Changing AmericaThe United States was only a country for about 15 years before the basic lifestyle of the people in the country changed dramatically. We developed politically and economically, expanded westward, and split along sectoral boundaries. However, these are not the only defining characteristics this time around. The period 1790-1860 was a time of rapid industrialization, market revolution, and changing social order. This is largely due to advanced methods of transportation, mechanization, and changes in women's roles. With the development of the transportation industry, people's lives have changed rapidly. States have tried to improve their roads to make travel much safer and more comfortable. The federal government financed a national highway in 1808 that cost it $7 million (Faragher 386). It connected the country from east to west and allowed easier travel across the country. This demonstrated the nation's commitment to the development of the country and helped develop a feeling of nationalism among the people. People also moved more freely across the country. They broadened their horizons and learned more about life in different parts of the country. Farmers who had moved west were looking for a way to ship their produce back east. However, the roads were too expensive and inefficient for this purpose. Therefore, canals and steamboats were used to connect the country commercially and allow goods to be transported across the nation. The Erie Canal was one of the greatest technological achievements of its time. With a length of 363 miles it connects New York to the Great Lakes by water (Sheriff 251). The canal provided easy passage halfway across the country for people and goods and triggered a push for westward movement. To travel on these new canals, the vaporetto... middle of paper... they can choose where to work since most occupations exclude women. When women began to work, the patriarchal control of the family was upset (Faragher 400). Women now earned just like men and for them this meant power. Now they no longer depended on humans to survive. Now that women were working, many also wanted an education beyond high school. Women began to go to college and with better education they were able to further increase the interest of women's rights movements (Knight 361). Despite this progress, women were still no closer to achieving equality than their male counterparts. However, they gained greater control over the well-being of the family. During this period of industrialization and market revolution, men began to work more. They focused more on their careers and women took on important roles in the home that revolved around children.