The 1820s were a crucial period in our history. Much of the foundation of our modern industrial society was laid during this time. It was an era of optimism and prosperity, but also of social tensions and anxieties. The economy expanded dramatically. Canals, steamboats and new roads helped travelers, shippers, investors and farmers. They linked the East with the South and Midwest, where land speculation became a booming business and where farmers were starting to commercialize, specializing in cash crops for sale to consumers. Hundreds of factories and banks sprang up in this decade of "progress". The spirit of private enterprise spread to every class and region in the nation. Americans were on the make.