Political and Economic Rights in the 1780s and 1830s

Political and Economic Rights in 1780s and 1830s

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Political and Economic Rights in 1780s and 1830s

The United States of America experienced dramatic changes between the 1780s and 1830s. This era was significantly characterized by the American Revolution, the birth of the new nation after the adoption of the United States Constitution and the antislavery struggle. These events impacted heavily on the political and economic rights of the free working class that lived in those eras. This essay investigates the similarities and differences of the between the free working class in 1780s and 1830s in terms of political and economic conditions and rights. Analysis shows that while the free working class of the 1780s enjoyed better economic rights and conditions, their 1830s counterparts had more political rights in 1830s.

The first significant similarity between the 1780s and 1830s was that there were unequal political rights given based on race. Racial segregation thrived. This was exacerbated by the fact that some states promoted slavery. The struggle against racial segregation would be won in the 1870s but fully realized almost a century later. Another similarity was the fact that the laborers did not have a unified labor movement. This may not have had any significant meaning for the working class in the 1780s because there was plenty of land and scarcity of laborers. However, those in the 1930s suffered after being poorly remunerated. The major trade union, American Federation of Labor, came into existence in the 1880s. The last major difference was the fact that during the both of these periods, there was no universal suffrage. The women were not allowed to vote. They were not even allowed to assume leadership positions or even speak at a gathering.

The major differences between these two periods relate to the political and social unrests that were witnessed in the 1830s. Most of the demands that were being agitated for were not fully...