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INTRODUCTION
In the late 1700s and early 1800s, the Northern States began to rely more on factories. Slavery in the North had almost disappeared. At the same time, agriculture was expanding in the South - especially growing cotton.
The Industrial Revolution created a greater demand for cotton to be used in mills in Europe and in the Northern States. Slavery expanded along with the expansion of cotton.
Library of Congress, Prints & Photographs Division, Detroit Publishing Company Collection.
INDUSTRY IN THE NORTH
Industrialization is what we call the change from growing crops to producing manufactured products.
In the Northern states, people began building factories to produce clothing and other products.
NEW INVENTIONS
There were several new improvements and inventions developed at this time period that helped these new industries and Americans in general.
The Sewing Machine
Invented by Elias Howe
It allowed clothes to be sewn more quickly and clothing could be produced in factories in great amounts.
The Erie Canal
This man-made river was dug through the state of New York. It connected the Mid-west United States to the Atlantic ocean. Goods could now be moved more easily and at a lower price
The Steam Locomotive "Tom Thumb"
Invented by Peter Cooper
Steam engines allowed products to moved more quickly and easily throughout the country
The Steamboat
Invented by Robert Fulton
Steamboats made transportation up-river easier. Travel on rivers was now faster and less expensive than ever before.
Improved Railroad Network
Between 1840 & 1860, railroad track increased from 3,000 miles to 31,000 miles. Most of this was in the Northern states and it connected docks and factories to cities making trade easier and faster.
The Telegraph
Invented by Samuel Morse
The telegraph used electricity to send messages across wires. He also invented Morse Code, an alphabet for sending those messages. Messages could now be sent instantly over long distances.
Photo by John Schanlaub
The Steel-tipped Plow
Invented by John Deere
This plow allowed farmers to cut through the soil more easily so they could grow more crops.
"John Deere Plow" by national museum of american history is licensed under CC BY-NC 2.0
The McCormick Reaper
Invented by Cyrus McCormick
This horse-pulled farm machine allowed farmers to harvest their grain much faster than they could by hand. Farmers could now grow more wheat.
The expansion of industry in the North increased the demand for cotton from the South.
AGRICULTURE IN THE SOUTH
While the Northern states were increasingly becoming more industrial, the Southern states continued to invest in agriculture. Unfortunately, the Southern states also relied on slavery.
THE COTTON GIN
This is a cotton gin, or cotton engine. It was invented by Eli Whitney 1n 1793.
Before the invention of the cotton gin, it took a lot of time to remove seeds from cotton. The seeds had to be removed before the cotton was shipped to factories in the North and in Europe. The cotton gin allowed one worker to remove seeds 50 times faster than before.
This caused serious consequences. Southern planters - the wealthy slave owners who grew cotton - could now grow more cotton. This caused an increased demand for cotton. To grow more cotton, there was now an increase in slavery.
These maps show the growth of both cotton production and slavery in the Southern states.
Southern Cotton Production
Compare these two maps showing cotton production in the Southern states in 1820 and 1860.
What can you learn from this map?
Growth of Slavery in the South
These two maps show local populations of slaves in the years 1790 and 1860.
What can you learn from this map?
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