Industrial Revolution Notes (June 3-T)

Industrial Revolution

• Started in the late 18th century and took hold in the 19th century.
• Shifted from skilled labor to machine production.
• Goods became more accessible, but also had some negative impacts.
• Considered a period of rapid advancement, similar to the Internet age.

Pre-Industrial Production

• Goods were made by skilled artisans (masters) with apprentices.
• Example: Master swordsmith with an apprentice.
• Apprentices would eventually take over the master's shop.

Impact of the Industrial Revolution

• Machines replaced the need for skill and muscle in production.
• Goods became more readily available to the general population.
• Shifted some workers to "babysitting" machines.

Positive and Negative Aspects of the Industrial Revolution

• Often viewed negatively, but improvements in availability of food and clothing for many.
• Humanity went into "fast forward," distances shrank, communication accelerated.
• Comparison to the Internet age in terms of rapid change and accessibility.

Era of Good Feelings

• Period of optimism and renewed positivity after the War of 1812.
• Decline of political infighting due to the decline of the Federalist Party.
• James Monroe's presidency saw the end of Federalist opposition.

The Monroe Doctrine

• Declared by President James Monroe.
• The Americas were off-limits to further colonization by European powers.
• The U.S. would stay out of European affairs if Europe stayed out of the Americas.
• Reflected a growing sense of U.S. isolationism and asserting dominance in the Western Hemisphere.
• Cited later as justification for U.S. non-involvement in European conflicts like World War I.
• Echoed George Washington's warning against permanent alliances.

Cotton Gin

• Invented by Eli Whitney.
• Revolutionized cotton production by efficiently separating seeds from cotton fibers.
• Dramatically increased cotton production in the American South.
• By the 1850s, the American South supplied 75% of the world's cotton.

Impact on Slavery

• Increased the profitability of slavery, leading to its expansion.
• Southern states doubled down on cotton production and the need for enslaved labor.
• The U.S. had abolished the slave trade, but slavery itself persisted.
• Slavery became dependent on natural reproduction and illegal human trafficking.
• The North gradually moved away from slavery due to less reliance on agriculture.
• Northern states began to abolish slavery.
• The cotton gin increased the South's dependence on slavery, exacerbating sectional tensions.

Factory Work in the North

• Shift from farm work to industrial jobs in the North.
• Few safety regulations or worker protections existed.
• No minimum wage or concept of an average workday (12-15 hours per day).
• Factory owners prioritized profit over worker safety, leading to dangerous conditions.
• Workers faced the risk of injury or death with no compensation.
• Some historians refer to factory workers as "wage slaves".

The Lowell System

• Imported from Britain by Francis Cabot Lowell.
• Factory owned the entire town, including homes, stores, and post office.
• Workers were paid but then had to spend their money back at company-owned establishments.
• Examples of the Lowell system can still be seen in some cities in Georgia like Porterdale and in downtown Atlanta.

Child Labor

• Prevalent in American factories in the 1800s.
• Children, as young as 10 years old, comprised a significant portion of the workforce.

Reasons for Child Labor

• Cheap labor: Children could be paid very little.
• Easily controlled: Less likely to revolt and easier to manage.
• Could fit into small spaces, making them useful for machine maintenance.
• Unaware of their rights or fair treatment.

Conditions of Child Labor

• Factories resembled prisons with barbed wire fences.
• "Whipping rooms" existed to punish children who didn't work hard enough.
• Many child laborers were orphans with no other options.
• Families sent children to work out of economic necessity.
• High rates of injury and death due to dangerous working conditions.
• Sacrifice of an entire generation for the sake of industrial progress.
• Limited attempts to limit child labor until the early 20th century.
• Photographs from the time show the harsh reality of child labor: miserable, soulless, and destined for short lives.
• This was the cost of creating convenience for the masses.

Examples of dangerous conditions mentioned:

• Children getting caught and killed in machinery.
• Exposure to chemicals and dangerous substances in textile mills and mines.

Cyrus McCormick and the Mechanical Reaper

• Cyrus McCormick created the mechanical reaper, a machine for harvesting wheat.
• Increased agricultural production in the North and Northwest.
• Made it possible to harvest large farms more efficiently.
• Helped establish the American Midwest as the "breadbasket" of the U.S.
• Reduced the need for manual labor in agriculture.

Tariffs and Protective Legislation

• After the War of 1812, U.S. businesses faced competition from cheap British imports.
• U.S. businesses sought protective legislation in the form of tariffs on imports.
• A 20% tariff was passed, making imported goods more expensive.

Sectional Issues

• The North supported tariffs to protect its industries.
• The South opposed tariffs, fearing retaliatory taxes on its exports.
• The South relied on imported goods and did not want to pay higher prices.

Definition of Northern and Southern States

• Northern states: Above the Mason-Dixon Line (southern border of Pennsylvania).
• Southern states: Below the Mason-Dixon Line.

The District of Columbia

• Located between Maryland and Virginia to appear neutral during sectional conflicts.

The Steamboat

• Robert Fulton is credited with the steamboat patent.
• Transformed rivers into superhighways, enabling two-way travel.
• Increased the value of cities located on rivers.
• Transported people and goods faster than ever before.
• However, steamboats were prone to explosions.

The Erie Canal

• Proposed by DeWitt Clinton, mayor of New York City to connect New York City to the Great Lakes and the Midwest.
• People thought it was outlandish and that he was an idiot.
• Completed in 1825 after a lot of labor by Irish Immigrants, connected New York City with the American Midwest.
• Employs lock technology allows canals to go up and downhill with changes in water levels.
• Spreads ideas, social movements, and religions.
• The internet of the Era.
• Made New York City the richest and busiest city in America.

The Railroad

• Cities wanted a way to create a canal, so they considered better roads. So they laid down steel rails for a smooth journey to allow horses to draw carts up and down.
• Replaced horses with steam engines on wheels, the locomotive.
• Locomotives were faster than canal.
• Baltimore and Ohio Railroad linked American cities faster than the South.
• Transports people, good, and post office mail.
• Industry within itself.

Samuel Morse and the Telegraph

• An artist, he created electromagnetic pulses within a wire, so messages can be sent to people far away.
• Created Morse code. S.O.S.
• Telegraph lines were formed next to railroad tracks.
• Connected The United States with Britain.

Andrew Jackson Politics

• Increases democracy.
• Was a villain or hero in history, depending on what aspect you followed.
• Was the democrat president. One of the first ones.
• Believed he was always right
• "One Man with courage makes the majority".