Industrial Revolution

Industrial Revolution

War of 1812 brought great economic changes to the United States – Most Americans did not

want to industrialize

British naval blockade leading cause – Forced Americans to make

their own goods

Hand tools replaced by machines

Farming replaced by large-scale manufacturing

Factory System Brought workers and

machines under the same roof

Most factories were built next to a water source – Water was used to power

machines

Rural to Urban society

Factory workers – Set wages, schedule

– Dangerous working conditions

– Way of life changed, not always for the better

Mill Systems

Spun cotton into yarn

Wove cloth

Spinning mill Work Performed

Copied from English

Copied from English

Origins of Machinery Design

Young women Children or families

Source of Employees

Francis Lowell’s Mill

Samuel Slater’s Mill

Lowell Mills

Young farm girls worked 12 ½ hour day

Very loud working conditions Wages - $2-4/week

– Wages became worse as profits fell, as well as working conditions

Older women were the supervisors – Made women follow strict rules

and attend church

Worked in the mill until they got married

Interchangeable parts

Eli Whitney was hired by the government to make 10,000 muskets in two years – Prior to interchangeable parts,

guns were made individually by gunsmiths Each gun having its own unique parts

Interchangeable parts = parts that are exactly alike – Allows for parts to be easily

replaced or made, sped up production, and the use of lower paid and skilled workers

– Requires inspection of parts to ensure uniformity