Rise and Fall of the American System

The American System was implemented by the US government after the American-British War of 1812 to develop a national domestic market. This study explores the rise and fall of the system between its inception in 1790 and the Panic of 1837. Ha argues that the American System started as an expression of American nationalism but resulted in intensifying sectional conflicts within the young republic. It was only implemented in minor cases and a truly national market failed to emerge. In 1840, the South bought just 8 per cent of the East's production and even less of the West's. Focusing on the political aspects of the American System, Ha investigates the underlying causes of its failure.