Consumer Or American Revolution Summary

Consumer or American Revolution :

A review on T.H. Breen’s World of Goods in Northern Colonies

Different historians may argue how the boom of consumption shaped our nation during the mid 18th century. Some may say it led to farmers becoming more independent and being self-sufficient for the first time. The farmer’s were able to trade big items such as rice, fish and tobacco and in return get all the luxury imports such as fine thread, black silk, and tea . Some Marxist historians may say that the boom was early Angelo Americans creating a class conflict between economic self-interest and materialism. They wanted the money and power. With wealth comes power and power inevitably has a major political perk. The break-up of the classes separating

The area around these farms quickly grew into cities because it was the easiest spot for the crops to be gathered and readied to be put on a boat for trade. Blacksmiths, gunsmith and brick makers came to be part of the trade as well. The towns and cities continued to grew and more merchant emerged and were found everywhere in the area. It was an area where trade was widely known. Buying, selling, trading goods for goods was commonplace. It was a marketplace that everyone knew they could get what they needed when they wanted. Merchants were everywhere ready to sell buy and trade. Consumerism fueled the marketplace. They were “… able to get a wide range of manufactured goods which transformed their material lives”( Andrlik) as T.H. Breen said. This marketplace was the first of its kind and created a new direction for America. “For Breen, then, the colonial marketplace is far more than a scenic backdrop for the unfolding drama of revolution; it is the revolutions principle player.” ( Agnew, pp.129).

With Bristol and Liverpool growing from the trade happening overseas, more people found themselves migrating toward the north. People were coming from the south and in the West towards the new jobs that were being created from the marketplace. There were jobs working on boats, farming jobs, and industrial jobs forming. The main job that seem to catch eyes were that of industrial

However, it was. “By bringing forcefully and convincingly to our attention that casual links among British imports, British taxation, and massive American resistance, the marketplace of revolution adds a new dimension to our understanding of the process, not the cause, of the revolution.”( Henretta pg769). Henretta, did not agree with TH Breen on this matter. As shown above, the true cause of the American revolution did starte off with a peddler coming to the town of Berwick announcing that he had the luxuries of England with him to trade. With more peddlers coming to town selling/trading these goods, it started how we Americans still live today. The marketing revolution triggered the Industrial revolution which started our first national bank and a system that inspired the Erie Canal. Now that’s a