The Industrial

Revolution
 What was it?
 The Industrial Revolution involved a
shift in the United States from manual
labor-based industry to more technical
and machine-based manufacturing which
greatly increased the overall production
and economic growth of the United
States, signifying a shift from an agrarian
to an industrial economy 
 When did it happen?

 The Industrial Revolution

began in the United
States around 1800 in
the New England states
Why did it begin the Northeast?
 New England had poor soil for
farming
 Northeast has many rivers =
waterpower for factories
 NE had port cities for shipping to
other states and across the Atlantic
 Subsistence farmers were willing
to move to the cities
 The Industrial Revolution occurred
because of…

 FREE ENTERPRISE – people

are free to buy, sell, own, and
produce products as well as work
wherever they choose
 The government had few
regulations to control the economy
 The Industrial
Revolution required
the invention of new
machines and
technology – which
is scientific
discoveries that
simplify work.
 Congress created
patents to protect
inventors’ new
inventions from being
copied.
  Ultimately, the Industrial Revolution
occurred as a combination of the
following events:

Rise of the Use of Mass

Industrial
factory steam production
Revolution
system power of goods
The Cotton Gin
 Eli Whitney invented
the cotton gin,
which was a simple
machine that quickly
and efficiently
removed seeds from
cotton. Farm
production increased
dramatically.
 Eli Whitney’s Cotton Gin, 1791

 Cotton became more

profitable = an
increase in the need for
slave labor
 Removed seeds from
cotton
 Factories
 Factory System –
a system bringing
manufacturing steps
together under one
roof or in one place.
Most employees
were women and
children working
LONG hours.
 New Development –
Interchangeable Parts

 Interchangeable parts –
identical machine parts that
could be quickly put together to
make a complete product
 Importance of
Interchangeable parts

Allowed for mass

production of a
variety of goods
so…
prices were reduced
Eli Whitney & Interchangeable Parts
 Could build 10 different rifles from
these pieces
 textile industries -factories
that produced clothing and
cloth items from cotton;
located in North
Early Textile Loom
New England
Textile
Centers:

1830s
 The Cotton Gin’s Impact on Slavery
 The demand for southern cotton grew
dramatically because of the cotton gin
and the increased number of textile
mills in the north that needed cotton

more northern textile mills

=
more southern slaves!
The Cotton Gin Continued…

 The cotton gin made it possible to clean

cotton faster and less expensively than by
hand. This encouraged the planters to
raise larger cotton crops which required
more slaves.
Therefore. . .
 cotton gin
=
higher demand for cotton
=
more textile mills in north
=
more slaves in south to work
plantations

Which leads to…

 Regional Specialization

 North – industrialization

 South – agriculture
(cotton and slavery)
 Farming During the Industrial
Revolution
 New England farms
were small, usually
subsistence farms

 Western farmers
raised pork and
cash crops such as
corn and wheat.

 Southern farmers
planted cash crops
such as cotton,
rice, and tobacco
 Urbanization Prompted by
Industrial Revolution
 Growth of factories and trade
caused the growth of towns and
cities

 Locations of factories depended

on the geography of the area
 Five Common Problems of
Early Cities
1.Streets and
sidewalks
unpaved &
animals
roaming freely
2.Pollution
from
factories
3. No
sewers
4. Diseases
easily spread
due to
poor
sanitation
5. Fires spread easily
due to close
quarters and
few fire
companies
 To What Extent Did the Industrial Revolution Change
American Social, Economic & Political 

 The Industrial Revolution, which reached the

United States in the 19th century, profoundly
reshaped American culture and had a
significant impact on subsequent global
history. If the American Revolution spurred
the birth of a nation, the Industrial
Revolution marked that nation’s growth into
maturity. The Industrial Revolution altered all
aspects of American life, from the economy
to politics and the fabric of society itself.
 A New Society

 Most 18th century Americans lived in self-

sustaining rural communities. The
Industrial Revolution witnessed the
evolution of large urban centers, such as
Boston and New York City, and spurred a
massive internal migration of workers.

 The Industrial Revolution also stimulated

the rise of unskilled labor. 
 The Industrial Revolution also
created a wide availability of cheap
commodities, which engendered a
consumer culture that marked the
end of many rural Americans'
subsistence lifestyle.
 Economic Impact

 The American Industrial Revolution announced

the arrival and predominance of capitalism

 This process concentrated wealth in the hands of

industrialists,
 
 Capitalist America, with its large population and
vast natural resources, became an economic
juggernaut that took advantage of a vast internal
and international consumer market.
 Political Repercussions

 he rise of the United States as a

global economic power, 
 the Civil War represented a conflict
between an agrarian society, which
relied upon slave labor, and an
industrial society in which paid
employees fueled a consumer
economy