The Industrial Revolution And the Nation’s Infrastructure

Industrial Revolution The primary source of income after the Revolutionary war for New England was international trade, not manufacturing. However, due to Jefferson’s embargo and the War of 1812, many shipping centers had shut down. Nowhere else in the nation was there a push to invest in industry as great as in New England.

Industrial Revolution In Britain during the 1700s, a great change began that we now call the Industrial Revolution. Gradually, machines took the place of many hand tools. Much of the power once provided by people and horses began to be replaced, first by flowing water and then by steam engines. Thus the Factory System began.

The Factory System Factory system brings workers and machinery together in one place. Products are made in large quantities using power-driven machines and laborers are assigned to different tasks. So, instead of spinning at home, textile workers had to go to the factories and begin and end work at specific hours. Workers now had to keep up with the machines instead of working at their own pace

Factories Evolve In 1793, Samuel Slater established the first successful mechanized textile factory in America. It produced one item, thread.

Lowell town Cabot Lowell opened a mill in Waltham, Massachusetts. The mill was organized in a new way. Instead of obtaining thread from separate spinning mills, Lowell’s factory brought together spinning and weaving in one building. After Lowell died in 1817, his partners expanded the business. Wanting better lives for their workers, the partners built a new town, with boardinghouses, a library, and a hospital. They named their mill town Lowell after their late partner.

The new factories were staffed with young women from nearby farms. “Lowell girls” lived in boardinghouses under strict supervision. After work, they might attend lectures or visit libraries. As a result, many women gained an education they probably would not have received on their family farms.

Steam Power Building factories on riverbanks had some disadvantages. In a dry season, the machines had no power. Also, most factories were far from cities, and labor was hard to find in rural areas. In 1790, Arkwright built the first steam-powered textile plant. The steam engine was a reliable source of power. Factories no longer had to be built on riverbanks and could now be built in cities, where young women and children provided cheap labor. Robert Fulton invented the steam boat = huge impact on transportation.

Interchangeable Parts Before the 1800s, skilled crafts workers manufactured clocks, guns, and other mechanical products. Each part of the gun or clock was handcrafted. When a part broke, a crafts worker had to create a unique piece to fit the product. In the 1790s, American inventor Eli Whitney devised a system of interchangeable parts, identical pieces that could be assembled quickly by unskilled workers.

Interchangeable parts soon came to be used in the manufacture of other products. Manufacturing became more efficient = mass production The price of many goods dropped. As people bought more goods, U.S. industry expanded to satisfy their needs.

Two Economic Systems Develop North South Industry was the main economic enterprise in the Northern states at this time. Especially the textile industry. Agriculture - small farms most of which grew only two types of crops or livestock and sold them to nearby cities. The crops typically grown did not require much labor and were not hugely profitable, therefore slavery was dying out. Economy based off of agriculture. Eli Whitney’s cotton gin vastly changed the south. Farmers would own swaths of land dedicated to growing cotton. - Cotton is King The invention of the cotton gin accelerated the expansion of slavery.

Henry Clay’s American System With two vastly different economies in the north and south it became increasingly important to unify the nation President Monroe presented a plan to Congress that would help the nation become self-sufficient and create a strong stable economy

American System The North would produce goods the farmers in the South and West would buy, while they would produce most of the grain, meat, and cotton needed in the North Plan includes three major points: Develop transportation systems and other internal improvements (railroads, canals, roads) Establish a protective tariff Strengthen the national bank Henry Clay and John C. Calhoun began to promote this plan calling it the American System

Erie Canal & Rise of New York One of the most impressive projects during this time was the completion of the Erie Canal. Stretching 363 miles, it connected the Hudson River to Lake Erie.

Erie Canal & Rise of New York This canal created a new shipping route from the Great Lakes to the Atlantic Ocean, thus increasing trade within the region. People were also able to move west easier. The Erie Canal helped make New York a dominant commercial center and New York City a dominant port.

Erie Canal & Rise of New York A few key factors led to the growth of New York: Erie Canal Growth of textile mills New York’s port brought shipping, trade, and immigrants Result – population, industry, and ethnic diversity grew incredibly

National Road States started building turnpikes, roads that paid for themselves through tolls. In 1811 the federal government began the construction of the National Road. By 1838 the new road extended from Cumberland, Maryland to Vandalia, Illinois

Era of Good Feelings The new American System had brought about an “Era of Good Feelings” The nation’s economy was growing and north and south were becoming interdependent on one another. There was also a new national currency that was accepted nationwide!

Monroe Doctrine James Monroe – 5th President Monroe Doctrine (1823) Promote nationalism Promote the US as a world power Monroe Doctrine (1823) Warned European nations that the US would protect the Western Hemisphere US will not be involved in European affairs