American Industrial Revolution: Key Developments

Transportation Advancements in the 1800s

What four factors significantly reduced the cost of transporting goods in the 1800s?

• National Road
• Canals
• Steamboats
• Railroads

Communication Advancements in the 1800s

Name at least three advancements in communication during the 1800s.

• Samuel F. B. Morse's Telegraph
• Perfection of the power press
• Revolutionized journalism

Characteristics of the 1800s

Name at least three characteristics of the 1800s.

• Population Growth: The American population doubled approximately every 22 years, with 600,000 immigrants arriving in the 1830s.
• Westward Expansion: Vast areas of land opened up for settlement.
• Land speculators played a leading role in the settlement of the West by selling land, partially on credit.

Manifest Destiny and Its Impact

Explain Manifest Destiny and its impact on Native Americans.

Manifest Destiny was the belief that the United States was destined to stretch from the Atlantic to the Pacific Ocean. This was believed to be divinely ordained.

Urbanization and Capitalism

Define urbanization and capitalism.

Urbanization: The movement of people from rural areas to cities.

Capitalism: An economic system in which the means of production are privately owned and operated for profit.

The Cottage Industry

What does this image illustrate? Identify the term.

Cottage Industry: Cloth was made by a domestic system; most of the work was done in the cottages of the workers. Whole families worked together.

Life for Female Textile Factory Workers

What was life like for female workers in textile factories? Where did they live? How many hours did they work? How much did they earn?

Female workers lived in company boarding houses under the watchful eye of a matron. They typically worked six days a week, from 7 AM to 7 PM, with only a 30-minute break for the noon meal. They earned from $2.40 to $3.20 a week.

Hiring Practices in Factories

Why did factory owners prefer to hire women and children?

They could pay them significantly less money.

Workers' Health, Living Conditions, and Uprisings

Describe the health and living conditions of workers. How did factory owners profit from their workers? What problems led to an uprising among workers?

Workers were paid by owners but had to buy all necessities in the owners' stores. This led to improvements in cities. The Public Health Act of 1875 forced towns to pave, light, and clean roads. Problems with sewage, water supply, disease, food, and housing were examined.

Beneficiaries of the American Revolution

Which two groups/types of men were the biggest beneficiaries of the American Revolution?

Yeomen farmers and artisans.

Workers' Only Weapon

What was the only weapon workers had against factory owners?

The strike.

Pyramid of Capitalist Systems

Describe the different levels of the Pyramid of Capitalist Systems.

We feed all, we eat for you, we shoot you, we fool you, we rule you.