Industrial Revolution Mr. Webster’s Class

Vocabulary cotton gin – a machine that removes seeds from cotton fiber capitalism – economic system in which people and companies own the means of production capital – money or other resources used to create wealth free enterprise – a type of economy in which people are free to buy, sell, and produce whatever they want census – the official count of a population canal – an artificial waterway cede – to transfer control of something

Industrial Growth In colonial times, most Americans lived where they worked (usually a farm). When they needed something, they made it. In the mid-1700s, people began producing goods through new methods. In Great Britain, inventors built machines that performed tasks generally completed by humans. In turn, many people began to leave their homes and farms to work in factories and mills. This historic change is known as the Industrial Revolution.

The Industrial Revolution The Industrial Revolution reached the United States around The Industrial Revolution impacted New England the most. Technology was at the heart of the Industrial Revolution. New Inventions changed the way people made things. Machines also saved time and money. Clip

The Cotton Gin In 1793, Eli Whitney invented the cotton gin, which was a machine that removed seeds from cotton fiber. The cotton gin made cotton production much easier, and therefore it brought about a huge increase in cotton production.

The Rise of Factories In 1793, Samuel Slater brought over designs from Great Britain to create a water-powered cotton spinning mill in Rhode Island. Slater’s Mill was the first cotton mill in the U.S., and it marked an important step towards industrialization. In 1814, Francis Cabot Lowell improved on Slater’s design to begin the factory system, where all manufacturing steps are combined in one place. Lowell Girls Clip Flocabulary Clip

Lowell Girls Assignment – worth 25 points For this assignment, you are to utilize the reading you have been provided to create a 2-page play about the Lowell Mill Girls. Through the play, you are to create an interpretation of what life was like for the girls who worked in the factories at Lowell. You can focus on any aspect of their daily life: work, family, friendship, love, happiness, sadness, equality, inequality, religion, living conditions, working conditions, etc. I will be grading as follows: Historical Accuracy and Relevance – 10 points Followed Instructions – 5 points Grammar / Punctuation – 5 points Creativity – 5 points

Free Enterprise The capitalist economic system of the U.S. helped spur industrial growth. In capitalism, individuals and businesses own property and decide how to use it. We also use the term free enterprise to describe the American system. Business owners produce the products they think will sell the best and make the most profit. Businesses compete for customers, and this competition helps push businesses to improve.

Agriculture Grows While industrialization took root in New England, most Americans still lived and worked on farms. Many Western farmers (present-day Midwest) concentrated on raising pork, corn, and wheat. In the South, cotton was king. The cotton gin allowed planters to grow cotton over a much wider area. The success of cotton also created a huge demand for slaves.

The Growth of Corporations In the 1830s, changes in the law paved the way for the growth of corporations. A corporation is a type of business that has many owners who each own stock in the company. Large corporations began to appear in this era, and their great size helped drive industrialization.

Growth of Cities The growth of factories and trade led to the growth of towns and cities. Many cities developed along rivers because factories could take advantage of the waterpower and easily ship goods to markets. Cities often featured wood and brick buildings with unpaved streets. Barnyard animals often roamed freely. Disease and fire were constant threats.

Headed West In 1790, the first census showed that there were nearly 4 million Americans. At that time, most people lived in the narrow strip of land between the Appalachian Mountains and the Atlantic Ocean. By the early 1800s, many settlers began moving west.

Daniel Boone Daniel Boone was one of the earliest pioneers. In 1775, he and a group of 30 men widened a Native American trail that led through the Appalachian Mountains. The new trail became known as the Wilderness Road, and it opened up Kentucky for future white settlers. TV Show Intro

Travel by River During this time period, river travel was far more comfortable than traveling by road, but moving upstream against the current could be time consuming. In 1807, Robert Fulton launched the Clermont, which became the world’s first successful steamboat. Steamboats ushered in a new age of river travel. Shipping goods and moving people became cheaper and faster. Steamboats also contributed to the growth of river cities such as Cincinnati and St. Louis.

Erie Canal Steamboats improved transportation but they were limited to major rivers. In the early 1800s, business and government officials developed a plan to connect New York City with the Great Lakes by building a canal. After 8 years of hard work, the Erie Canal opened on October 26, By 1850, the country had more than 3,600 miles of canals. Canals lowered shipping costs and brought prosperity to town along their routes.

Railroads The 1 st steam-powered locomotive in the United States was the Tom Thumb, built in Railroads transformed travel and trade throughout the United States. People and goods could now be moved directly from one place to another in a much shorter time span.

Telegraph The telegraph was a device that used electric signals to send messages. Samuel Morse developed a system for sending coded messages instantly along electrical wires. It eventually became known as Morse code. The telegraph allowed information to be communicated in minutes rather than days. People could quickly learn about news and events from other areas of the United States.

Farming Innovations In 1837, John Deere invented the steel-tipped plow that allowed farmers to cut through hard-packed prairie sod. This convinced many people to make the decision to move west. Cyrus McCormick is credited with inventing the mechanical reaper. McCormick’s reaper greatly increased the amount of crop a farmer could harvest.

Factories in the North The factory system combined several steps of an item’s production under one roof. Employees often worked under harsh conditions. Child labor was also a serious problem. By the 1830s, workers began organizing into unions and participating in strikes. African Americans and women often faced discrimination in the workplace.

The Rise of Cities Industrialization had a big impact on cities. Factories attracted workers, so Northern cities grew in size. Between 1840 and 1860, immigration to the U.S. grew sharply. The greatest number of immigrants (during this time period) came from Ireland. The 2 nd largest group came from Germany. Immigrants brought their own customs with them, and some of their ways of living changed American culture.