Chapter 11, Lesson 1: A Growing Economy
How did urban areas look during the Industrial Revolution?
-Looked different from modern urban areas -Wood and brick buildings and unpaved streets -Barnyard animals often roamed freely -No sewers to carry away waste -Diseases such as cholera and yellow fever were a threat. -Fire was a danger
List the reasons why changes began in New England.
-New England's poor soil made farming difficult. People willingly gave up farm work to earn wages elsewhere. -New England's many rivers and streams offered the waterpower needed to run factory machinery. -The area had many ports. These ports allowed the shipping in of raw materials, such as cotton, and the shipping out of finished goods, such as cloth.
Describe and define all the terms involved with corporations.
A corporation is a type of business that can have many owners. Because of their legal status, corporations can grow to a large size. They sell stock—shares of ownership in a company—to raise the money to build factories and expand their business. Large corporations began to appear in this era, and their great size helped drive industrialization.
Cotton gin
A machine that removes seeds from cotton fiber
Interchangeable part
A part of a machine or device that can be replaced by another, identical part
What is a patent?
A patent gives an inventor the sole legal right to make money from an invention for a certain period of time.
Free enterprise
A type of economy in which people are free to buy, sell, and produce whatever they want
Where did agriculture "move"? Why?
Agriculture moved west along with American settlers. Western farmers in the region north of the Ohio River found land that could support a thriving agriculture.
Describe Whitney's role in inerchangeable parts and the Industrial Revolution.
At that time, skilled workers made muskets and other items one at a time. They made each part individually, and each weapon was unlike any other. Whitney made musket parts in large numbers. Each part was identical to others of its type. Even unskilled workers could then assemble a musket quickly. Plus, if a musket broke, a soldier could quickly replace the bad part with another that fit. Whitney's idea of interchangeable parts changed manufacturing forever.
What was at the heart if the Industrial Revolution?
At the heart of the Industrial Revolution was technology.
What production increased in the South? What ethnic group's presence in the United States increased as well?
Between 1790 and 1820, cotton production soared from 3,000 to 300,000 bales per year in the South. The success and spread of cotton created a huge demand for enslaved workers. Trade in enslaved Africans expanded. Between 1790 and 1810, the number of enslaved Africans in the United States rose from about 700,000 to 1.2 million.
Where did the changes first take place in the United States?
Changes began in New England because of its geography.
Capitalism
Economic system in which people and companies own the means of production
How did Francis Cabot Lowell advance the Industrial Revolution?
Francis Cabot Lowell improved on Slater's mill in 1814. Lowell's Massachusetts textile, or cloth, factory not only made thread, it also wove the thread into cloth. Lowell began the factory system, in which all manufacturing steps are combined in one place.
What was in the mills along the rivers?
Here they installed large numbers of machines.
What did Congress pass in 1790 to protect the rights of inventors?
In 1790 Congress passed a patent law to protect the rights of inventors.
What was a benefit of the invention of cotton gins?
In addition, the cotton gin allowed planters to grow cotton over a much wider area.
Describe a capitalist economy.
In capitalism, individuals and businesses own property and decide how to use it. The people—not the government—control capital, which includes the buildings, land, machines, money, and other items used to create wealth.
Where did most Americans work during the colonial times?
In colonial times, most Americans lived in the same place that they worked, which was usually a farm.
Describe what Slater built.
In the 1790s, Slater built copies in the United States of British machines that made cotton thread. Slater's mill marked an important step in the Industrial Revolution in the United States.
What had to change to pave way for corporations?
In the 1830s, changes in the law paved the way for the growth of corporations.
What was occurring in the south during the Industrial Revolution? Why?
In the South, cotton production rose sharply. The demand for cotton grew steadily as textile factories appeared.
What boom occured in the mid-1700s?
In the mid-1700s, people began producing goods through new methods. In Great Britain, inventors built machines that did some of the work involved in cloth making, such as spinning thread.
Where did many cities develop? Why?
Many cities developed along rivers because factories could take advantage of the waterpower and easily ship goods to markets. Older cities such as New York, Boston, and Baltimore also grew as centers of commerce and trade. To the west, towns such as Pittsburgh, Cincinnati, and Louisville were located on major rivers. As farmers in the West shipped more products by water, these towns grew rapidly.
What items did Western farmers concentrate on?
Many of these farmers concentrated on raising pork and cash crops such as corn and wheat.
Capital
Money or other items, such as machines or buildings, used to create wealth
How did new machines change the way people make cloth?
New machines changed the way people made cloth. Inventions such as the water frame and spinning jenny spun thread, and the power loom wove the thread into cloth. Compared to making thread or cloth by hand, the machines saved time and money.
How did older cities fare during the growth of newer cities?
Older cities such as New York, Boston, and Baltimore also grew as centers of commerce and trade.
What did Samuel Slater do to help the Industrial Revolution?
One such worker was Samuel Slater. He memorized the design of the machines used in the British factory in which he worked.
What was another new invention? What was its purpose?
Other inventions followed. In 1793 Eli Whitney invented the cotton gin. The word gin is short for "engine." It quickly and easily removed the seeds from picked cotton and allowed a huge increase in cotton production.
What is a free enterprise economy?
People are free to work wherever they wish and to buy, sell, and produce whatever they want. The major elements of free enterprise are economic freedom, profit, private property, and competition. Business owners produce the products they think will sell the best and make the most profit. Businesses compete for customers with low prices and high quality. This competition helps push businesses to improve.
Who provided the money necessary for building these businesses?
Small investors—such as shopkeepers, merchants, and farmers— provided the money necessary to build most new businesses.
Patent
Sole legal right to an invention and its profits
Where did Southern farmers move? Why?
Southern farmers seeking new land moved west to plant the valuable crop.
How would fires start? What would their consequences be?
Sparks from a fireplace could easily ignite wooden buildings. Fires could be disastrous since few cities had organized fire companies.
How did the British try to protect their inventions?
The British also tried to protect their inventions. One law prohibited textile workers from sharing technology or leaving the country. Still, a few British workers brought these secrets to the United States
When did the Industrial Revolution reach the United States?
The Industrial Revolution reached the United States around 1800.
How did the capitalist economic system help the United States?
The capitalist economic system of the United States helped spur industrial growth.
Why was the change important?
The change from the guild system to the industrial boom was so important since it created hubs and jobs.
What affect did the growth of factories have on towns and population?
The growth of factories and trade led to the growth of towns and cities.
What did the new machines run on? So where did they build them?
These new machines ran on the power of flowing water. British cloth makers built factories, called mills, along rivers.
Why did small investors invest?
These people invested money in hopes of earning profits if the businesses were successful. Low taxes, minimum government regulations, and competition encouraged people to invest in new industries.
How did the mill owners pay their workers?
To tend the machines, mill owners paid people wages, regular payment of money in return for work. People began to leave their homes and farms to work in the mills and collect wages
What cities grew in the west? Why?
To the west, towns such as Pittsburgh, Cincinnati, and Louisville were located on major rivers. As farmers in the West shipped more products by water, these towns grew rapidly.
What is another term to describe American economics?
We also use the term free enterprise to describe the American economic system.
What did most Americans do when they needed/wanted something?
When they wanted or needed something, they made it. Using their hands and simple tools, people made much of their own furniture, farm equipment, household items, and clothing.
Where did the New Englanders go to work? Where did all other Americans work?
While many New Englanders went to work in factories in the early 1800s, most Americans still lived and worked on farms. In the Northeast, farms were small, so a family could do all the necessary work. Farmers in the Northeast usually sold their products locally.
Despite many dangers, why did many people move to the urban areas during the Industrial Revolution?
Yet cities offered many opportunities, such as a variety of jobs and steady wages. As cities grew, residents built libraries, museums, and shops for people to enjoy during their leisure time. For many, the jobs and attractions of city life outweighed the dangers.
