11.1Early Industry and Inventions Chapter 11 Section 1

Goal Section Goal: Assess the role of technology in our economy and how our economy has changed from an agricultural economy to an industrial economy

The Industrial Revolution As a result War of 1812 the United States began to make much more of its own products in much large quantities due to the start of the Industrial Revolution. The British Blockade caused investors to began spending money on factories rather than shipping. Before the Industrial Revolution most products wherever they were produced were created by hand. (cottage industries) Included cloth, clothing, guns, and furniture. In the late 1700s Great Britain started to produce products using tools instead of by hand

Samuel Slater The 1st factories in America began in 1793. Samuel Slater built the first spinning mill in Pawtucket, RI. He had secretly come to America under a false name as it was illegal for textile workers to leave Great Britain. Britain didn’t want its inventions sold to other countries. Slater had memorized the workings of the cotton spinning mill. Industrial Espionage Slater first used children and paid them a low wage. When he built 2nd mill he used families and created whole communities where the entire family worked.

Why Factories in New England New England had a ready made labor force. Farming was very difficult because of the soil and climate. Most mills of the time used water power to power the mills New England had many. New England already had an established trade system. Now they had more products to export than import. The Factory System was created. For the 1st time workers and machines were together under one roof. Working on a set schedule Time Clocks Living in cities and moving off the farm.

The Lowell Mills Francis Cabot Lowell expanded on Slater’s idea. Like Slater he brought the ideas of British Cloth manufactures to the United States. He put the entire process under one roof. From raw cotton to finished cloth using the spinning jenny to make yarn and the power loom to make cloth. Lowell also added a large number of girls and women to the work force. He paid them lower wages than men,2 to 4 dollars a week. but offered benefits that many girls, some as young as 15, were eager to earn. Mill girls lived in clean company boardinghouses with chaperones, were paid cash, and benefited from religious and educational activities. After Lowell’s death in 1817 and profits declined the conditions and wages also declined for the girls.

Interchangeable Parts In 1797,Eli Whitney received a contract to make 10,000 muskets in a very short amount of time. As a result each gun was made exactly the same and repair parts could be ordered instead of being made specifically for that musket. This idea became the standard for most industries with identical parts being used.

New Inventions 1769 James Watt invents an Improved Steam Engine No initial use. 1786 Andrew Meikle invents the Threshing Machine Mechanically separated kernels of wheat from their husks. 1793 Eli Whitney invents the Cotton Gin Mechanically separates seeds from cotton fibers 1797 Eli Whitney invents interchangeable parts

New Inventions Continued 1803 Richard Trevithick invents the Locomotive 1807 Robert Fulton invents the Steamboat Nicked named “Fulton’s Folly” The Clermont used its two side paddle wheels to navigate the 300 mile Hudson River in a then record 62 hours. In 1816 Henry Miller Shreve designed a steamboat that was powerful enough to sail up the Mississippi and Ohio Rivers 1830 Peter Cooper built the 1st successful steam-powered locomotive call Tom Thumb. By 1833 the 136 mile track from Charleston to Hamburg, SC was the longest in the world.

New Inventions Continued 1831 Cyrus McCormick developed the mechanical reaper to cut ripe grain This lead with in few years of the development of combine. 1837 John Deere invented the Steel Plow Cast iron plows did not work very well in the rich heavy soils of the Midwest. The steel plow allowed field work to be done much quick and let to farmers migrating to the Midwest.

New Inventions Continued 1837.Samuel F.B. Morse invented the telegraph The signals sent were translated into letters and words allowing communication in seconds. By 1861 telegraph lines spanned the country. 1839 Louis Daguerre invented photography.