As we all know between 1820 and 1860 the American economy changed from being agricultural to being industrial. This had profound effects on the economy. The average Americans’ income increased by 2% per year between 1820 and 1840. However that was of course a downside. There was often periods of economic boom and bust during these times. These of course caused layoffs. Is this similar to the economy today?
Britain led the way for the industrial revolution. They invented cheaper iron and ways to use steam power. This caused the British textile industry to become an economic giant. How did this affect the U.S.? Well now the British need more cotton which they got from the U.S south. After seeing their growth the Americans decide to copy their old friends the British.
The U.S had many natural resources (some of which were yet to be discovered) and also had many new immigrates coming to the country. This created a great combination of a large workforce and an abundance of raw materials. The canals made it easier to transport these raw materials. The British government and other countries would invest more than $500 million in transportation, state bonds and land. What did they expect in return?
As the work became more industrialized the jobs of some workers were replaced with machines. Doesn’t this still happen today? Hand labor was lost to machines called “spinning Jennies’ don’t machines like ATMs take jobs away? Could this happen to other jobs in the 21st century? If so, what jobs could be replaced?
What effects did the industrialized America have on the environment? Trees had to be cut down for heat for houses and for steam for steamboats. Other animals’ natural habits were destroyed. The rivers fish live in were next to sawmills which clogged there gills with sawdust. Also burning coal of course pollutes the air we breathe. How far have we come today to reducing pollution and creating a more environmentally clean society?
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