The North and South Take Different Paths Chapter 11&12

The Industrial Revolution The Industrial Revolution was a time when new inventions began doing the work previously done by hand. The revolution began in Great Britain and reached the United States by the early 1800’s.

The Industrial Revolution The American Industrial Revolution began in New England. States such as Massachusetts, Rhode Island, and Connecticut were the first to experience the growth of mills and factories.

The Industrial Revolution New England was the ideal location for the Industrial Revolution to take place: New England soil was poor and people were willing to leave their farms and work in mills. New England had numerous streams and rivers that could be used as water power. New England had resources such as coal, iron and ports.

The Industrial Revolution The Industrial Revolution started an economic system known as capitalism: a system that allows for competition with very little government interference. The economy during this time could also be described as free enterprise: People can buy, sell and produce whatever they wish.

Steam Power In 1790 the first steam engine was developed in England. By 1800 steam engines were powering American factories.

New Technology Inventions such as the spinning jenny and the water frame wove thread into cloth. In 1793 a man by the name of Eli Whitney invented the cotton gin, a machine that quickly removed the seeds from cotton fiber.

Interchangeable Parts The inventor Eli Whitney started the use of interchangeable parts. These were identical machine parts that could be quickly put together to make a complete product. These parts also made machine repair easier allowing the price of goods to drop.

New Technology Inventions were changing the United States at such a fast rate that Congress passed a “patent law”. A patent gives an inventor sole legal rights to an invention and the profits for a certain period of time.

New England Factories In 1814 Francis Cabot Lowell opened a textile plant in Waltham, Massachusetts. Lowell’s textile mill launched the factory system, a system bringing manufacturing steps together in one place to increase efficiency.

The Industrial Revolution The Industrial Revolution led to mass production of certain goods like textiles. New England water mills were able to quickly make textiles. The north, in turn, needed more cotton from the south.

Child Labor To assist their families financially, children as young as seven worked long hours in factories and coal mines instead of going to school

Factory Conditions As the factory system developed, working conditions worsened. The average work day in the factory was 12 hours. As the hours in factories grew longer so did work accidents. Many workers suffered injuries such as lost fingers, being scalped and broken bones.

Factory Conditions In the summer the factories temperatures could reach 120 degrees. To make things worse there was no air conditioning. No laws existed to regulate working conditions or to protect workers.

Cities “ One finds in the streets of New York dead cats and dogs, which make the air very bad; dust and ash are thrown into the streets, which are swept perhaps once every two weeks.” - B. Klinckowstrom

Urbanization The Industrial Revolution led to urbanization. Urbanization: to move away from rural areas into cities. Industrial growth resulted in the increase in size of northern cities and towns.

Industrial Innovations The telegraph used electric signals to transmit messages. Samuel Morse (in 1844) developed Morse Code, a series of dots and dashes representing letters in the alphabet.

Industrial Innovations The mid 1800’s also saw huge developments in the area of agriculture. John Deere invented the steel-tipped plow in 1837 which cut through hard soil and sod. Cyrus McCormick developed the mechanical reaper which helped to harvest grain at a faster rate.

Industrial Innovations Machinery in factories allowed products to be created at a faster rate. In 1846 Elias Howe invented the sewing machine which produced clothing in less time.

Industrial Innovations Improvements in transportation helped contribute to the success of northern industries. In 1807 a man by the name of Robert Fulton developed a steamboat (the Clermont) with a powerful engine. Steamboats helped transport people and goods to various parts of the country. Clipper ships had sleek hulls and larger sails which allowed them to travel up to 300 miles a day on the open sea.

Industrial Innovations The railroad proved to be one of the most important inventions of the mid 1800’s. In 1830, Peter Cooper built the first American steam locomotive. The development of the railroad allowed goods to be transported cheaper and faster. Manufactures could now offer goods at a lower price.