Essay On The American Factory System

The North, South, and Western parts of the United States between 1800 through 1850 all had significant differences but also has similarities as well; based on their economy, social structure, daily life, and social attitudes.

The phrase ‘Rise Of Smokestack America’ is often used in reference to the industrial revolution during which America’s industrial growth led to the growth of factories and modern cities, the development of social classes due to division of labor and race. During this period, the American labor force transformed tremendously as the nation evolved from a largely agricultural society into a relatively modern society.

America has been expanding and growing since its birth out of Great Britain. The Industrial Revolution has been an influence in the American life since it first began in the 1700s. Many of the effects resulting from the revolution still affect America to this day. The entrepreneurs of this time and their industry still are around, although they have molded and shaped themselves into better products their still known from the originality of it all. Although the Industrial Revolution began hundreds of years ago it has affected everything on a global scale with other nations adapting from the innovations of this era. Economically speaking its increased money for the nation tremendously although the nation in debt to other nations to this day;

Through the development of a transcontinental railroad system, the west was settled and many American dreams were in reach.

In the years preceding the war, a new wave of immigrants came to the United States fleeing the potato famine of 1845 and 1846 in Ireland. A few of the immigrants remained in the Southern entry ports of Charleston and New Orleans. However, the majority swelled the numbers in the Northern cities where they found work in the factories. By 1857, the number of factory workers had risen to 1.2 million, and the industrial labor force had risen to almost 1 million people working an average of sixty-eight to seventy-two hours a week.

The American Industrial Revolution come between 1790 and 1860() I large part because of the construction of canals, technological advancements of the cotton mill and inventions such as the cotton gin. By 1812 hundreds of mechanics fled England bring the knowledge of textiles industries with them. The English emigrants being primarily mechanics seeking better paying positions. (Henretta, 2012, pg. 265). Unlike the south, the north moved away from the use of slaves. The use of young women from small towns would be the answer for cheaper

In the 19th century, America saw major expansions and technological advances that paved way for the grand expansion of agriculture that boosted the nation’s economy. Regardless of the fact that Great Britain had tried to keep secrets regarding machinery and inventions, most of America’s advances were propelled by inventions such as the cotton gin by Eli Whitney in 1793, steel plow by John Deere, railway, steamboats, telegraph, and canals. In addition, technology’s profound effect on agriculture also led to the rise of the textile industry whereby factories produced materials such as cotton thread and cloth. Many of these initial factories are recognized in historical texts, but the Lowell factory system is one that is famous – precisely the

There was an abundance of natural resources during this time period. The forests provided the wood needed to heat the rising growth of the factories and to supply paper for the increase of books and newspapers. The transportation growth provided people with a way tp receive literature in distant areas. Sawmills had to use the waterwheel for power. The steamboats pummeled a pathway through the rivers, but also deforested the land in their pathway. This brought about America’s first issue with air pollution.

In the early 1800’s, the economic conditions of both the North and South of the United States were very different. After the war of 1812, the United States’ economy rapidly grew at an astonishing rate. Both the North and South experienced a period of wealth as there was a time of increased trade, population growth and expansion which stirred economic growth. The economic development of the North and South also led to the rapid growth of cities. The economic conditions of the North and South can be seen as one of the major differences of the two during that time period. Both economies produced different materials due to the difference in locations of the North and South which resulted in the development of two different economies. Overall,

Not only did manufacturing industries and immigrants make up large cities to support trading routes, but also public education, culture (determined by life in the cities), and transportation progress that drastically contrasted with the Southern states. Transportation advancements like the Erie Canal, railroads, and ships improved access to and increased trading efficiency between urban areas like New York or Philadelphia. As a result of these technological advancements in public and commercial transportation, the Northern states dominated the railroads as they “… boasted more than two-thirds of the railroad tracks in the country and the economy was on an upswing.” (“North and South”). Since technological development was one of the forefront of the Northern states as the product of manufacturing industries, people had easier access to a proper education – “… the Puritan emphasis on literacy largely influenced the significantly higher literacy rate (70 percent of men) of the Thirteen Colonies” (“Education in the Thirteen Colonies”) – affected how the Northern states political view emerged.

The 1800’s revolutionized the county that we know today. With states splitting opinions on slaves and being free, the north and south had drastically divided styles of workforces. The demand for more manufactured goods skyrocketed resulting in an explosion of factories and mills. Products of the north and south required supplies and shipping routes, transportation infrastructure was carved through the countryside to meet these demands. The country had entered a new mindset, and a new era.

The North had the largest cities out of all regions and was likely the most technologically advanced. The North had roads, canals, and railroads that connected the region into a giant web of connections. Many large cities were located here such as the largest city in the United States, New York City, or NYC. Many European immigrants lived in the North and worked in the factories located there. Although the region was prosperous and “advanced”, the living conditions weren’t the greatest for the common, blue-collar worker. Since the factories did not pay much, the average joe couldn’t afford the nicest of living spaces. This forced families to move into tenements that had horrid living conditions. Sanitation was nonexistent, disease was common, and families would often live with other families. The south was almost directly opposite. While there were big cities in the South, a majority of the population would live in rural areas. In fact, only one-tenth of the population in the South lived in urban areas. People commonly lived in plantation homes and owned large plots of land, such as plantations. There were almost as many black slaves in the South as there were whites, 4 million blacks, and 5.5 million whites. Most people worked on farms and the ideal labor was slavery, a controversial issue at the time. The west was a little odd. In the 1840s, the West was sparsely populated. Most occupants were Native Americans who have been in the West for 100’s of years. For the people living there, mining, fishing, and “dry farming”, were common occupations. Since the weather was unpredictable, settlers resorted to a technique called “dry farming.”The gold rush was one of the biggest events in the west, causing thousands of people in the East to start their own quest for

The United States has always housed two types of people: those who embrace change and those who resist it. From loyalists and revolutionaries in the eighteenth century to democrats and republicans in the twenty-first, changing economic tides and social conditions often spark factions in this nation. In the case of the Antebellum period, new technology and working environments caused turmoil. In a few short decades, the country would be locked in a civil war. However, before that came a series of religious and reform movements. Some of these movements would grow into national conversations, but began first with small groups. In Antebellum America, industrialization caused a breakdown in social structure, especially norms of class, gender, and race. This led to middle and upper class men in the North and the South using similar strategies to resist social change. Industrialization also allowed alternative voices to advocate for entirely new dynamics of power surrounding class, gender, and race.

Mark Twain once called Industrialization an, “Era of incredible Rottenness.” Industrialization had both negative effects and positive effects on city life. While big businesses thrived, the gap between the rich and poor grew larger day by day. Progressive reformers sought to close this gap and bring together the nation.

There is no question that the Industrial Revolution had an enormous impact on American society between 1870 and 1940, but the question is what kind of an impact did it have during this period. The overall effect of the Industrial Revolution turned out to be a positive push towards modernization in America. As Stephen Gardiner, a British architect and writer during the 20th century, said, “The Industrial Revolution was another one of those extraordinary jumps forward in the story of civilization.” While Gardiner hit the nail on the head with his quote, the part of the story that most people tend to forget is just how quickly we Americans, made that extraordinary jump forward. There were Americans, who, at one point in their life were