Industrial Revolution Essay

646 Words2 Pages

From the late 17th century to the early 19th century, industrialization was occurring in the United States and around Europe. The abundance of raw materials and the ambition of business men caused the industrialization before and after the Civil War. The First Industrial Revolution and Second Industrial Revolution, known as the Technological Revolution, caused the United States to thrive throughout those years because of population increase and all the new products or ideas there was. In the 1900s, the United States became the leading industrial power in the world because of both revolutions; the first revolution led into the second revolution because of the technology and economic changes occurring. The First Industrial Revolution changed agriculture customs and the Second Industrial Revolution caused changes in production techniques, but both helped the United States industrialize and become the most successful country in the world.
During the First Industrialization Revolution, there were extreme changes in agriculture, manufacturing, and transportation. Industrialization began in Britain because of the surplus of raw materials, making it one of the most dominant countries in machinery. Before the Civil War, most people were not wage owners because they either worked on agriculture or in small single-owner crafts. The Industrial Revolution began with the invention of the steam engine in Britain in 1793 by James Watt, which was used to minerals from mines. Then, the cotton gin by Eli Whitney helped separate the seeds from the cotton, making the process of selling cotton increasingly faster. All the inventions caused a major shift from manufacturing in the home to manufacturing in factories. The textile industry increased with th...

... middle of paper ...

... Without both industrial revolutions the United States would have not been able to industrialize or modernize.
Even though the Industrial Revolution began in Britain, the United States was able to become the more powerful country after both Industrial Revolutions. Before the Civil War, industrialization was slowly occurring with the invention of the steam engine and later the steam boat. It helped oversea shipping faster, making Britain successful. After the Civil War, the United States particularly New York, built many factories that increased the population and the number of workers. Both revolutions caused a positive change in the United States, even though there were a few problems with the growth in factories causing workers to work long hours for low wages. At the end, the United States came out successful and became the leading industrial power in the 1900s.

Open Document