New Inventions Of The Industrial Revolution example essay topic

The Industrial Revolution was a time of great change. There were many improvements made such as the use of hand tools and other handmade items, to products which were mass produced by new machines. Workers became more productive, more items were manufactured, and prices dropped very low. All of these factors of the Industrial Revolution made items more available to the general public instead of just the rich and elite. During this time, the quality of life for Americans had greatly improved.

Along with bettering the economy of the United States, the Industrial Revolution promoted expansion and helped the lower class. However, an argument can be made that the Industrial Revolution had some negative effects on the U.S. "Capitalists, people who have their own materials, money, and space, bought many machines and stored them in a factory, where hired workers would work the whole day just to manufacture goods". (Fordham). When this happened, skilled artisans often found themselves without jobs because their skills were now done by these new great machines that did all the work. "Wages became lower, hours became longer, and the working conditions were unpleasant and dangerous for the workers. The Industrial workers had now helped to pass the Reform Bill of 1832" (Russell 19).

The Industrial Revolution led to greediness among the people of the United States. The already wealthy capitalists only used their money to buy new supplies. They hired people in need of money for hard labor at low wages. Mass production and capitalism together raised conflict between the different classes of people and were together a leading cause in the uproar of the Civil War. Also, population was another factor of the Industrial Revolution which did not benefit anyone. "In an average year, the United States' population increase was more than three percent.

If it wasn't for our excellent natural resources, this constant increase could have been disastrous" (Jones 127). The population increase was due to a much greater food supply caused by the Agricultural Revolution. Also, the growth of medical science and other public health measures decreased the death rate and added to the population base. Lastly, "the necessity for marketing finished goods created great urban centers where there was access to water or railways" (Jones 128).

The increase in population hurt the United States. Even with all of these new opportunities so many people remained in poverty. With more immigrants each year, and more children to care for, the demand of higher wages was increased because men needed more money to support their family. So many people needed so little jobs, people were hired that didn't know what they were doing, they just needed money. The high population took away from higher quality employment opportunities. The many new inventions of the Industrial Revolution were all great catalysts of the economy.

"Inventions such as the spinning jenny and the water-powered frame, both of which provided spinning yarn faster, along with the spinning mule, the power loom and the cotton gin changed the economy of the United States forever" (Russell 54). Although these are barely the start of everything invented, they had an incredible effect on industry, these were the powerhouses in the manufacturing of goods across the nation. Other beneficial inventions include the plow, the sewing machine, the mower-reaper, along with the entire Scientific Revolution which brought about great advances that effected the lives of everyone. This supplied so many more jobs than had been available before to the poor, to the uneducated, and to those just not skilled enough to make products made by hand. All of these new movements and steps in technology were used in many ways.

The success was not limited to any one class. These advances were beneficial to all citizens of the U.S. through the factory system. The Factory System was a vital part of the improvements made during the Industrial Revolution. "Samuel Slater was known as the "Father of the Factory System". The Factory System was one of the biggest factors of the economical works of the United States. In the factory system there were newly created, high-powered machines for the people to work with".

(Quarmby 7). Laborers no longer had to work so hard for such long times with their hands. They could simply use the machines and even create the products they were making more efficiently and at a more rapid pace, without having to do anywhere near the same amount of work. The factories also impacted the price as well as availability of all the products made in them. Factories made products cheaper because they were now produced without costing the factory as much to make them and more were produced than ever before with the use of machines. This in turn effected the availability because along with having more of the products for everyone, everyone could afford them because the prices were lower due to the ease and the pace in which they were made.

The improved communications played an important role in the uprising of the United States. "By 1875 the Universal Postal Union had been established to facilitate the transmission of mail between foreign countries" (Fordham). "In 1876, Alexander Graham Bell transmitted the human voice over a wire". (Fordham). The United States seemingly got smaller as new means of transport and communications speeded the pace of life. In 1871 the telegraph cables that had been tried for a long time were finally able to be heard across long distances.

Messages could now be heard halfway around the world in a matter of minutes, speeding several commercial transactions for the United States. The improved communications were good for the United States economy. It sped up trade with other countries and came with a breakout of the new advertising industry. The most beneficial factor of these communications was the sense of urgency and the speeded pace of life in the United States.

The steamship proved to be beneficial to the United States. "The steamship could not be stopped by weather conditions against it. Rather, it ran at a steady pace against any type of wind or storms. The second and more important advantage was that it could arrive and depart under its own power" (Russell 65).

Great efforts were put forth to improving the steamship. It proved to have many more technical and economic advantages than disadvantages. With the use of the steamship more, many improvements were made in the hull design, the engines, and especially the fuel. "Soon the propellor replaced the paddle wheel, steel replaced iron in the hull, and multi-cylinder engines became available" (Russell 68). In 1839 Samuel Cunard secured a contract to carry a mail in a steamboat and operated a regular schedule. The use of the steamship became very important in the world of the United States commerce and trade.

It allowed more communication between other countries and caused better relations with other nations, which also proved beneficial. The Steam Engine also was also good because it improved the natural resources of the lower class. "With steam engines, cities were able to move farther away from rivers and sources of water, to start new cities. They provided a much faster mode of transportation, instead of just the use of horses and carriages" (Quarmby 55).

Steam engines were much more efficient and faster than any other mode of inland transportation besides the railroad. It proved very valuable to the northern states because they wanted to expand out of the east. The use of the steam engine was good because it was a reliable and efficient source besides the railroad and ended up being very useful to many people and many companies. However, the most productive contribution to the development of the economy was the railroad.

"The first railroad appeared in the United States in 1828. In the mid 1850's, railroad trains which traveled from thirty to fifty miles per hour were common in the United States. By 1860, the United States had over thirty-thousand miles of railroad tracks stretched across its land" (Jones 134). It seemed before long that freight had actually become more important to carry than people. The railroad was fast, reliable, and cheaper than canals to construct. It was able to go through almost anywhere in the United States and it didn't freeze over in the winter which made it a much more consistent way of inland shipping all year long.

The railroad made trade easier, cheaper, and much more efficient for everyone in the United States. The railroad was a vital addition to the economy. It helped carry freight in a way that had never been done before and changed the way of the shipping industry forever. The Industrial Revolution helped shape the new wealth and power of the United States. Postwar industrial expansion began to spread greatly, and liquid capital became more and more common. It gave the United States citizens self-confidence and a great sense of expansion and unity which they badly needed.

Along with this, it gave poverty stricken people a chance to make money, earn a living, and support their families. Many of these great advances remain today and are still beneficial to our economy.