The Industrial revolution 1720 - 1825

Why does it matter? The Industrial Revolution of the 1800s affected society in much the same way as the technological revolution of the late 1900s. With bewildering speed, the Industrial Revolution changed the world from a society of farmers to a society dominated by manufacturers. Changes were rapid and sweeping All levels of society were affected

The Revolution Begins Prior to the Industrial Revolution, most Americans were farmers and most goods were produced by hand. The Industrial Revolution began in Britain in the mid- 1700s with James Hargreaves invention of the Spinning Jenny, a machine that could spin several threads at once.

The Factory System Prior to the Industrial Revolution, most spinning and weaving took place in the home. Large machines, however, had to be set up in large mills near rivers. Water flowing downstream or over a waterfall turned a wheel that produced the power to run the machines.

How did the factory system change the way goods were produced? Setting up a spinning mill required large amounts of capital. Capitalists supplied this money, built factories, and hired workers to run the machines. The new factory system brought workers and machinery together in one place to produce goods. Factory workers earned daily or weekly wages and had to work a set number of hours each day.

Samuel Slater Britain wanted to keep its new technology a secret. It did not want rival nations to copy the new machines. Samuel Slater, a skilled mechanic in a British textile mill, heard that Americans were offering large rewards for the plans to British factories He memorized the design of the machines in the mill and boarded a ship for New York City in 1789.

Slater’s Mill

Interchangeable Parts Eli Whitney Wanted to speed up the making of guns by having machines manufacture each part. All machine-made parts would be alike Interchangeable Parts saved time and money Inventors began to design machines to produce interchangeable parts for clocks, locks, and many other goods. Small workshops grew into factories.

Lowell Mills Built a mill in Massachusetts that had all the machines needed to turn raw cotton into finished cloth. After his death, his partners built an entire factory town and named it after him. 1821 – village of five farm families 1836 – More than 10,000 people Model community composed of small wooden houses, painted white, with green blinds, very neat, very snug, very nicely carpeted

Lowell Mills

Lowell Girls Young women from nearby farms Worked for a few years in the mills before returning home to marry Lived in boarding houses Sent wages back home to their families Many women valued the economic freedom

Lowell Girls

Life of Workers Child Labor Long Hours Changes in Home Life Boys and girls as young as seven worked in factories (could squeeze around the large machines) Child’s wages were needed to support the family Long Hours 12 hours per day, 6 days per week Changes in Home Life More family members leave home to earn a living Changed the role of women – in poorer families, women had to leave to work. In wealthier families, wives stayed home. This became a sign of success for a husband.

Urbanization In 1800, most Americans lived in rural areas. During the Industrial Revolution, people left farms to work in factories. The movement of the population from farms to cities is called urbanization. Steady but gradual process 1800 – 6% of population in cities 1850 – 15% of population in cities 1920 – more people in cities than farms

Urbanization Hazards Attractions Dirt and gravel streets turned into mudholes in rain Cities had no sewers People threw garbage in the streets Disease spread easily – epidemics of influenza and cholera killed hundreds Attractions Theaters, museums, and circuses Stores sold the latest fashions from Europe “ready to wear” clothing