How Did The Industrial Revolution Affect The American Economy
After America had won the war for independence against England, the new country had to find a way to get its own money. Before America had separated, the crops grown had been sent to England where it was sold. The money used to go to England, but now that America was free, who would the money go to? The years after America first became independent were called the Industrial Revolution which was a period of major industrialization. The Industrial Revolution changed the American economy by bringing most of the wealth to plantation and factory owners.
The South’s economy became more dependent on cotton and slave labor. This was because there was a boom in textiles during the Industrial Revolution causing a huge demand for cotton. The South depended …show more content…
Before the Industrial Revolution, cotton used to be sent overseas to be made into cloth in England using the machinery there, but now, America had to make their own materials. Factories were being built in locations all over the North so that America could make their own clothing. Factories were an invention which brought workers and machinery together in one place. The invention of factories attracted people looking for jobs such as immigrants from Ireland and escaped African American slaves from the South. As the North grew with the arrival of immigrants and African Americans, it became more urban. Cities such as Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania doubled in size. People working at the factory used new technology that nobody had ever heard of. One invention was the sewing machine which sewed seams into a fabric. With this invention, factory workers could produce much more clothing in the same amount of time. Soon, the North was producing most of America’s manufactured goods. One year, Americans had over one billion dollars invested in businesses. Of that total, over ninety percent was invested in businesses in the North. Even though all this money was being made, the factory workers got very little money, most of the money made in the factory was what the owners
The South’s economy became more dependent on cotton and slave labor. This was because there was a boom in textiles during the Industrial Revolution causing a huge demand for cotton. The South depended …show more content…
Before the Industrial Revolution, cotton used to be sent overseas to be made into cloth in England using the machinery there, but now, America had to make their own materials. Factories were being built in locations all over the North so that America could make their own clothing. Factories were an invention which brought workers and machinery together in one place. The invention of factories attracted people looking for jobs such as immigrants from Ireland and escaped African American slaves from the South. As the North grew with the arrival of immigrants and African Americans, it became more urban. Cities such as Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania doubled in size. People working at the factory used new technology that nobody had ever heard of. One invention was the sewing machine which sewed seams into a fabric. With this invention, factory workers could produce much more clothing in the same amount of time. Soon, the North was producing most of America’s manufactured goods. One year, Americans had over one billion dollars invested in businesses. Of that total, over ninety percent was invested in businesses in the North. Even though all this money was being made, the factory workers got very little money, most of the money made in the factory was what the owners