The Market Revolution

The title of Charles Sellers's book denotes the central organizing idea of the entire text. The "market revolution" of the early 19th century is the series of social, economic, cultural and spiritual upheavals that are the inevitable result of the historical conditions that give rise to modern liberal capitalism. The early 19th century sees the industrial revolution come into its own and to completely restructure the Western World. Sellers acknowledges its incredible productive power and ability to enrich all individuals, though especially capitalists, or, the owners of the means of production. In fact, it is this ability to produce that creates a kind of unstoppable economic vortex that reforms and changes everything that touches it.

As modern industry replacsd agriculture, income inequality increases, people go from being their own bosses to the workers of others and they move to cities. While children had been assets on...