Industrial Revolution1
Prior to the 18th century, in the United States and Western Europe, the majority of the population lived on farms. However, during the 1700's many remarkable new innovations came into being which caused an upheaval of sorts. "New forms of power, such as steam, replaced animal strength and human muscle. The factory system of making goods came into use. All of these advances affected patterns of living as well as working. Because society was so transformed, this time of great change is known as the Industrial Revolution." (Perry, Scholl, Davis...491) The Industrial Revolution brought upon many changes in society. Prior to the Industrial Revolution, the United States had established an agrarian society and soon, the Industrial Revolution would lead to rapid urbanization. There were many revolutions that took place within the Industrial Revolution. "A revolution in agriculture had paved the way for the Industrial Revolution." (491) Farmers were in dire need to increase production, which in turn would increase trade. "The Agricultural Revolution began in 1701, when Jethro Tull invented a mechanical drill for planting." (492) A Transportation Revolution broke out when traders and commuters needed better methods of transportati
"The factory system produced goods efficiently, but workers led hard lives. Wages were generally low and employment was never secure." Therefore, it was imperative that one member of the household always held employment. The traditional philosophy of the time was that "Man is the bread-winner and woman is the home-builder." (Gladden, 192) Despite the common belief, "Many men...are quite willing to let the women of their house-holds go out and earn wages to support the family, and are willing themselves to live on what their wives and daughters bring in." (192) It was more beneficial for factory owners to employ women and children than it was to employ men. Women did a better job when it came to certain tasks, where "muscle" wasn't necessary. They were typically better then men in the clothing industry. Factory owners elected to hire women for certain jobs because it was cheaper to employ them and more profitable in the long run. One question that was put into much consideration was what is suitable employment for women? The conclusion was that it is a woman's right to choose. It would take Watt close to ten years and the help of about 600 highly skilled craftsmen to build a practical steam engine. (p.53) The steam engine would soon power factories, boats, and trains. The effects of the steam engine were looked at with a positive perspective. Steam engines were much more cost effective and superior to the traditional forms of power. The costs of powering a factory would decrease allowing industries to use their funds in different ways. The use of the steam engine on boats and locomotives was beneficial to the transportation and trade industries. The trade of raw materials and finished products increased between England and the South.
Some common words found in the essay are:
University Watt, England South, Transportation Revolution, Thomas Livermore, Edwin Markham, South Compton's, Compton's Whitney, Eli Whitney, Edmund Cartwright, Western Europe, steam engine, industrial revolution, factory owners, little children, cotton fibers separated, steam engines, factory system, employ women, child labor, support family, practical steam engine, led building canals, finished products,
Approximate Word count = 1441
Approximate Pages = 6 (250 words per page double spaced)
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