U.S. History I - Economic Growth and Development 1815–1860 - Quick Guides | History

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Study GuideU.S. History I–Economic Growth and Development1815–18601. Growth of ManufacturingDuring the first half of the 1800s,American industry grew rapidly. Severaltariffs passed byCongress (1816–1828)helped protect U.S. manufacturers, especially textile mills, from foreigncompetition.As manufacturing shifted from small workshops and homes tofactories, the labor force changed:•Artisans and skilled craftsmenbecame less important.•Factories relied more onsemi-skilled or unskilled workers, includingwomen, to operatemachines.•Technologyboosted production and efficiency, just as it had in agriculture.Some factory production even focused onagricultural inventions, like the reaper and the steel plow,which became important parts of the industrial economy.1.1Technological Innovation•Cotton mills:Machines to spin cotton into thread were first developed inBritain, but theirdesigns were secret. SamuelSlatermemorized the plans and brought them to the U.S.,opening thefirst American cotton mill in Rhode Island (1790).•Interchangeable parts:Eli Whitney, famous for the cotton gin, developed machines thatcould make identical parts. This innovation lowered labor costs and increased efficiency.•Other inventions:oCharles Goodyear (1839)–vulcanization, making rubber stronger.oElias Howe (1846)–sewing machine, later improved by Isaac Singer.oSamuel Morse (1844)–electric telegraph, revolutionizing communication.Thetelegraphtransformed journalism, helping newspapers spread quickly. Daily newspapers in theU.S. grew from8 in 1790 to nearly 400 by 1860, many costing only a penny.

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Study Guide1.2The Factory SystemNew England led the growth oftextile factories, which shared three main characteristics:1.Division of labor–each worker performed only one part of the production process.2.Use of machines–machines were used in every phase of production.3.Phased production–the making of an item was broken into separate steps.•In1813, the first factory where spinning and weaving occurred under one roof was built inWaltham, Massachusetts.•Lowell, Massachusetts (1822)became a model factory town. Most workers wereyoungwomenwho lived in company dorms, worked12 hours a day, six days a week, and earnedenough to gain some independence.•Women usually worked for a few years before being replaced byimmigrants, mostly Irishmen, in the 1840s–1850s.1.3Regional Industry•Textilesdominated manufacturing before the Civil War, mainly in theNortheast, where riversprovidedwater power and transportation.•Cloth made in New England was sent toNew York and Philadelphiafor turning into shirts,pants, and other clothing.•Other industries developed where raw materials were nearby:oPittsburgh–iron industry (close to ore and coal).oCincinnati–early meatpacking hub (near agricultural Ohio).1.4Labor Tensions and Early UnionsThe factory system causedconflicts with skilled workers:•Craftsmen were worried aboutmachines and cheap labortaking their jobs.

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Study Guide•They formedtrade unions and political parties in the 1830sto protect wages, hours, andworking conditions.•Eventually, artisans and unskilled workers joined forces.First general strike (1835, Philadelphia):•Workers demanded aten-hour workday.•By the 1860s, most industries accepted the shorter day,except New England textile mills.2. Changes in American SocietyThe years1815 to 1860brought big changes to the United States, especially in thenorthern states.Economic growth transformed cities, work, and daily life, thanks to thetransportation revolution,urbanization, and industrialization.Wealth and Social ClassIn northern cities, asmall, wealthy elitecontrolled much of the economy. Meanwhile, theworkingpoor, which included manyimmigrants, owned little or nothing.•Stories of “rags-to-riches” were popular, but most peopledid not move up the social ladder,even as incomes rose.•Some skilled workers became factory managers or small business owners, butmanyremained permanent wage earners, with little hope of advancement.This period highlightedgrowing inequalitydespite overall economic expansion.2.1Women and the FamilyThelegal status of womenin the mid-1800s was mostly unchanged from colonial times. Forexample:•New Yorkwas the only state in 1848 to give married women control over their property.•In most states, women had very few legal rights and depended on their husbands.Industrialization, however,changed women’s roles in society, especially in middle-class urbanfamilies:•Factory-made goods replaced many items that women had once produced at home.

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