Section 2-Early Industry

Click the mouse button or press the Space Bar to display the information. Chapter Objectives Section 2: Early Industry  I can examine the changes that took place in transportation in the early 1800s.   I can discuss how the Industrial Revolution changed methods of production.

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(pages 245–247) A Revolution in Transportation o In the early 1800s, a transportation revolution, including the construction of the Erie Canal, occurred in the Northern states.  o This led to great social and economic changes.  o In 1806 Congress funded the building of the National Road, a major east-west highway that started in Cumberland, Maryland, and ended in Wheeling, Virginia (now West Virginia).

o This was the largest federally funded transportation project of its time.  o Most highway improvements were funded by state and local governments and by private businesses.  o In 1807 the steamboat called the Clermont, designed by Robert Fulton, traveled upstream on the Hudson River.  o Steamboats made river travel more reliable and upstream travel easier. A Revolution in Transportation (cont.)

o This caused a growth in river travel and canal building.  o Railroads were built in America in the early 1800s and helped settle the West and expand trade among the nation’s regions.  A Revolution in Transportation (cont.) o They also created national markets by making transportation cheaper and increased the demand for iron and coal.

A New System of Production o The Industrial Revolution began in Britain in the 1700s.  o The revolution consisted of several developments in business and industry.  o Industry developed quickly in the United States in the early 1800s.  o Important factors included free enterprise and the passage of general incorporation laws.

o Industrialization began in the Northeast, where swift-flowing streams powered the factories.  o In addition, entrepreneurs and merchants in that region had money to invest in industry.  o In 1789 Samuel Slater built a textile machine in Rhode Island. A New System of Production (cont.)

o In 1814 Francis C. Lowell opened several textile mills in northeastern Massachusetts. He started mass production of cotton cloth in the United States.  o Many inventions and technological innovations increased the industrial growth in the United States.  o Eli Whitney developed the idea of interchangeable parts in the gun-making industry. A New System of Production (cont.) (pages 247–249)

o Machines were able to produce large amounts of identical pieces that workers assembled into finished goods.  o Samuel F. B. Morse perfected the telegraph in  o He developed the Morse code for sending messages.  o Spurred by journalists, more than 50,000 miles of telegraph wire crossed the country by A New System of Production (cont.)

o Many city populations doubled or tripled.  o The growing cities provided many different occupations.  o One fast-growing industry was the publishing industry, which grew to satisfy the growing demand for reading materials. The Rise of Large Cities o Industrialization in the United States in the early to mid-1800s caused many people to move from farms and villages to cities in search of factory jobs and higher wages. 

Workers Begin to Organize o During the late 1820s and early 1830s, some factory workers joined labor unions to improve working conditions.  o The unions, however, had little power or money to support strikes, or work stoppages.  o Thus, the early labor unions had little success.  o In 1840 the workday for federal employees was lowered to 10 hours.  o In 1842 the Supreme Court ruled that labor strikes were legal.

The Family Farm o During the early 1800s, agriculture was the country’s leading economic activity.  o Most people were employed in farming until the late 1800s.  o Farming was more important in the South than in the North.  o As the North began to focus on manufacturing, the South’s economy continued to depend on agriculture and slavery.