Cotton Gin Who invented the cotton gin and in what year? Eli Whitney, 1793 How did the machine work and what was its purpose? It quickly and efficiently removed the seeds from cotton fiber. How did the cotton gin affect slavery in the South? It increased the demand for more slaves. How did the cotton gin affect the production of cotton? It increased it by allowing one worker to clean cotton as fast as 50 people working by hand.

Interchangeable Parts Who invented interchangeable parts and in what year? Eli Whitney How did interchangeable parts work and what was the purpose of those parts? They were identical parts that could be quickly put together to make a complete product. Their purpose was to allow them to be manufactured by less skilled labor and allow for easier repair. What affect did the invention of interchangeable parts have on manufacturing and industry in the United States? It opened the way for producing many different kinds of goods on a mass scale that reduced prices. How would life be different in the United States if interchangeable parts had not been invented? The manufacturing process would be slower and prices would be higher.

The Telegraph Who invented the telegraph and in what year? Samuel Morse, 1844 How did the telegraph work and what was the purpose of this invention? It used electric signals to transmit messages. Its purpose was to create a faster method of communication. What affect did the telegraph have on manufacturing and industry in the United States? It allowed for instant communication of important information. How would life be different in the United States if the telegraph had not been invented? Communication would still be slow and inefficient.

The Factory System What is capitalism and free enterprise and how are they related? Capitalism is where people put their capital into a business in hopes of getting a profit. Free enterprise is where people are free to buy, sell, or produce wherever they choose. They are related because business owners are free to produce the products they feel will be most profitable. How did the factory system increase efficiency? It moved all of the different processes to one location. What was life like for the Lowell Girls? They worked long hours for low wages. How would life be different in the United States if the production of goods remained in the home rather than factories? There would be fewer goods and there would be less urbanization.

The Steamboat What were some disadvantages in using rivers to ship people and goods? Most major rivers ran North-South instead of East-West, and traveling upstream against the current was difficult and slow. Who developed the first steamboat with a powerful engine? Robert Fulton How did steamboats affect river travel and trade? They greatly improved the transport of goods and passengers. How did steamboats contribute to the growth of river cities? They greatly improved the transport of goods and passengers. Shipping goods became faster and cheaper.

The Canal System What is a canal? An artificial waterway. How long did it take to build the Erie Canal and why was it built? It took two years to build. It was built to connect New York City with the Great Lakes. What were the positive effects of using canals? They lowered the cost of shipping goods and brought prosperity to the towns along their routes. How did canals help to unite the country? They connected the country with a new and faster method of travel.

Improvements in Agriculture What were some inventions that helped farmers to cultivate larger areas of land more quickly? Steel-tipped plow, mechanical reaper, and thresher. Who are some important agricultural inventors and what were their inventions? John Deere, steel-tipped plow. Cyrus McCormick, mechanical reaper. How did the mechanical reaper help to make growing wheat more profitable? It sped up the growing and harvesting of wheat and reduced the amount of labor. Why did the North turn to industry rather than agriculture? The soil was rocky in the North.

The Railroad System What is a railroad? a permanent road laid with rails When did the railroad building era explode? In the 1830’s. What were the positive effects of the railroad? The faster and cheaper means to transport products. How did railroads help to unite the country? They connected the country with a new and faster method of travel and communication.

Interchangeable Parts Cotton Gin Who invented the cotton gin and in what year? Eli Whitney, 1793 How did the machine work and what was its purpose? It quickly and efficiently removed the seeds from cotton fiber. How did the cotton gin affect slavery in the South? It increased the demand for more slaves. How did the cotton gin affect the production of cotton? It increased it by allowing one worker to clean cotton as fast as 50 people working by hand. Interchangeable Parts Who invented interchangeable parts and in what year? Eli Whitney How did interchangeable parts work and what was the purpose of those parts? They were identical parts that could be quickly put together to make a complete product. Their purpose was to allow them to be manufactured by less skilled labor and allow for easier repair. What affect did the invention of interchangeable parts have on manufacturing and industry in the United States? It opened the way for producing many different kinds of goods on a mass scale that reduced prices. How would life be different in the United States if interchangeable parts had not been invented? The manufacturing process would be slower and prices would be higher. The Telegraph Who invented the telegraph and in what year? Samuel Morse, 1844 How did the telegraph work and what was the purpose of this invention? It used electric signals to transmit messages. Its purpose was to create a faster method of communication. What affect did the telegraph have on manufacturing and industry in the United States? It allowed for instant communication of important information. How would life be different in the United States if the telegraph had not been invented? Communication would still be slow and inefficient. The Factory System What is capitalism and free enterprise and how are they related? Capitalism is where people put their capital into a business in hopes of getting a profit. Free enterprise is where people are free to buy, sell, or produce wherever they choose. They are related because business owners are free to produce the products they feel will be most profitable. How did the factory system increase efficiency? It moved all of the different processes to one location. What was life like for the Lowell Girls? They worked long hours for low wages. How would life be different in the United States if the production of goods remained in the home rather than factories? There would be fewer goods and there would be less urbanization.

Improvements in Agriculture The Steamboat What were some disadvantages in using rivers to ship people and goods? Most major rivers ran North-South instead of East-West, and traveling upstream against the current was difficult and slow. Who developed the first steamboat with a powerful engine? Robert Fulton How did steamboats affect river travel and trade? They greatly improved the transport of goods and passengers. How did steamboats contribute to the growth of river cities? They greatly improved the transport of goods and passengers. Shipping goods became faster and cheaper. The Canal System What is a canal? An artificial waterway. How long did it take to build the Erie Canal and why was it built? It took two years to build. It was built to connect New York City with the Great Lakes. What were the positive effects of using canals? They lowered the cost of shipping goods and brought prosperity to the towns along their routes. How did canals help to unite the country? They connected the country with a new and faster method of travel. The Railroad System Improvements in Agriculture What were some inventions that helped farmers to cultivate larger areas of land more quickly? Steel-tipped plow, mechanical reaper, and thresher. Who are some important agricultural inventors and what were their inventions? John Deere, steel-tipped plow. Cyrus McCormick, mechanical reaper. How did the mechanical reaper help to make growing wheat more profitable? It sped up the growing and harvesting of wheat and reduced the amount of labor. Why did the North turn to industry rather than agriculture? The soil was rocky in the North. What is a railroad? a permanent road laid with rails When did the railroad building era explode? In the 1830’s. What were the positive effects of the railroad? The faster and cheaper means to transport products. How did railroads help to unite the country? They connected the country with a new and faster method of travel and communication.

Interchangeable Parts Cotton Gin Who invented the cotton gin and in what year? How did the machine work and what was its purpose? How did the cotton gin affect slavery in the South? How did the cotton gin affect the production of cotton? Interchangeable Parts Who invented interchangeable parts and in what year? How did interchangeable parts work and what was the purpose of those parts? What affect did the invention of interchangeable parts have on manufacturing and industry in the United States? How would life be different in the United States if interchangeable parts had not been invented? The Telegraph Who invented the telegraph and in what year? How did the telegraph work and what was the purpose of this invention? What affect did the telegraph have on manufacturing and industry in the United States How would life be different in the United States if the telegraph had not been invented? The Factory System What is capitalism and free enterprise and how are they related? How did the factory system increase efficiency? What was life like for the Lowell Girls? How would life be different in the United States if the production of goods remained in the home rather than factories?

Improvements in Agriculture The Steamboat What were some disadvantages in using rivers to ship people and goods? Who developed the first steamboat with a powerful engine? How did steamboats affect river travel and trade? How did steamboats contribute to the growth of river cities? The Canal System What is a canal? How long did it take to build the Erie Canal and why was it built? What were the positive effects of using canals? How did canals help to unite the country? The Railroad System Improvements in Agriculture What were some inventions that helped farmers to cultivate larger areas of land more quickly? Who are some important agricultural inventors and what were their inventions? How did the mechanical reaper help to make growing wheat more profitable? Why did the North turn to industry rather than agriculture? What is a railroad? When did the railroad building era explode? What were the positive effects of the railroad? How did railroads help to unite the country?