The Industrial Revolution
What was the Industrial Revolution?
The Industrial Revolution was a period of significant change in human history that took place between 1760 and 1840. It marked the transition from an agrarian and hand-crafted based economy to one dominated by industry and machine manufacturing. was the transition from creating goods by hand to using machines.
Where did the Industrial Revolution begin?
The Industrial Revolution began in Great Britain around 1760 and later spread to continental Europe and the United States. The invention of the steam engine, created by James Watts, marked the beginning of this revolution. But why England? Well, Britain has natural resources such as coal, iron, rivers, and harbors, so it met all the requirements of the factors of production.
What caused the Industrial Revolution?
There were several factors that led to the Industrial Revolution, but two would become the most significant in a time of strife and conflict. The Embargo Act of 1807 and the War of 1812 were the springboard for the Industrial Revolution.
President Thomas Jefferson set the Embargo Act of 1807 during the Napoleonic Wars. During the Napoleonic Wars, Britain’s navy had seized Americans and their cargo to help with their war. Americans on the ship faced impressment – the forced conscription of men into a military force through physical intimidation and coercion. Britain’s navy even opened fire when they were not allowed to search one of America’s ships in the Chesapeake Bay area. The Embargo Act of 1807 forced the United States to manufacture their own goods because they would not be able to trade for foreign goods. At the time, America had been neutral. Despite protests, Britain continued these practices. President Jefferson issued the Embargo Act as a general embargo, restricting trade with all foreign countries, particularly Britain and France to devastate their economies because they would not receive American goods anymore. He had hoped this would persuade them to respect America’s neutrality and stop impressment. The Embargo Act had the opposite effect. Britain and France’s economies continued without any problems. The United States, on the other hand, was devastated, and its economy suffered. There was high unemployment, bankruptcy, and loss of profits. Lack of trade with foreign countries limited their lives because they had to live without many foreign products. With no foreign goods, the people of the United States had to resort to other options – producing their own goods. The War of 1812 took place for several reasons that included troubles with Native Americans, British aid to Native Americans, Impressment, War Hawks, and foreign nations not respecting America. Native Americans continuously fought with the Americans because of American expansion. Tecumseh, a Shawnee warrior, worked to unite Native Americans in order to stop this encroachment into their ancestral territory. The British provided guns and ammunition to the Native Americans. At the same time, war Hawks began to take control of Congress. They favored going to war with Britain because of their lack of respect for America. They wanted British soldiers out of America. They wanted them to stop providing aid to the Native Americans and to stop the impressment of American sailors. The War of 1812 revealed the necessity for a better transportation system, economic independence, and independent markets. After the Embargo Act of 1807 and the War of 1812, Americans began to think of innovative and efficient ways to improve the economy. They joined the Industrial Revolution. |
British impressment of American sailors.
War of 1812
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What were the effects of the Industrial Revolution?
What effects did the Industrial Revolution leave behind and how did it change the lives of the people living in the United States? Changes that took effect transformed the United States in fundamental ways. There was the creation of a new social class, production of goods, transportation, communication, and farming.
One of the most significant effects of the Industrial Revolution was the emergence of the middle class. Goods became cheaper because of more efficient production. Transportation of goods no longer took weeks or months and could now be completed in days thanks to steamboats, roads, canals, and railroads. Communication could now be sent back and forth almost immediately with the invention of the telegraph. Technology even impacted food production. Farmers could now yield more crops leading to a surplus of food. People in the United States began living longer and the population grew as the number of deaths decreased.
One of the most significant effects of the Industrial Revolution was the emergence of the middle class. Goods became cheaper because of more efficient production. Transportation of goods no longer took weeks or months and could now be completed in days thanks to steamboats, roads, canals, and railroads. Communication could now be sent back and forth almost immediately with the invention of the telegraph. Technology even impacted food production. Farmers could now yield more crops leading to a surplus of food. People in the United States began living longer and the population grew as the number of deaths decreased.
What were some of the inventions of the Industrial Revolution?
- Flying shuttle – machine that allowed automatic weaving.
- Spinning jenny – invented by James Hargreaves, the machine used eight spindles onto which the thread was spun, so by turning a single wheel, the operator could now spin eight threads at once.
- Water frame – used waterpower to drive spinning wheels.
- Cotton gin – invented by Eli Whitney in Georgia, the cotton gin removed seeds from cotton.
- Steam engine – invented by James Watts, the steam engine converted heat energy into mechanical work using steam. This was applied to two modes of transportation:
- Steamboat
- Locomotive
- Steamboat – invented by Robert Fulton, the first steamboat, called the Clermont, significantly cut travel time by water.
- Locomotive – invented by Richard Trevithick, allowed for faster transportation of goods and people by land.
- Telegraph and Morse code – invented by Samuel F.B. Morse, the telegraph and morse code (a series of short and long clicks used to convey messages over a telegraph wire) revolutionized communication making it almost instantaneously when communication before took weeks or even months.
- Lightbulb - first invented by Warren de la Rue from Britain, but the first to get a patent on it was Thomas Edison, giving him the credit of being first.
- Bessemer Process – developed by Henry Bessemer, this process created steel from iron.
- Andrew Carnegie – started a steel company and sold it to US Steel. It is still in existence in Birmingham, AL.
- JD Rockefeller – owner of Standard Oil who used underhanded business practices to get rid of his competition by dropping oil prices so low that it forced others out of business. He would then raise the prices because he had created a monopoly.
- Henry Ford – introduced the assembly line that increased automobile production, decreasing the price of cars. This led to the creation of the suburbs, an outlying district of a city that is residential.
What were the working and living conditions like in the
Industrial Revolution?
Industrial Revolution?
Working Conditions
The working conditions were terrible during the Industrial Revolution. As factories were being built, businesses needed workers. With a long line of people willing to work, employers could set wages as low as they wanted because poor people were willing to work as long as they got paid. People worked 14 to 16 hours a day for six days a week. However, the majority were unskilled workers, who only received about $8 to $10 a week, working at approximately $0.10 per hour. Skilled workers earned a little more and women received 1/3 or sometimes 1/2 the pay that men received. Children received even less.
The conditions of factories were horrible. The only light present was the sunlight that came through the windows, the machines spit out smoke making it difficult to breathe, and the machines did not have safety precautions resulting in numerous accidents.
Children were paid less than $0.10 an hour for 14-hour days. They were used for simpler unskilled jobs. Many children had physical deformities because of the lack of exercise, the lack of sunlight, and because of accidents that took place when they were sent into moving machines to perform maintenance on them due to their smaller size.
Living Conditions
As business began to boom and the nation grew more people began to move to the northeast because they wanted jobs. Most people lived in the “slum” as depicted in the picture to the left. There was no adequate housing, education, or police protection. There were also no building codes or sanitary codes. Five to nine people lived in a single room, which was as big as an apartment. Not only was there not enough room, but more people got sick as well due to cramped living conditions. Hygiene was not adequate for the number of people. Chamber pots were used and dumped into the street daily. As cities grew, the demand for more sophisticated water pipes and sewage systems became critical. It was during this era that the first copper pipes were introduced, replacing the lead pipes that were common at the time.
Given proximity to one another combined with the terrible conditions, diseases such as cholera spread rapidly. The lack of medicine and medical care resulted in many deaths. The average lifespan was only 17 years. At the same time, the population was increasing because of more people moving in, so apartments became more crowded and in worse condition.
The working conditions were terrible during the Industrial Revolution. As factories were being built, businesses needed workers. With a long line of people willing to work, employers could set wages as low as they wanted because poor people were willing to work as long as they got paid. People worked 14 to 16 hours a day for six days a week. However, the majority were unskilled workers, who only received about $8 to $10 a week, working at approximately $0.10 per hour. Skilled workers earned a little more and women received 1/3 or sometimes 1/2 the pay that men received. Children received even less.
The conditions of factories were horrible. The only light present was the sunlight that came through the windows, the machines spit out smoke making it difficult to breathe, and the machines did not have safety precautions resulting in numerous accidents.
Children were paid less than $0.10 an hour for 14-hour days. They were used for simpler unskilled jobs. Many children had physical deformities because of the lack of exercise, the lack of sunlight, and because of accidents that took place when they were sent into moving machines to perform maintenance on them due to their smaller size.
Living Conditions
As business began to boom and the nation grew more people began to move to the northeast because they wanted jobs. Most people lived in the “slum” as depicted in the picture to the left. There was no adequate housing, education, or police protection. There were also no building codes or sanitary codes. Five to nine people lived in a single room, which was as big as an apartment. Not only was there not enough room, but more people got sick as well due to cramped living conditions. Hygiene was not adequate for the number of people. Chamber pots were used and dumped into the street daily. As cities grew, the demand for more sophisticated water pipes and sewage systems became critical. It was during this era that the first copper pipes were introduced, replacing the lead pipes that were common at the time.
Given proximity to one another combined with the terrible conditions, diseases such as cholera spread rapidly. The lack of medicine and medical care resulted in many deaths. The average lifespan was only 17 years. At the same time, the population was increasing because of more people moving in, so apartments became more crowded and in worse condition.
What societal changes took place because of the
Industrial Revolution?
Industrial Revolution?
Unions formed because workers finally wanted to put a stop to long hours with little pay. They demanded more pay and fairer treatment. They did not want children to work in factories because of the danger involved. Labor unions organized strikes and protests. Some of the more successful changes included:
However, as more immigrants came to the United States, more workers became available. These workers were willing to work even if others were not because of unfair treatment. This lessened the effect of the labor unions since businesses had no shortage of workers. This is why most labor unions were unsuccessful during most of the Industrial Revolution.
- 1819 Factory Act – restricted working age and hours
- 1842 Mines Act – stopped women and children from working underground in mines in Great Britain.
- 1847 – workday for women and children was limited to 10 hours in Britain.
- 1904 – the United States ended child labor and set maximum hours a person could work
- 1833 – reformers helped to end slavery in the British empire
- 1865 – slavery ended in the United States
- 1848 – Senaca Falls Convention took place seeking economic and social rights for women
- 1850s – public schools became common in the United States
However, as more immigrants came to the United States, more workers became available. These workers were willing to work even if others were not because of unfair treatment. This lessened the effect of the labor unions since businesses had no shortage of workers. This is why most labor unions were unsuccessful during most of the Industrial Revolution.