The Hudson River Valley region is thickly populated today, and it is hard to imagine that the region had lesser than 100,000 Native Americans before the arrival of the Europeans. French fur trappers and traders found their way into the region by the middle of the sixteenth century. When Henry Hudson explored the land and named the river as Hudson, he claimed the land for the Dutch. Later, the tiny Dutch settlement surrendered to the Royal Navy and attracted a large number of settlers from New England. Local natives and traders allied themselves with the new developments but suffered too because of military defeats, diseases, and encroachments by the Europeans. The population grew in the eighteenth century with waves of immigration. Uncontrolled capitalism and abundant labor changed the region into a major center of industry and commerce (Campbell 2008). The essay looks at the connection between Arts and Commerce in the Hudson River Valley before the Civil War and how the region developed because of the constant changes taking place in the region. Englishman Henry Hudson stumbled into the Valley by accident when he was looking for a quick passage to China. The Valley that is named after him began about 50 miles north of New York City and was made of steep hills that made traveling extremely difficult and dangerous. By the 1600s, there was an influx of colonists and the area was later controlled by Britain. Hudson River played a significant role in the quest for independence. The Valley area received much attention of the British and the Americans. Americans fortified the area in 1775, using the river for transporting troops and supplies. Great Chain made of huge blocks of wood and stone and iron links prevented British vessels from sailing up the Hudson from New York City. The River served as a separating line between the British and the Americans (Haynes 2016).
The Hudson River Valley The early nineteenth century saw the Hudson Valley population living with the concept of time that dated back to the Middle Ages. Their days were divided by noon and the seasons and harvests were more important than years and profits (Bruegel 549). The social interaction in the agricultural economy required little organization and timing. There were several attempts made in the nineteenth and twentieth centuries to unravel the Hudson River Valley region. However, they lacked the framework and often resulted in over-romanticized work. The geographers and geologists have always treated the Hudson River Valley as a unique blend of land and water forms. The water or river gaps cross ridges and mountain over years to develop historic and economic landmarks. The artistic and literary activity in the Hudson River Valley is looked upon as a revolution in American sensibility as stated by Wermuth, Johnson and Pryslopski (213). Changes were taking place in the Valley during the nineteenth century. The nascent industrialization, away from the valley was beginning to take its hold in the Pre-civil war era. U.S economic history with forces of stronger demand were making a widespread impact on the topography of the region. The River Valley is one of the great natural resources of New York State, what with its rich history and abundance of natural beauty made of indigenous farm and exquisite landscapes. The River Valley region is an international tourist destination. Famous writers and painters have portrayed the region's valley dramatically (Kealy 157). The valley's landscape still boasts of rolling hills filled with centuries-old mansions and lands where much of the early history took place. Revolutionary War were planned here, and Art movements got founded here. The Hudson River Valley that was rich agriculturally was impacted by the market revolution, and the average farm families had to rethink their economic plans. The rising competition in the developing marketplace and the new developing opportunities was gradual to turn them into commercial farmers. Hudson Valley carries an industrial past because of Cold Spring, a small town that was once a bustling industrial center. Its strategic location near the West Point, discovery of iron ore and an easy access to the river for transport made its selection a logical one. New York businessmen began developing property in the Valley somewhere around the mid-1800s (Haynes 2016).
The farming families of Hudson River Valley Many scholars have studied the economic performance and market policies of farmers in the northern United States and how they bought more industrial goods and participated actively in trade. Many farmers traveled considerable distances to get more profitable returns. The smaller farmers contributed in rural businesses and gradually became wage-laborers (Wermuth 179). However, the response of the market revolution plus the different commercial demands varied from different farm families from various regions in the Hudson River Valley. As Wermuth (180) states that how Kingston, a dominant farming community poised their commercial strategies to meet the rising competition. As the local economy matured and expanded in complexity, the farming community became more entangled in the growing market system. There were several features and factors that can be looked into to study the emerging market structure in the later part of eighteenth century. Many farming communities like Kingston were basically an agricultural producers. Moreover, the farm families own the land they tilled on and thus enjoyed a greater control over their produce. Kingston was a central market town that enjoyed an export trade of wood, wheat and flour as well as barrel staves. The export trade generated a requirement for day laborers and what backed to the town's financial diversity were the small manufacturers, Export, and long distance trade allowed residents of Kingston to enjoy more manufactured and consumer goods. Household production supported the export economy of the town. Kingston residents had an easy entrance to river markets and continued their transactions within the community with locally bought food, manufactured goods, household furnishings and textile. Hudson Valley families produced wheat, corn, oats and vegetables in the eighteenth-century that were consumed at home as well as sent to markets or exchanged with neighbors. The household produced maximum of their dairy products and textiles as well. Some farm families maintained self-sufficiency and were independent of market control. However, most families were not able to produce for their needs and were forced to buy from others, and thus indulged in localised trading with neighbors as Wermuth (181) reports. The farmers were employed in both local and long distance trade. The long-distance export trade offered the farmers wider access to larger markets, import consumer goods and earned extra income. Thus, the export trade was more commercial in nature.The first American art The first planned collection of contemporary American art was put together around 1836 and 1827. It was the work of the best artists and contained historical pictures and contemporary landscapes. As stated by Myers (503), the Steven collection is important historically as because of the manner it was put together and how it was exhibited. Stevenses were among the first businessmen in America who took advantage of art to sell a product. All the 12 paintings of the collection were displayed in a frame shop before they were forwarded to the Kensington Shipyard. When a young English immigrant, Thomas Cole explored the unspoiled nature of the north-south Lake Campgrounds, the mountain lakes, he took back the sensational views across the Hudson river and waterfalls plus the hiking trails in his sketches. His finished artwork caught the eye of the president of the American Academy of Fine Arts, and this was to be a pivotal moment in the American culture (Hoare 5). The subject of those paintings was completely new and celebrated the untamed wilderness of America. The timing was perfect, and the artwork left the small art community of New York mesmerized. Soon, portrait painters were seen to pack their bags and head towards the Hudson Valley in pursuit of new landscapes. Some to famous names that arise in mind when one thinks of those luminous golden-hued views of Hudson Valley scenes include Thomas Cole, J.F. Kensett, Albert Bierstadt and Asher Durand among others. For the nineteenth century travelers, there were many opportunities to view these paintings as reproduced illustrations. It is seen that there was a vast array of artists, literary figures and printmakers throughout the nineteenth century, who were anxious to carve a niche for a "picturesque" America (Wiles 2). The process of the celebration of American scenery went ton throughout the nineteenth century, and there was popular response was to the representation of spectacular and picturesque lands. Hudson River artists popularized those artistic interpretations early in the nineteenth century. It seems that the Hudson Valley and its mountains worked as a perfect laboratory for the aesthetic theorists and artists. Hudson River valley motivated and inspired artists and writers because of its picturesque natural landscape. The proximity of sublime scenery of Hudson and great artistic talent gave way to a significant era of art and literature in American history. New works by painters, who were aware of the taste of wealthy city patrons, worked in the rustic locales of the Hudson Valley and their work was seen in fashionable art galleries in the city (The Hudson River: Historical Overview 2001).. Prints of New York and Hudson River scenes created Hudson River views for reproduction and publication. American and European travelers were fascinated by the beauties of the Hudson River and its depiction in an artwork. The Hudson River School style artwork and painters held for fifty years and finally gave way in the later ninetieth century because of the spread of photography and new styles of art from Europe. However, the most important legacy of these pioneering nineteenth-century painters was the appreciation of the native landscape art and an obligation of American wilderness.Development of transportation systems Record of the business transactions show that cash rarely exchanged hand in local trade, and there were still very few farm families who were engaged in the long distance, commercial sale (Wermuth 185). Through the initial nineteenth century, the farmers produced and traded agricultural goods as they had throughout the eighteenth century. However with the development of transportation systems in the early part of nineteenth century, there was direct market competition among the rural interiors and privileged regions like the Hudson Valley as Wermuth (188) asserts. Farmers increased their available land under cultivation under the new economic competition. There was a rise in the percent of the agricultural exports and textile production. Economic success and survival meant higher wool production, textile manufacturing and commercial dairying (Wermuth 189). The Hudson River with a prodigious history of commerce and culture supported a lucrative trade for wheat, timber, and fur. The Hudson's importance grew as the trade continued to grow. Before the introduction of steam-powered boats, the transportation in the Hudson region was difficult, and the movement of trade goods was unpredictable. Steamboats' revolutionized water travel and ushered in a new age of advanced transportation. The competition grew among transportation and travel and land travel gradually gained importance over the river (The Hudson River: Historical Overview 2001). The Hudson River market was expanded by the Stevenses, one of the wealthiest families, carefully and methodically. They entered the market by introducing safer and better means of transportation. Their boats were larger, safer and faster (Myers 508). Needless to say, the transportation system on the river was getting better every day. Moreover, this meant an increased number of travelers and higher amount of trade.Economic importance of Hudson River Valley Hudson River enjoyed military, strategic and economic importance for several years. With the introduction of Steamboat, million passengers traveled across the river. The Hudson Valley became a focal point as the Americans were struggling to develop their identity. Hudson River with the completion of the Erie Canal became one of the chief arteries of trade, ushering in an era of significant economic and industrial expansion. Hudson River School of Painting flourished as the scenery of the Hudson Valley was celebrated in the paintings (Haynes 2016). The region developed as a popular spot for the tourists. The works of different artists attracted international attention for the coming decades.
The region of Hudson River Valley is one of the most significant of America's treasures. The waterway was major travel route for Native Americans, and the river opened trade routes towards the west to the Great Lakes and in the north to Canada. The river's dramatic scenery was praised by the travelers and became a popular subject for artists and writers. areaMore travelers got lured to the region as the region became renowned around the world. Traders were encouraged because of the convenience of its proximity to the port of New York (The Hudson River: Historical Overview 2001). Hudson River Valley region is a uniquely American cultural area although it was colonized by feudal patrons and settled by immigrants and claimed by the Dutch. The river became the most important commercial waterway and played a pivotal role in winning the Revolutionary War. Art and commerce Hudson River steamboats carried more passengers across more miles between New York and Albany. Stevenses operated Albany as a Hudson River day boat, and those paintings were displayed in the cabin of Albany for a period of nine years. There were mentions of those painting in contemporary news articles and advertisements. The Albany collection points of a critical moment in the history of New York City and American art. New York City gained cultureless a commercial significance with an increased Demand in Europe for American agricultural products along with wheat and wood (Myers 505).
This led to higher domestic production, local and international trade. The rapid developing transportation system linked New York with the southern and western market, as the demand for American cotton grew in Britain. The explosive growth in the volume of trade led to the high development and growth of the city, and it had become one of the most active and important port of the nation by the end of 1820’s. Another essential development taking place at the same time was how the city was attracting ambitious artists from all over the county by the middle of the eighteenth century. Burgeoning art activity in New York led to the first artist run academy in the nation which was later named as the National Academy of Design (Myers 505). The center gradually established itself as one of the most important centers for the production of fine arts in the nation.
The rapid development of art can be attributed to the expansion of the local economy. Before the economic boom of the 1820’s, New York artists were dependent on the personal patronage of a small group of socially conservative leading citizens as stated by Myers (506). However, the flourishing economy enabled the middling class to develop an interest in art and its purchase. The new economy created new kinds of arts patronage.
The Stevenses were motivated by patriotism and wished to support the native artists. The swift economic growth in the northeast after the war of 1812 increased the volume of passengers traveling under the monopoly of Livingston-Fulton. Increased demand led to higher competition and faster services. It was hoped that with the support of more businessmen, the American artists would finally get free of their dependency on the traditional form of patronage. However, things did not turn in that direction, and the American artists continued to look for indirect methods of selling their art. The artist and the metropolitan businessmen created art unions together. That raised money by selling memberships and exhibited their purchases in urban galleries. However, those unions enjoyed a short-term success when in the 1850s and 1860s, with the development of real estate, elegant studio buildings got established that soon became prominent centers of elite urban life (Myers 523). The artists could not expose their art to a large number of buyers. It also led to the development of art entrepreneurs who placed themselves as the art adviser and advised the buyer of art and took the potential buyers to those studios. Still, the issue of personal patronage for the American artists did not go away until the twentieth century when the market for art had finally matured and was able to take the primary responsibility for marketing and selling artwork.
Although agriculture proceeded to play an influential role, the maturing market system was getting increasingly complex. There was an increasing demand to for barrels to package western grain. Economic orientation and productive strategies of the households and farmers was getting reshaped as they modified their agricultural practices to meet the needs and demands of the changing and expanding national market. There were families who could not face commercial agricultural production and were unable to produce at this level economically. The market revolution influenced their lives significantly as the farm families diversified their production. Stave-manufacturing and specialized dairying allowed farm households to maintain a significant control over their production. The more commercially-driven New York City trade thrived with the vibrant local trading system in the region (Wermuth 193).
In conclusion on the development of arts and commerce in the Hudson River Valley and the connection between them, it can be seen that the strategic location of the port and the improved transportation system encouraged both long distance trade and local trade, thus giving rise to different economic relations. The farmers were connected now with the local as well as distant merchants. While the long distance trade was more commercial, the local trade still involved the bartering of goods and services. Farmers faced both pros and cons in local trade. While there were no commercial risks as no cash was involved, but the reputation of a family was always at risk. Looking for a trustworthy and reliable trading partner was essential in such trades, and there was hardly any profit in local trades. The long distance commercial trade was open to all; still there were fewer farm families who were engaged in it actively. The natural beauty of the valley played an essential role in boosting the interest of the artists. The timing was right and with the economic prosperity, there grew a higher interest in art. Artwork by local artists was encouraged, and new kinds of art patronage were beginning to develop because of the increased commercial interest in the region. The artists found an escape from their dependence on individual patrons because of the expansion of competitive markets. The transportation system on the Hudson River gradually expanded and became superiors, thus encouraging further trade and commerce in the region.
Works Cited
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