Period 4

Introduction

Welcome to the 19th century! We’ve already journeyed through three centuries of U.S. history—just two more to go. In this century, many distinctly American cultural elements begin to emerge, with nationalism shaping architecture, literature, art, and even ideology (think Manifest Destiny). Democracy also expands—though, at this point, only for white men.

Economically, the Market Revolution transforms how Americans live and work, laying the groundwork for even greater change after the Civil War. And speaking of the Civil War, this era sees sectional tensions between North and South grow deeper and deeper—over slavery, slavery, and, yes, slavery.

A national conflict is on the horizon, but before we get there, our focus will be on what historians often call the Age of Jefferson and Jackson.