Northern Economy & Industrial Revolution

Industrial Revolution–Period of rapid growth using machines for manufacturing & production

–Started in the textile industry (cloth)

–Occurred in response to a demand for manufactured goods (War of 1812)

• Started in Great Britain but manufacturing grew slowly in the U.S.

• Factors:

–High price of labor

–Lack of capital

Industrial Revolution

• War of 1812:– British

blockaded ports

– Americans begin to buy items from American manufacturers

– Manufacturers expand, investors lend more money

Industrial Revolution

“To be independent for the comforts of life we must fabricate them ourselves. We must now place the manufacturer side by side of the agriculturist.”

--Thomas Jefferson

Manufacturing Breakthrough• New technology:

– James Hargreaves’ spinning jenny produced many threads at the same time.

– Richard Arkwright’s water frame created high quality thread using water power!

– New inventions increased production and lowered costs!!

Manufacturing Breakthrough

• Interchangeable Parts—process developed by Eli Whitney that called for making each vital part of a machine exactly the same

Manufacturing Breakthrough

•Mass Production—efficiently making large numbers of identical goods

3 Elements of Mass Production:

• Interchangeable parts• Machines to make the parts• Division of Labor- each worker

does the same task over and over

Manufacturing Breakthrough

New Factories

• Northeast was the home of the nation’s industry- more rivers for water powered factories/machines, more money to invest.

New Factories

• Eventually steam-powered factories replaced water-powered factories–Built closer to cities because they

didn’t need to stay by a river.• Closer to labor, transportation• People flock to cities for jobs- population boom

Communication

• Samuel Morse invented the first telegraph (sends pulses of electrical current through a wire) 1844: First public test

Changing Life at Home

• Elias Howe invented the sewing machine

• Isaac Singer improved the sewing machine

Changing Life at Home• Other inventions/improvements:

– Iceboxes

– Iron cookstove

– Public water systems & indoor plumbing

– Matches

– Safety pin

– Mass production of old items

Transportation Revolution

• Period of rapid growth in the speed & convenience in travel–More roads and canals built–New inventions (steamboat and railroad)

• Shipping times reduced– 1817: shipping cargo from Cincinnati,

OH to New York, NY took two months– 1850s: One week

• Shipping costs reduced– Overland: $100 to ship a load of goods

by land across NY state– Canal: $5

• Made goods cheaper!!

Transportation Revolution

Steamboat

• Robert Fulton created a steam powered boat- the Clermont

Transportation Revolution

Steamboat

• Advantages:

–Move quickly against the current

–Did not rely on wind power

–Shorter travel time, reduced costs

Transportation Revolution

Railroads

• Peter Cooper built a steam powered locomotive in 1830-

Tom Thumb

Transportation Revolution

• Advantages:–Goods could travel far distances quickly (new markets)

–Undeterred by weather conditions

–Reduced shipping costs–Helped cities grow

RailroadsTransportation Revolution