4.5: Market Revolution: Industrialization

The Market Revolution

  • Market Revolution: The linking of northern industries with western and southern farms, which was created by advances in agriculture, industry, and transportation

  • Regional economic sectors wove together

    • Agrarian → capitalist society

Transportation

  • Needed reliable, efficient transportation of raw materials and goods

  • National Road connected Maryland to Illinois

    • States usually rejected responsibility for federal roads

  • Canals (human-built rivers)

    • Most significant: Erie Canal in NY

  • Steamboat powerful boats going up and downstream that could carry materials

  • Railroads largely replaced canals

  • Local and state gov granted loans and tax breaks (sometimes land) to railroad companies

Industrial Technology

  • New patent laws protected rights to people’s inventions

  • Eli Whitney invented interchangeable parts

    • Previously, artisans had to make the entire item

    • If each piece was made with precision and in bulk, you could assemble it and switch faulty parts

  • 1820s: factory system was born

    • Manufactured goods could be mass-produced by unskilled laborers

Agricultural Innovation

  • Cotton gin separated cotton seeds from cotton fibers

  • Spinning machine turned raw cotton into yarn

  • Early 1800s and before: main goal of agriculture was subsistence farming

    • People farmed to feed themselves and maybe sell a little extra

  • Now, commercial farming became the norm

    • Growing cash crops like cotton, tobacco, indigo

    • Cotton most important, especially for southern farmers

      • In demand for British factories

    • International industry

  • Different regions of America becoming economically interconnected and increasing economic ties internationally