1. Early Industry and Inventions

2. Factories
During the Industrial Revolution factory machines replaced hand tools
The factory system brought many workers and machines together in one location
Many Americans did not want the United States to industrialize
After the British blockade during the War of 1812, Americans began to manufacture more of their own goods
New England had many new factories because of it’s many rivers
Water power was used to run factories

3. The Lowell Mills Frances Cabot Lowell built textile factory
The mill employed farm girls
Girls worked long hours and lived in boarding houses
Girls created a literary magazine the Lowell Offering
By the 1830’s wages dropped and working conditions worsened
With the development of steam engines, factories did not have to be exclusively in New England

4. Changes in Manufacturing
Interchangeable parts- parts that are exactly alike; allowed for much faster manufacturing
Unskilled workers could assemble parts but they needed to be watched by supervisors; this often led to conflict

5. Transportation and Communication
Robert Fulton invented the steamboat; traveled from NY to Albany
Steamships traveled up and down the Mississippi transporting passengers and goods
Samuel Morse developed the telegraph; transporting messages throughout the country

6. Farming John Deere- Steel plow- for preparing soil
Reaper and threshing machines
Midwest grew food for the Northeast
Midwest became a market for Northeast factory goods
Growth of Midwest textiles increased the demand for southern cotton