Industry & Transportation

What’s going on? All major settlements in the US sprang up near a harbor or river b/c water provided the most efficient was to move goods Overland transportation consisted of: Carts, wagons, sleighs, and stagecoaches pulled by horse or oxen over dirt roads Cost just as much moving these goods overland as it did across the ocean.

The Transportation Revolution

Extended west from Maryland to the Ohio River (present day West Va Extended west from Maryland to the Ohio River (present day West Va.) in 1818 Made of crushed rock 1st federal highway Today US-40 National Road

Erie Canal Best known canal of the era Completed 1825 Ran 363 miles: NY state from Lake Erie to the Hudson River Benefits: Made NYC a major commercial center Population NYC grew 124,000 in 1820 to 800,00 in 1860 Value of farmland in Great Lakes increased Reduced the cost to transport goods 1816: 100 miles canals 1840: 3,300 miles

Steamboat & Steam-powered Ships Robert Fulton designed the first commercially successful steamboat (the Clermont) Benefits: Cut down travel time Before: took 4 months to travel 1440 miles from New Orleans to Louisville, Kentucky along Mississippi and Ohio river After: 20 days then 1838 only 6 days Made upstream travel easier

By 1850 could cross the Atlantic in 10-14 days instead of 25-50 days

Railroads AKA “Iron Horse” Benefits 1830: 13 miles of track Why? Horses pulled the 1st American trains Benefits Could carry heavier loads Cost less Moved faster Helped settle the west 1830: 13 miles of track 1860: 31,000 miles of track

Birth of the Industrial Revolution What is the Industrial revolution? Shift from manual labor to mechanized work Began in GB 1700s spread to USA around 1800s Samuel Slater Moved to USA from GB and give us their secrets Created nations 1st water-powered textile industry in 1793. (cotton thread)

Why does Industrialization spread? Tariff of 1816 During embargo act, Americans had to find alternative ways to get goods Increase of immigrants Located mainly in north Why? South favored farming and invest in slaves and land North had more $ and more waterways

Lowell Mills Started by Francis Cabot Lowell Hired only girls to work in factory Worked 14 hour days, 6 days a week Recruited from farms Lived at the mill Very strict rules on behavior and supervised boarding

Sewing Machine Invented 1st practical and successful sewing machine Patent ended 1867 Made the sewing machine a household name Invented the 1st sewing machine for commercial and household use

Communication Inventions Samuel F.B. Morse Invented the electronic telegram Communication made instantly By 1860 over 50,000 miles of telegraph lines

Farming Inventions Eli Whitney Cotton gin Interchangeable parts quickly and easily separates cotton fibers from their seeds Interchangeable parts Identical components that can be used in place of one another Makes devices almost uniform MASS PRODUCTION Exp: clocks, guns, sewing machine

John Deere Steel plow Cyrus McCormick Mechanical reaper

Take a look at the following Inventions who did they favor the most Take a look at the following Inventions who did they favor the most? North or South National road Erie Canal Steamboat Railroads Factories/Mills Telegram Cotton Gin Interchangeable parts Steel plow Mechanical reaper