Intellectual Progression Of The 19th Century

Compared to previous times, America ended the 19th century at an all time high due to new government policies, technological advancements and population changes. With the help of federal encouragement to settle westward and unite the country, industry was able to expand to more

The industrial revolution during the 19th Century led to the rapid expanse of cotton production in America. Several new inventions began to be used which could more efficiently use cotton and other similar materials to aid in the production of textiles. During that time, the textile industry was big and the demand for cotton continued to grow however the price of cotton never increased to match the demand. Slaves were taken advantage of and because their labor was so cheap it was beneficial to slave owners to collect cotton using slave labor and trade the cotton for a profit. Great Britain was the worlds most powerful country and a large part of that countries industrial life was cotton textiles. America became Britain’s biggest trade partner for cotton and the increase in trade allowed America to build on its own and gain a bigger variety of goods through trade. The cotton industry was one of the biggest influences of America’s growth in the 19th Century and slave labor was used to ensure its expansion could continue throughout the years.

Until the late nineteenth century, the United States was still an agrarian community. As factories sprouted to process the products obtained from agriculture and to manufacture farm equipment, there rose

The industrialists of the late 19th century were “captains of industry” because they created new industries that further flourished the United States and its economy. Railroad tycoons such as “Cornelius Vanderbilt, James J. Hill, and Jay Gould” created the “transcontinental railroad [that] would allow for settlement of the west, new markets for eastern manufacturers, and relief to overcrowded eastern cities” (“Binding the Nation by Rail” 1). The railroad system connected those who are thousands of miles away and allowed goods to reach parts of the United States that it could not previously. As a result, the prices of goods dropped a

Advancements in new technology clearly promoted the industrial growth of the United States. The new technologies allowed business owners to reduce labor in the movement of materials from one point to the other. This occurred by using the new technology of railroads and machinery. Business owners

Improvements in communication and transportation became apparent in the nineteenth century due to the expansion of the textile, mining and metallurgy industries. By the middle of the nineteenth century, communication was transformed by the invention of the electronic telegraph and the transatlantic cable, which “Established instant communication between the old and new worlds.” (p. 413) Transportation was also transformed by canal and road building, as well as the introduction of locomotives and steamboats.

At the beginning of the 19th century, the Industrial Revolution had spread to the North America. In the North, the Industrial Revolution provided new space

In 1794, U.S. inventor Eli Whitney patented a machine that transformed the production of cotton by significantly speeding up the process of removing seeds from cotton fiber called the cotton gin. By the middle of the 19th century cotton had become America’s leading export. This gave Sothern’s the rationalization to maintain and expand slavery despite large number of abolitionists in America. While the cotton gin made cotton processing easier, it facilitated planters in earning greater profits, resulting in larger cotton crops. This in turn increased slavery because it was the cheapest form of labor. As for the North, particularly New England, the cotton gin and cotton’s increase meant a steady supply of raw materials for its textile mills.

The Early American Industrial Revolution and Westward Expansion, two interconnected yet independent occurrences, were significant events in the Antebellum Era. The Early Industrial Revolution utilized new inventions to improve the United State’s economy and change lifestyles (Hakim NN 105; Hakim NN 107). It had offered new opportunities and transformed America 's farm economy into a market economy, which is, arguably, more efficient (Hakim NN 109). While Westward Expansion extended America’s borders, fueled by a popular ideal known as “manifest destiny, it caused many disputes amongst the American citizens, creating complications in Congress (Hakim 62-63). As shown, the Industrial Revolution and Westward Expansion were both major changes for America 's economy, each with its own benefits and disadvantages (Hakim NN 103-109; Hakim 58-59). The Early Industrial Revolution and Westward Expansion promoted and enhanced the effects of each other; the increased production of textiles urged Southern farmers to expand their plantations, which in turn, produced more raw materials for the Northern industrial workers to process (Hakim NN 103-109; Hakim 58-59). While both, as shown above, had improved the economy and allowed some freedom for the workers in free states which would otherwise not have, they also promoted slavery, which, at the time, was an ongoing issue

The late nineteenth century was an era of growth in the USA. It introduced railroads, telephone lines, opportunities for entrepreneurs, and cheap goods for consumers. Mark Twain dubbed this time period the Gilded Age; the period was glittering on the surface but corrupt underneath. Between 1870 and 1900, corporations grew significantly across the board in number, size, and influence. The newfound efficiency of resources and mass production resulted in an increase in the production of American goods and the amount of unskilled laborers but also created a wide divide between classes and a maldistribution of power. The American people responded to these impacts through both an increased participation in consumerism and the formation of both

In the nineteenth century the daily life for the average American was changing, with the industrial revolution in full swing, Americans began to see changes in the economy, transportation, increases in food production, and the birth of the American system of manufacturing. America was modernizing, but modernization took place mostly in the north creating a divide between the south which remained agriculturally based.

The time period largely known as the "Gilded Age" was centered around big business which caused sharp economic and social class divisions as well as political corruption that led Americans to progressive reform. From the ashes of the Civil War, a second industrial revolution was born which ushered in new innovations and technological advances that drastically changed American life. As a result, business became powerful and controlling on the economy, created difficult working conditions, and influenced politics through manipulation and corruption. Americans poured into the country at a outstanding rate during the "Gilded Age", creating a supply of workers for the various jobs opportunities all over the country. The railroad was one of the biggest innovations in the late 19th century.

In the 19th century, a considerable number of reforms took place in America which helped in its shaping because, in order to develop the country, the Americans wanted changes. Some of these changes concerned the abolition of slavery, the opening of public schools and improving the terrible conditions in American prisons, all for the purpose of creating a better country and better living. The crucial reform was the abolition of slavery, which had the most impact on the American society, and was definitely the most important reform in the 19th century. Slavery, which was one of the biggest issues, which caused a lot of havoc, had to end.

The American economy boomed to a greater extent during the period of 1865-1900 due to transportation developments that were so modernistic, we still use them today to great effect. Along with faster transportation methods, this called for an increase in production rate, quickly leading to an industrial revolution. America had recently gotten out of its civil war, and with the compromise of 1877 came the end of the failed attempt at reconstruction. The only reason transportation developments were successful was because goods and people needed transporting for several various reasons. Among these reasons were a few that were quite generalized among the population such as manifest destiny, (the need to expand the frontier) Irish and German

The 19th century promised many great social and technological advances such as, reconstruction, many immigrants moving to America, the industrial revolution, and the first phone call. All these advances lead to a social change in American society. This was also the first time that American women, specifically the working class, were being allowed to work. Often finding work in factories, it was the first taste of independence outside of the household