Hamilton vs Jefferson

     After personally visiting the Boot and Cotton Mills in historic downtown Lowell, and researching the topics of the Hamiltonian and Jeffersonian arguments; it is clear to me which argument I side with, despite the major flaws each posseses. After carefully fiddling through a few documents and educational articles on the subject; I found that I prefered the Hamiltonian approach to the economy, aside from the harsh laboring issues many men and women had to put up with. Although I agree with the fact that the common people and the virtue of agriculture are exremely important to a country's economy; I also feel that just that alone would not escalate the economy to the type of status and wealth needed to be a strong country.

     Previous to the Industrial Revolution many Americans were uneasy about factory work. Many "Jeffersonians" saw it as a danger that would result in a large class of dependent employees; controlled by their wealthy bosses, and forced to work under grim conditions. At this time across the Atlantic in England, the Industrial age had already begun in cities like Manchester. The Industrialization in England had created the rise of a large, poverty stricken class of unskilled workers, but had also brought in a substantial amount of wealth for the country as a whole. Many "Jeffersonians" or artisans knowing this, saw the Hamiltonian approach to the economy as a threat to their independance and their standard of living.

     Though those facts may be true, the Hamiltonian approach which states the economy weilds most of its power from industrialization is true as well. Factories and Mills brought in large portions of money and provided alot of wealth in many cities that housed those factories and mills, such as Lowell. Factories and Mills provided both men and women desperate in need of money to help their families for themselves with jobs. It also forced people to become more educated if they wanted to acheive wealth and status in America. The industrialization in America helped modernize cities, and helped us discover new technologies for ways we can out-do other countries and acheive a higher economic status. Although it did widen the gap in social classes, it did help America become one of the most powerful countries in the world.

     The mills of Lowell attracted the most attention, for they were newer, larger, and more industrial than anything America had ever seen before. Lowell even housed the first large scale textile mill in America. These mills surpassed other American mills by including new technologies such as power-loom weaving and spinning. The size, corporate structure, and urban setting of these large textile mills set the standard for subsequent industrial development in America.

     The great cost of running these machines were the mills biggest downfall. Even when the demand for the product was low the mills had to keep running. This is where all of the problems came into play. Since the market for the product simply wasnt there, and the machines had to keep running; many of the employees, if not all had to take pay cuts. In Lowell, this led to a new kind of work force that involved young women laboring in the mill. There were also other reasons contributing to the women workforce in the mills. In this day in age, women had already been employed in home textile work, and the fact that they were not expected to support their families meant they could be paid less. While working in the mills these women faced muggy conditions of getting black lung from all of the dust, and possible dangers such as getting their hair or arm caught in one of the looms; meaning they could potentially be scalped or have their arm amputated. These types treatments and conditions existed for all types of employees not just women; but it was unusual to see a women doing work outside of her own home; which industrialization had changed.

     Despite the tremendous amounts of up and downs the Industrial Revolution caused, it did bring wealth, power, and social classes over to America which in the end created a bigger, stronger economy. The growth of the Industrial Revolution in Lowell caused many immigrants to come overseas; causeing Lowell's foreign body to become almost half it's population. The city's entire population had grown enough to reach the 2nd most populated city in the state behind Boston; and in its prime hosted some of the wealthiest individuals in America; along with becoming one of the richest and "booming" cities in America. The wealth of Lowell during the Industrial Revolution allowed it to gain one step up on most cities in the world, and allowed for the building of major bridges and canal-ways; along with building the railway for use of recreation and transport, that now runs beneath Lowell High School. Without the "Hamiltonian" approach for an economy backed by powerful industrial enterprises allows a country to strengthen, and grow it's economy; and allows the country to modernize, and gain new technologies to compete with other growing countries in the world and not fall behind. The "Jeffersonian" approach of an agricultural backbone based economy would help create an even economy; but in the long run set it behind as other countries become wealthier, and obtain emerging technologies to carry on in their advancements.