The American System
Describe the idea of Henry Clay’s “American System.”
The American System proposed by Henry Clay was devised when nationalism was spreading fast as an ideal. This came after the 1812 war and remained among the most significant government-sponsored programs. The program aimed at harmonizing and balancing the country’s industry, commerce, and agriculture. The system is constituted of 3 parts that mutually reinforce each other. These parts were a tariff that protected and promoted the country’s industry; federal subsidies on canals, roads, and other improvements made internally to develop markets that were profitable for agriculture; and a national bank that was tasked with fostering commerce. Funding for the subsidies would be sourced from public and sales tariffs. Clay asserted that a sectional economically interdependent system that was vigorously maintained would curtail any opportunity for renewed subservience to the British System’s laissez-faire free trade.
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Based on Clay’s economic vision of America, analyze how the American System would build the American market and economy.
Between 1816 and 1828, programs that supported the American System’s significant elements were passed by Congress. Following President Jackson’s inauguration in 1829 (whose administration emphasized sectional autonomy and a limited federal government role), the American System was the opposition focus of anti-Jackson. The opposition formed the new Whig Party under Clay’s leadership. A tax tariff of between 20-25% established on imported products protected the nation’s businesses from competition posed by other nations (Salisbury, 2015). In 1816, Congress passed a tariff that made European imports more expensive and motivated consumers to purchase American-made goods.
A single currency would be created following the creation of a national bank, which would ease trade and the so-called ‘sovereign credit’ issue. Sovereign credit was a credit that the government issued instead of borrowing credit from the private banking system. Congress created the Second Bank of the U.S. in 1816 (OpenStax, 2019). Further, the country improved its infrastructure and, more so, the transport system, which eased transportation for everyone. Poor roads made the cost of transportation not only increase but delayed as well. One of the most significant improvements was the creation of Cumberland Road (OpenStax, 2019). The Whig Party, led by Henry Clay and Daniel Webster, thrived on the American System. However, the system faced significant opposition from President Jackson’s Democratic Party before the Civil War. The basis for the opposition was claims of the unconstitutionality of the system.
Analyze the role of mechanization and communication in the American System.
According to Pisano & Shih (2012), manufacturing and communication played pivotal roles in implementing the American System. The cotton mill was created and established by Samuel Slater. The water-powered mill was run on the Rhode Island System of Business, where villagers were employed as entire families to work in factories. The Rhode Island System was soon replaced by Lowell’s Boston Manufacturing Company System, where the latter was more efficient than the former. Following Lowell’s death, his associates built the first-ever planned factory town.
Clay debated that cotton goods could generate an annual net income of twenty million dollars (OpenStax, 2019). Under the American System, new transport technology made the transportation of goods to be faster and easier. Transportation evolved from national roads, canals, and railroads (Boundless U.S. History, n.d.). The Erie Canal is one example that reduced freight costs by 95%, significantly contributing to New York City’s stature and wealth. Additionally, communication advancements expanded the U.S. For example, communication was improved to a significant degree by the use of the telegraph—the telegraph communicated text messages over vast distances. The improvements made in communication under the American System bolstered the development of politics, economics, and business. News and information were also now disseminated faster than before the communication advancements (Boundless U.S. History, n.d.).
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References
Boundless U.S. History. (n.d.). The Market Revolution. Retrieved from Lumen: https://courses.lumenlearning.com/boundless-ushistory/chapter/the-market-revolution/
OpenStax. (2019). U.S. history. OpenStax CNX. Retrieved from https://cnx.org/contents/p7ovuIkl@6.18:gMXC1GEM@7/Introduction
Pisano, G. P., & Shih, W. C. (2012). Producing prosperity: Why America needs a manufacturing renaissance. Harvard Business Press.
Ridgway, W. (2003). A Century of Lawmaking for a New Nation (p. 257). Washington, DC: Library of Congress.
Salisbury, W. A. (2015). The Civil War and the American System: America’s Battle with Britain, 1860-1876. Executive Intelligence Review.
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Question 
Week 3 Assignment Case Study
Submit Assignment
The American System
- Due Sunday by 11:59 pm
- Points 150
- Submitting a file upload
Required Resources
Read/review the following resources for this activity:
- Textbook: Chapters 9, 10 (section 10.4), 11 (section 11.5), 13
- Lesson
- One primary source that corresponds with your selected topic (noted in the topic instructions)
- Minimum of 2 scholarly sources (in addition to the textbook)
Optional Resources to Explore
Feel free to review the library guide for scholarly sources and videos at the following link:
- Link (website): History Library Guide(Links to an external site.)
Introduction
The purposes of each case study assignment include the following:
- To hone your abilities to research using scholarly sources
- To advance critical thinking and writing skills
- To compile a response to the prompts provided
- To explore a historical topic and make connections to change over time
Instructions
Pick one (1) of the following topics. Then, address the corresponding questions/prompts for your selected topic. Use at least one (1) documented example of the corresponding primary source in your writing.
Option 1: The American System, Transportation, and Communication
Read the following primary source:
- Link (website): Of Debates in Congress (Clay’s Debate of the American System in 1832)(Links to an external site.) (Click on “Next Image” to see all pages of the debate: pp.258-262.)
Then, address the following:
- Describe the idea of Henry Clay’s “American System.”
- Based on Clay’s economic vision of America, analyze how the American System would build the American market and economy.
- Analyze the role of mechanization and communication in the American System.
Option 2: The Indian Removal Act of 1830
Read the following primary source:
- Link (website): Transcript of President Andrew Jackson’s Message to Congress ‘On Indian Removal’ (1830)(Links to an external site.)
Then, address the following:
- Evaluate the rationale President Jackson used to remove the Native Americans from east of the Mississippi River. Did the removal have the intended impact?
- Identify the responsibilities given to the President under the Indian Removal Act of 1830.
- Compare Jackson’s actions toward Native Americans in the context of his First Inaugural Address with the path of events during the Trail of Tears.
- Determine if the removal of the Native Americans from east of the Mississippi River violates the principles found in the Declaration of Independence.
Option 3: The Abolitionist Movement
Read the following primary source:
- Link (website): Declaration of Sentiments of American Antislavery Society (1833)(Links to an external site.) (Click on arrows to view all images of the document. Click on the plus and minus signs to enlarge or reduce the size of images.)
Then, address the following:
- Assess if abolitionists were responsible reformers or irresponsible agitators.
- Explain how abolitionists upheld the Declaration of Independence as the foundation of antislavery and abolitionist thought.
- Assess the effect of the Gag Rule on the Abolitionist Movement.
- Analyze how the women’s rights movement would gain momentum from the antislavery movement.
Writing Requirements (APA format)
- Length: 2-3 pages (not including title page or references page)
- 1-inch margins
- Double spaced
- 12-point Times New Roman font
- Title page
- References page
- In-text citations that correspond with your end references
Grading
This activity will be graded based on W3 Case Study Grading Rubric.
Course Outcomes (CO): 1, 3, 5
Due Date: By 11:59 pm MT on Sunday
References
Library of Congress. (n.d.-a). Declaration of sentiments of the American antislavery society. Adopted at the formation of said society, in Philadelphia, on the 4th day of December 1833. New York. Published by the American antislavery society, 142 Nassau Street. William S. https://www.loc.gov/resource/rbpe.11801100/?st=gallery
Library of Congress. (n.d.-b). Of debates in Congress (Clay’s debate on the American system in 1832). https://memory.loc.gov/cgi-bin/ampage?collId=llrd&fileName=011/llrd011.db&recNum=132
Our Documents. (n.d.). Transcript of President Andrew Jackson’s message to Congress ‘On Indian removal’ (1830). https://www.ourdocuments.gov/doc.php?flash=false&doc=25&page=transcript
W3 Case Study Grading Rubric – 150 pts
| W3 Case Study Grading Rubric – 150 pts | |||||||
| Criteria | Ratings | Pts | |||||
| This criterion is linked to a Learning OutcomeLength |
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5.0 pts | |||||
| This criterion is linked to a Learning OutcomeContent |
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15.0 pts | |||||
| This criterion is linked to a Learning OutcomeAnalysis |
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30.0 pts | |||||
| This criterion is linked to a Learning OutcomeSupport |
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30.0 pts | |||||
| This criterion is linked to a Learning OutcomeWriting: Mechanics & Usage |
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20.0 pts | |||||
| This criterion is linked to a Learning OutcomeClarity & Flow |
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20.0 pts | |||||
| This criterion is linked to a Learning OutcomeSource Integration |
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10.0 pts | |||||
| This criterion is linked to a Learning OutcomeAPA: Citation and Reference Formatting |
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10.0 pts | |||||
| This criterion is linked to a Learning OutcomeAPA Paper Format |
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10.0 pts | |||||
| Total Points: 150.0 | |||||||