The Industrial Revolution Essay

Prompt: In what ways did developments in transportation bring about economic and social change in the United States in the period 1820-1860?

The industrial revolution began in the 17th century and made significant change in the world. An era was over and the new one was beginning. The revolution has advantages and disadvantages. Rising of living standards, improving of health, lifetime and trade system are its advantages. On the other hand, manufacturing has caused major problems such as deforestation, excessive use of fossil fuel sources, irresponsible industrialisation and agricultural development. These changes have increased world’s atmospheric concentration of water vapour, CO2, CH4 and other gases (Stocker, 2013). These gases capture part of energy receiving from sun and trap this heat inside atmosphere that causes rising temperatures on the earth’s surface. Naturally, for continuation of life these gases are necessary, but result of the human events these gases has produced more than plants and environment need (Robins, 2016). Also, we call them Green Houses Gases because they have the similar effect like the ‘greenhouses’ utilised to increase condition of vegetables.

America had a huge industrial revolution in the late 1800”s. Many changes happened to our great nation, which factored into this. The evidence clearly shows that advancements in new technology, a large wave of immigrants into our country and new views of our government, helped to promote America’s huge industrial growth from the period of 1860-1900.

Transportation in the United States has changed dramatically in the past few hundred years, from dirt roads, to canals, to railroads, and back to roads to again. Improvements in transportation between the years 1820 and 1860 allowed for almost all of America to be accessible which caused the US economy to explode. Transportation turned the U.S. into a flourishing economy and caused a large increase in sectionalism, industrialization, and expansion.

Inventions like the iPhone have paved the road for social, economical, and political improvements. It allowed many opportunities for people to capitalize on whether it be economically like amazon, or socially like youtube as did the railroad that connected the states together. The transcontinental railroad most impacted America economically through encouraging imports and exports amongst the states, making transportation cheaper, and opening up cities along the railroad itself.

The Erie canal was very important to the United States. It was designed to link our nation through transportation and trade and was the fastest way to transport goods. It also linked many parts of the country. The Erie Canal was a vital part of Henry Clay’s plan known as the American System, which was designed to link our nation through trade and transportation.

The fourth important invention was trains and railroads. Much like steamboats, railroads made transportation much easier. Soon after the first railroad appeared in the United States in 1828, miles and miles of railing covered American soil. Able to go almost anywhere, even through the Allegheny Mountains, trains ignored any rocky terrain or bad weather. Railroads were a very important invention because it literally bound American together with braces of iron. It became easy to ship goods from state to state, North to South, or South to West. Each region became more dependent and closely tied with the others.

The Market Revolution was the most fundamental change in American history all because of three very important developments. These developments consisted of transportation, commercialization and industrialization. Transportation developed many more ways to get around by roads, canals, steamboats and even railroads. Commercialization began to replace household self-sufficiency with goods that were starting to be produced for a cash market. Industrialization was life changing for all of goods that were produced by hand and switched to machines to do the same job but faster and more efficient.

This made it very hard for the individual states to come up with the money. Usually private investors took care of this issue (Roark, 260). Canals were another way for an increase in transportation. They would connect cities, such as the Erie Canal, which covered the area between Albany and Buffalo and connecting New York City to the area of the Great Lakes (Roark, 261). Railroads also came into the picture with the first railroad, the Baltimore and Ohio in 1829 (Roark, 262).

Railroads can be referred to as the first big business, and the first industry to develop management bureaucracy (Ogburn 39). Railroads were a vital part of early American history during the 1800s-1860. Railroads brought social, economic, and political change to the country (Stover 26). In the United States a turnpike era and then a canal era had immediately preceded the coming of the railroads, which proved to be fast, direct, and reliable in all weather. After 1830, the railroads grew so quickly that within a decade their mileage surpassed that of the canals (Hollingsworth 28). The development of Railroads was one of the most important phenomena of the Industrial Revolution.

The Industrial Revolution is the name given to the movement in which machines changed people's way of life as well as their methods of manufacturer. It brought three important changes: inventions of machines that simplify and speed up the work of hand tools, use of steam (and other power) versus human power, adoption of a factory system. Workers were brought together under one roof and were supplied machines. The Industrial Revolution began throughout the world relatively during the same time period, and although it had its beginning in remote times, it is still continuing in some places.

Another great invention of transportation during this time was the train. America’s first train was invented by George Stephenson in 1822, and by 1825 the train was the first locomotive. Obviously everything at this time was made by hand, and every part of this engine had to be hammered into shape just like a horseshoe. John Thorswall, a coalmine blacksmith, was George’s assistant. The invention of George was very important in America because it allowed transportation from place to place in a quicker time. This boosted the economy by helping distribute many goods all around the country. Even letters were being delivered faster, so communication was increasing.

Soon other lines followed throughout the country. Railroads affected almost every aspect of American life. The rapid spread of the railroads provided the basis for a tremendous westward movement of population. It also carried raw material to, and finish product from factories to consumers in a more efficient way (The USA online, n.d.). The railways became highly profitable business for their owners.

The Industrial Revolution was the main contributor of the development of factories and modern day machinery. The Industrial Revolution created hundreds of new jobs, influenced many new inventions, and created many new ways of creating and transporting goods. Many jobs including spinners, miners, factory workers, and farmers were beginning to rise in population, due to the new technology being created in the 18th and 19th centuries. The start of new inventions coming into view was beginning in Britain, with many agricultural tools creating new ways to plow and yield crops. Later on, it caused new forms of transportation to be developed, for example, railroads and canals. This essay will explain exactly how these causes began, and how they

Transportation was improved. New forms of transportation included steam power, improved roads, railroads, bridges, canals and ships. These new improved mean of transportation allowed people to travel cross country and to ship goods to new markets in a matter of days as opposed to months. The railroads eventually became the nation’s number one transportation system, and remained so until the construction of the interstate highway halfway during the Twentieth century. The late 19th century belonged to the railroads. They were of crucial importance in stimulating economic expansion (American History).