Chapter 8
The 1st Industrial Revolution• During the late 18th and early 19th centuries, the US
experienced the 1st Industrial Revolution. It was a time when advances in technology led to massive economic changes.
• Before the industrial revolution, national economies were based on the cottage industry. Manufacturing was slow.
• With industrialization, factories transformed manufacturing and replaced manual labor with machines.
• The revolution began in Britain, but soon spread to the US, impacting trade and economies worldwide.
Eli Whitney
• One of the most important inventors of the 1st Industrial Rev was Eli Whitney. In 1793, he invented the cotton gin. This machine allowed people to process harvested cotton much faster and made the South “King Cotton.”
• The cotton gin actually increased slavery in the South, b/c it made cotton production more profitable. Led to an increase in the Southern plantation system.
• While Whitney’s cotton gin impacted the South, his interchangeable parts transformed the economy in the North.
• Interchangeable parts made mass production possible, and soon spread from muskets to other industries.
Eli Whitney’s Cotton Gin, 1791
Eli Whitney’s Cotton Gin, 1791
Eli Whitney’s Gun FactoryEli Whitney’s Gun Factory
Interchangeable Parts Rifle
Other Inventions
• Samuel Slater helped introduce the idea of using machine manufacturing in factories to produce more foods in less time.
• Robert Fulton revolutionized the shipment of manufactured goods and agricultural products with his steam-powered boat.
• Samuel Morse’s telegraph, John Deere’s steel plow, and Cyrus McCormick’s reaper helped make it possible to settle new territories in the West.
John Deere & the Steel Plow(1837)
John Deere & the Steel Plow(1837)
Cyrus McCormick& the Mechanical Reaper:
1831
Cyrus McCormick& the Mechanical Reaper:
1831
Samuel F. B. MorseSamuel F. B. Morse
1840 – Telegraph
New York City & the Erie Canal• In 1798, Samuel Slater opened a textile mill (factory that makes
fabric) in Rhode Island. • His system of using mills to mass produce textiles revolutionized the
industry and by the end of 1814, mills were common in NYC. • This helped make NY a key economic center for the country. • New York’s port became a major center for shipping and trades, and
the arrival point of thousands of immigrants. • New York also prospered thanks to the Erie Canal. The canal
provided a new shipping route from Lake Erie to the Hudson River, connecting NY to the Great Lakes.
• Erie canal makes NY a dominant commercial, and increases migration to Great Lakes area. It allows people to travel much more cheaply
• Along with Robert Fulton’s steamboat, the Erie Canal enhanced the econ of NY and the NW.
Erie Canal SystemErie Canal System
Sectionalism
• The Indust Rev also gave rise to sectionalism: the economic, social, cultural, and political differences that existed btwn N and S.
• As Whitney’s cotton gin helped transform the S into a plantation system dependent on slaves and cotton, the North became a region dependent on factories and immigrant labor.
• These econ differences caused strains on the nation that led to disputes (leading up to the Civil War).
• Thus, Industrialization ultimately led to both westward expansion and the civil War.
Assessment
• In what ways did the Industrial Revolution impact both the N and S United States? How did it impact western territories?
• Who invented the cotton gin and interchangeable parts?– Eli Whitney– Samuel Slater– Robert Fulton– Cyrus McCormick
Cumberland (National Road), 1811
Cumberland (National Road), 1811
Conestoga Covered WagonsConestoga Covered Wagons
Conestoga Trail, 1820s
The “Iron Horse” Wins! (1830)
The “Iron Horse” Wins! (1830)
1830 13 miles of track built by Baltimore & Ohio RR
By 1850 9000 mi. of RR track [1860 31,000 mi.]
OliverEvansOliverEvans
First prototype of the locomotive
First automated flour mill
Erie Canal, 1820sErie Canal, 1820s
Begun in 1817; completed in 1825
Robert Fulton & the Steamboat
Robert Fulton & the Steamboat
1807: The Clermont
Principal Canals in 1840Principal Canals in 1840
Assessment• What is infrastructure, and how was Henry
Clay’s American Plan designed to build it?• What effect did the Erie Canal have?
– It hurt New York b/c other cities could better compete with it economically.
– It discouraged western migration– Steam-powered boats were no longer useful
b/c the canal encouraged land travel. – New York’s economy grew b/c the canal
allowed manufacturers to ship products more easily.
Samuel Slater(“Father of the Factory
System”)
Samuel Slater(“Father of the Factory
System”)
The Lowell/Waltham System:
First Dual-Purpose Textile Plant
The Lowell/Waltham System:
First Dual-Purpose Textile Plant
Francis Cabot Lowell’s town - 1814
Lowell in 1850Lowell in 1850
Lowell MillLowell Mill
Lowell GirlsLowell Girls
What was their typical “profile?”
Lowell Boarding HousesLowell Boarding Houses
What was boardinghouse life like?
Irish Immigrant Girls at Lowell
Irish Immigrant Girls at Lowell
New EnglandTextile
Centers:
1830s
New EnglandTextile
Centers:
1830s
New England Dominance in Textiles
New England Dominance in Textiles
ECONOMIC?
SOCIAL?
POLITICAL?
FUTUREPROBLEMS?