THE OPPORTUNITY TO GROW: SPRINGFIELD, ILLINOIS DURING THE 1850S

This study of Springfield, Illinois during the 1850s focused on the town\u27s 741 heads of household in 1850. A search was made for each individual\u27s growth during the decade in the form of occupational advancement, property gains, and community involvement. Important sources included the federal manuscript population censuses for 1850 and 1860, city directories, county histories, and a local newspaper. Evidence of growth was linked with the Republican rhetoric of the 1850s, which claimed that the northern free-labor system permitted ample opportunity for advancement in stark contrast to slavery. Separate chapters examined the Germans, the Irish, all household heads who persisted throughout the 1850s, and the wealthiest household heads. Concentration of wealth in the hands of a few native-born household heads and over-representation of the immigrants in unskilled and semiskilled positions were apparent. This dissertation, however, stressed exceptions to these broad patterns. Many individuals (immigrant and native born) who experienced relatively modest gains during the decade were studied. Their lives in Springfield were traced through all available sources. These household heads were often active in voluntary organizations and local politics, providing highly visible evidence within this small midwestern community that there was an opportunity to grow during the 1850s