Ch.7+Industrialism+and+Growing+Cities

__Industrialism and Growing Cities__

Perhaps the biggest innovation of this time period was the cotton gin. It was invented by Eli Whitney and it improved the south and north's economy. The great amount of produced fiber was a strong incentive to entrepreneurs in New England and elsewheree to develop an American textile industry .Another factor that improved the textile industry was the many sources of water power to run the machinery in the factories. Whitney also improved the production of armament which was in dire need during the years of undeclared war with France. This new innovation would consist of various people working on different parts of a gun and then one single person just had to put it together. [|During the late 18th] century inventors started experimenting with steam-powered crafts to speed up transportation between states. Then came Oliver Evan's development of a high-pressure engine that was more able to power steamboats and eventually locomotives. Robert Fulton was the first one though to completely build the steamboat and perfect it and expose it to the public. In 1792 the development of the turnpike took over. The first turnpike was built from Philadelphia to Lancaster but it had tolls in it so that they could make a profit. [|Industrialism] gave way to a much improved economy and created more markets for American goods. The other famous inventor of this era was Oliver Evans who invented the automated flour mill which sped up production of flour.

__**Growth of Cities**__ [|Some of the better American] cities were not yet among the greatest of the world but were large enough to rival some of them in their short period of existance. Philadelphia with 70,000 people and New York with 60,000 mere becoming leading cities of commerce and learning. People living in the cities and towns were very different from the farmers. Their lives now included some leisure activities such as music, theater, dancing and horse racing. The new inventions now created other jobs with, in some cases, more money so people migrated were there was money. Housing also became available at a cheaper rate but they were clustered so people were forced to live within small communities. The clustering was caused by the increase in transportation which would have a stop or would go through a major or a growing city in which it would drop its passengers. A new wave of immigration also opened up, and these immingrants came to these small communities and lived there in what were soon-to-be tenements. Later in the 19th century we would witness a lot of disease going on in these tenements because of the unsanitary conditions.



[|Picture of Factory] [|Picture of Steam Boat] American History Textbook by Alan Brinkley Published by McGraw-Hill [|Information on Cities] [| Information on Industrialism]
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