 2005
Dunnes Stores is an indigenous, family owned Irish Company. The Company is a retailer in both the food and textile market who work around the principle of providing competitive prices, high quality products and a vast variety of choices. The company’s motto of “Better Value” looks to draw in all these principles together.