Early Industrial Revolution Dbq

The Early Industrial Revolution

America in the 17th century was a time of exponential progress and innovation. The fledgling nation had now become a behemoth, and with thousands of new workers and immigrants flooding the U.S, they provided a reliable resource for cheap labor for the industrialist allowing them to create new technologies faster and more inexpensive . The stage was set for an early Revolution; not just a political one a industrial and manufacturing one.

This boom was caused by a variety of factors such as a booming economy due to new trade routes and economic opportunities, government support in the industrial/manufacturing field, and a cheap workforce in the form of immigrants which caused an early development of manufacturing/industrialization.

They did this by creating legislature that encouraged innovation; such as in the Constitution,Article I, Section 8.8 which to paraphrase states “That each inventor has the right to their discoveries and writings”. This meant that inventors now had a copyright that protected them from plagiarization, and also meant that competing companies and inventors had to come up with new unique ideas to catch up, instead of blatantly stealing them. This encouraged innovation and competition, which sped up the industrial and manufacturing industries.(Source;Document A)

The Erie canal known for its stimulation of the American economy, was supplied by ¾s by the Government only to then after be placed in the hands of private enterprise. By doing so, this helped decrease the time for large scale development projects. This act further demonstrated the government’s and the public’s confidence in private enterprise. The Government in an effort to further stimulate the Industrial and Manufacturing efforts created legal arrangements such as Corporations. They also built schools to create a better educated workforce. (Source;Document

In the case a New York law had given Fulton and Livingston a monopoly. The court decided that it fell under the commerce clause of the constitution ending the monopolies on waterways. This case expanded the Federal government's power over the economy while decreasing the state’s. Thus showing the Federal government’s involvement with the Industrialist/manufacturing industry. (Source;Document H)

Labor In the Manufacturing and Industrialization industry labor is one of the main components. Luckily there was a large increase in the number of Immigrants mostly Germans and Irish. These people provided a source of cheap reliable labor. However due to the increased support for industry the agriculture heavy South changed trades and went to work in mills. As such this jump started the American industry by providing a large supply of cheap and plentiful labor.(Source;Document G/C)

Inventors and their Inventions The Inventors and Inventions played a key role in the Industrial Revolution. People such as Eli Whitney, Samuel Slater, Oliver Evans created the technology necessary for an Industrial Revolution. Eli Whitney with his interchangeable parts which accelerated the the assembly process to Samuel Salter who brought the cotton mill to America. (Source;Document