The major economic characteristics of American life during the years 1800-1877 included the market revolution, the industrial revolution, and how plantations contributed to the economy. After 1815 there were great strides in the transportation and manufacturing industries. The industrial revolution provided agriculture, mechanization, and the railroad. Plantations contributed to a majority of the South’s economy which benefited them greatly. “Before 1815, transportation in the United States was slow and expensive; it cost as much to ship a crate over thirty miles of domestic roads as it did to send it across the Atlantic Ocean.” (Roark 297) During the years 1815-1840, the speed between roads, canals, and railroads was drastically raised …show more content…
With this land, they would be able to spend less time cleaning the land and more time growing crops at a faster rate. Improvements to machines for farming also improved, “in 1837, John Deere made a strong, smooth steel plow that sliced through prairie soil so cleanly that farmers called it the “singing plow.” (Roark 329) Agriculture wasn’t the only thing that contributed to the industrial revolution. Manufacturing and mechanization brought it a big portion of the economy. “Mechanization allowed manufacturers to produce more with less labor.” (Roark 329) Factories were able to produce twice as much of the product using fewer people and saving more time. American manufacturing focused more producing for the domestic rather than try to export their goods. Railroads paved a new way for the industrial revolution While during the market revolution brought new ways to travel by water. During the winter while the water was frozen and during the summer when it was too hot to have water, trains became the new go-to way to transport items. “Railroads gave cities not blessed with canals or navigable rivers a way to compete for rural trade.” (Roark 330) Railroads were bale to succeed more based on being able to serve not only farms but cities …show more content…
It was surprising for these new inventions that were created could have a huge impact on the economy. The market revolution was able to improve transportation and pave more opportunities in making more money at an easier pace. With the ways of transportation, the industrial revolution took off creating a booming economy that included agriculture as well as mechanization. With the inventions of new modern machines, people were able to produce more product with less help, which resulted in a bigger profit in the end. Cotton was able to become the major cash crop, because of the new invention of the Cotton Gin, cotton was easier to grow and many people began to jump on the bandwagon and either grow it themselves or use their slaves because it was such an easy and fast way to make more
The Industrial Revolution was of great importance to the economic development of the United States. The new era of mass production kindled in the United States because of technological innovations, a patent system, new forms of factory corporations, a huge supply of natural resources, and foreign investment. The growth of large-scale industry in America had countless positive results, but also negative results as well. Industrialization after the Civil War affected the United States in several ways including poverty, poor labor laws, and the condition of the people.
The Industrial Revolution created an enormous increase in the production of many kinds of goods. Some of this increase in production resulted from the introduction of power-driven machinery and the development of factory organization. This then led to a large influx of people into the cities. Also, as a result of the demands that the British were making the Americans demanded more in their own country.
We grew domestically, but we were also able to supply the market with new materials. A 2014 study represents major imports and exports. The data portrayed by Document F, suggests 329 million tons of exports and 171 million tons of imports. As manufacturing increased, railroads were an opportunity to transport these materials more efficiently. By exporting goods by railroad, we were able to share materials found in America with countries across the world. Farmers also benefited from railroads because they could could ship raw materials at a low
Not only were economics majorly revolutionized during this time period but transportation transformed as well. Before the invention of the steam engine, goods were hauled by horse drawn carriages and the journey was a long and difficult one. Robert Fulton was the first to build a steamboat successfully. This caused for a wave of change and soon goods were hauled across the Atlantic (“Industrial Revolution”) After the rapid success of the steamboat, soon steam locomotives began to take the spotlight. The steamboat and locomotive enabled Americans to travel to different parts of the country in less tie add connected the U.S in a way that it had never been before.
I believe that one the most major innovation that also brought change in the market revolution was the Eli Whitney’s invention of the cotton gin in 1793 because America lacked cotton most of 1700s, regardless of the fact that they had ability to construct textile factories and had waterways for transport. The southern planters in the past made effort to grow cotton, but never succeeded because cotton was labor intensive, so they dropped the idea and went to plant rice and tobacco, because during that period they tried growing cotton, it normally takes a lot of manpower and slaves use a whole day to separate maybe a pound of cotton seeds from fibers. They basically dropped every other crop in place of the newly profitable cotton. Also With the invention of the cotton gins, factories in the North were producing cotton cloth and cotton became the major crop in the south. Also the planters wanted increases in slave labor to plant enough cotton to take advantage of their new production capacity and this made them purchase thousands of slaves from the West Indies and Africa before slave trading was banned. As a result of the purchase of this slaves and extra manpower, the individual plantations increased in sizes, from the normal small plots to big farms with as many as several hundred slaves each. Due to the economic bloom there was a demand in labor
The major change in the American economy was people began to exchange goods rather than make them for themselves. Especially, Western settlers in isolated areas needed ways to transport their goods to distant markets. The Market Revolution was an economic transformation of America. It was a dramatic change in labor and production, which made easy transportation and fast communication across the country. There were many improvements occurred which included an improved production of cotton, lowered transportation costs to make it easier to sell things, allowed women to go to work outside, and protected contract rights.
The Market Revolution brought on several social, economic and political changes during 1812 to 1860. Farming land was a way of life for most since they were providing for their own families; however, the Market Revolution brought on changes that would benefit them while providing a market-based society. This plan would help the American farmers to specialize in the area that they considered was their best, sell this specialized produce at the market and purchase from the market the other items needed by their families. This new revolution brought on many new marketing centers within the United States making it much easier for the farmers to produce and sell their goods locally. In fact, the change that the Market Revolution brought about
“The iron rail, flanged wheel and puffing locomotive appeared in America by 1830. In the next twenty years the railroad brought a new dimension and added a new flavor to American transportation. The first railroads frequently helped American cities (and in turn were aided themselves) as they sought a larger share of western markets. (Stover, p10) As the canal craze was replaced with the rail craze, America once again found a means to connect north to south and east to west. Rails could do what canals could not; they could penetrate the dry arid areas, steep mountainous areas, span rivers, go up, over, or down under any impedance. But the penultimate advantaged was speed and time saved.
The antebellum era held many beneficial innovations for the United States. The Market Revolution led to improvements in both travel and technology that guided America to become a more productive nation. More opportunities became available to all Americans which led to growth and prosperity of the people. The Market Revolution was beneficial to America in every way possible.
During the 1800s, our nation experienced a technological revolution. The United States’ population increased immensely due to immigration and to the development of technological advancements. During this time period, our country was transformed into a more industrial nation. Technological advancements occurring during this time, such as the Erie Canal, the expansion of railroads, and the invention of the cotton gin permanently changed American life.
The Industrial Revolution drastically altered the American society and culture. This period dignified the "the peak years of the market revolution that took the country from the fringe of the world economy to the brink of commercial greatness" (Johnson and Wilentz, 6). During this transformation, improvements in land and water transformation linked farmers to markets and lowered the expense of commerce. Novel inventions such as the telegraph, the cotton-gin, and the plow contributed to the movement that transformed America into a strong, economic power. Undoubtedly, "commerce was bursting with
The Market Revolution was a rise in development of manufacturing and improved farming that had such a profound effect on the American Society. The Market Revolution changed forever the way that the American people of all classes earned a living as well as the shape of the nation’s economy. The major changes revolved around a large array of different things that helped improve the economy but specifically the change in manufacturing, development and farming had the biggest effects.
The market revolution changed the economic life for all Americans. It took place in the early decade of the 19th century. Historians and writers as Eric Foner writes in his book Give Me Liberty!, one example is when he talks about the market revolution he refers to serious economic changes that took place between 1800s and around 1840s which included many things such as great improvement in transportation, building steamboats, the telegraph and the Erie Canal, which was about 36o miles long canal from the Great Lake to the Hudson River. This upgrade made it a cheaper, easier and faster transportation. By making these great improvements, products were able to be sent to other places to make more profit. Not only profit came out of it, but this gave
How did the introduction of the industrial revolution have a big impact on the economy? One of the biggest economic boomers Americans had was the cotton plant in which was gathered by hand. Getting the cotton wasn't hard at all the bigger pest is separating the seed away from the cotton. Which proved tedious so a man by the name of Eli Whitney created a machine called the cotton gin. This piece of machinery was one of the big pioneers in the industrial revolution due to its efficient ways of separating seeds from cotton.
The Industrial Revolution impacted American society greatly economically, socially, politically, and morally. Upon the introduction of the Industrial Revolution in America, their economy increased dramatically. This increase in the economy was due to new machines that aided in the production of products and new ways of transportation. Such machines included the Cotton Gin, Interchangeable Parts, and the Textile Mill. The Cotton Gin made it easier for farmers, primarily in the south, to produce more cotton faster and easier.