Before the Industrial Revolution most of society lived in rural areas of the country and made a living for themselves and their families through farming and domestic work. Because of the lack of technology, these people were constrained in their abilities to produce at high levels of productivity which translated into low standards of living and to some only the necessities of food to survive. The Industrial Revolution transitioned 19th century American agricultural society into manufacturing of goods in large scales and high quality. Some of the major attributes to the Industrial Revolution were the building of roads, railroads, and canals. This allowed for lower transportation costs which contributed to factories being built in the cities