Lesson 3- The Industrial Revolution

A World of New Technology Typically, most families made any items that they needed such as tools and clothes. Then, the Industrial Revolution began! This was a period of rapid invention when machines began to do the work people once did. The Industrial Revolution affected the economy because it changed the way people worked, traveled and lived. More people could afford to buy goods than ever before!

Eli Whitney: Inventions and Innovations Eli Whitney built a cotton gin to remove seeds from cotton. This machine could clean more cotton in a few minutes than a whole team of workers could clean by hand in a day!

Textile Mills New inventions were: double sided needles, sewing machines, and spinning machines. These made it faster to make clothing. Large factories called textile mills produced more cloth than ever before! Francis Cabot Lowell built a textile mill in 1813 in Waltham Massachusetts. Lowell and his workers ended up building several more textile mills as well as a town called Lowell. He employed many Americans!

Farming Improves Farming also greatly improved due to advances in technology during the Industrial Revolution. The Reaper was a machine with sharp blades that could cut grain. The Mechanical Plow (invented by Charles Newbold) made planting seeds much quicker and easier. John Deere’s Plow improved the mechanical plow by adding a steel blade. Look back in your book. What were the specific benefits of these farming tools?

New Forms of Transportation Transportation was also changing quickly. The need for safer, easier, and faster forms of travel was essential as more people moved westward. Most people traveled in large, horse drawn carriages called stagecoaches. Travel on narrow and muddy roads was slow. So, the government began construction on the National Road in 1811. This road connected the east coast with what was now the West coast. The building of this road made it easier to travel and helped horses avoid muddy tracks. The National Road

Rolling on the River The steam engine improved river travel. A steam engine uses compressed steam to power a motor. Produces more power the a team of horses and can pull heavier loads! Robert Fulton designed a boat powered by a steam engine.

Rolling on the River Steamboats had one problem. Most rivers don’t connect with each other. So, canals were built. Canals use locks to raise and lower water level. In 1825, the Erie Canal was built. It connected Lake Erie with the Hudson River and the Atlantic Ocean. The Erie Canal made trading with other countries easier. New York City became the country’s largest port.

The Iron Horse In 1814, George Stephenson built the first train powered by a steam engine. These new trains were nicknamed “iron horses.” Railroads soon became the main form of transportation in the United States. Shipping goods became quicker and cheaper than ever before. Businesses were able to sell goods at lower prices!

Better Communication Samuel Morse began working on an invention called the telegraph in 1832. The telegraph sent messages using electricity in a matter of minutes as opposed to waiting weeks for letters to arrive in the mail. The first telegraph line connected Washington D.C. to Baltimore Maryland. How could the telegraph have been useful during the American Revolution or the War of 1812?

The Pony Express At first, the telegraph did not reach the western side of the United States. So, the Leavenworth and Pike’s Peak Express Company was created. Mail carriers traveled on horseback along a trail that was nearly 2,000 miles long. The service wa referred to as the Pony Express. The Pony Express stopped once telegraph lines reached the west coast in 1861

The Growth of Cities Better communication, new jobs, and new ways of travel caused cities in the United States to grow very quickly. Immigrants from Europe came to the United States for a better life. They seeked job opportunities and fortunes. An immigrant is a person who moves to and lives in a country that they were not born. Most immigrants stayed on the East Coast of the U.S. Why would immigrants from Europe mainly live on the East Coast? Use the world map to help you answer!