Industrial Revolution - Seminar One

Page
1

Slide 1

Week 3 Notes

The Industrial Revolution in the United States

www.sliderbase.com

Slide 2

The Industrial Revolution – in the United States

British mercantilism kept the U.S. as a colony which delayed economic development.

Great Britain prohibited the sale of manufacturing equipment and emigration of skilled labor to U.S.

Adam Smith influenced writing of the U.S. Constitution and economic system.

Textile Industry

Commonwealth vs. Hunt 1842

American System of Manufactures

Railroads

www.sliderbase.com

Slide 3

Early Industrial Development– Textile Mills

Largest industry at the time was textile.

Even though the textile industry was the largest business, factories were still small.

“Photo” on the left depicts an early textile mill.

www.sliderbase.com

Slide 4

Textile Mills

Samuel Slater – “Rhode Island System”

First to use steam-driven power looms

Relied on sole proprietorship or partnership form of ownership initially.

Relied on family for labor – with growth had to hire professional managers.

Vertically integrated operations forward and backward.

Samuel Slater

www.sliderbase.com

Slide 5

Textile Mills

Francis Lowell – “Waltham System”

Used water-power looms.

Hired non-family supervisors & managers with corporate model.

Used integrated spinning and weaving to manufacture goods in large quantities.

Relied on adult female labor.

Praised by Charles Dickens for better treatment of employees.

www.sliderbase.com

Slide 6

Textile Mill at Pawtucket, Rhode Island

Mill – present day reconstruction

Depiction of Mill

www.sliderbase.com

Slide 7

Commonwealth v. Hunt (1842)

Worker combinations (unions) were no longer illegal unless their intent was criminal.

Seeking a closed shop and striking were no longer illegal.

Only applied to Massachusetts but discouraged prosecution of worker organizations elsewhere.

www.sliderbase.com

Slide 8

The American System of Manufactures

Manufacture by interchangeable parts was not new – previously confined to making muskets and revolvers.

The Springfield (MA) Armory was an early factory prototype.