Technology and American Economic Growth Economic growth in the United States of America between 1840 and 1860 was mainly due to advancements in technology that allowed many things to be done better, faster, and cheaper. These advancements helped push the economy to its potential by introducing new methods of agriculture, manufacturing, and transportation. These new methods brought about an economic uprising across the country. During this time, American settlers were moving west looking for fertile land for planting. The roof-matted prairie soil was richly fertile, but it was also difficult to break. However, in 1837, John Deere developed a steel-tipped plow that could easily till the soil, effectively cutting in half the labor required and turing the midwest into a wheat-producing powerhouse. In addition, the traditional hand sickle use for harvesting wheat was replaced by Cyrus McCormick’s mechanical reaper. This machine could harvest grain seven times faster using half the original work force. Production and wide distribution of the …show more content…
Industrial advances such as interchangeable parts allowed factories to easily replace parts on machines that broke down. This system of interchangeable parts, or the “American System of Manufacturing”, also allowed entrepreneurs to mass produce inventions with great speed, attracting investors. The amount of advantages the new system of machines had greatly surpassed the old system of manual labor in both productivity and profit. After Samuel F. B. Morse sent the first telegraph message, telegraph lines started connecting the entire country, giving businesses access to fast communication and further increasing economic productivity brought about by technology. Both agriculture and manufacturing were significant during this time, but nothing was more eye-opening to the economy than
The period between 1950 and 2000 displayed a remarkable change in scientific and technological innovations that ultimately impacted the U.S. economy. Advancements in computing, aerospace, and manufacturing allowed the U.S. to transform its economy and upgraded the standard of living. Today, this essay will evaluate the extent to which these innovations changed the U.S. economy by explaining the innovation’s contribution to economic growth. The growth of the computing industry was one of the main innovations that shaped the U.S. economy. The development of information technology (IT) allowed for more powerful and faster computers that allowed us to create new industries such as aerospace programs.
Industrial and Transportation Revolution During the late 1800s, the United States economy changed due to new inventions, remarkably rapid growth, and new forms of communication and transportation. Different factories were being built, and manufacturers had begun to reorganize the way of work. Factories and workers were going from hand production to machinery. The Industrial Revolution marked a turning point.
There were many noticeable components that contributed to the advancement and growth of the United States such as: industrialization, the Great Depression, and war. Of the many occurrences, technology had the single greatest impact on the continued evolution of the United States. The new inventions, new discoveries, and new innovation led to greater economic growth and wealth that the American people experienced during 1920-1940. One invention that influenced and continues to impact American lives is the automobile. Kyvig (2002) has argued that automobile ownership tripled during the 1920s, and by the end of the decade four families out of five owned an automobile.
Before the 19th century, farming was done by hand and by using small tools. The Market and Industrial Revolutions brought about lots of new inventions that benefitted agriculture. Very few people changed American agriculture more than Cyrus McCormick did in the 1800’s. His invention, the McCormick mechanical reaper, revolutionized farming by putting together many parts involved in harvesting crops into one machine. The mechanical reaper was a revolutionary farming tool that saved effort and time for farmers by allowing them to more efficiently harvest and cut
America was left with an enormous problem after the civil war, thousands of unskilled people. But, through strategic decisions this would lead to tremendous industrial growth. Industrialization grew rapidly during the period of 1860-1900 as a result of a verity of factors .Technological advancements, monopolies, and political assistance would all contribute in making America one of the leading global powers.
During the gilded age, the United States of America was going through some tough innovations. Most of the Innovations changed the way people lived and worked. One of the biggest impact on the country was the telephone which was invented by Alexander Graham Bell, the telephone helped people contact each other across thousands of miles across the country without having to wait weeks or months for mail, the impact on this was very life changing to people . Another impact of technologies in the gilded ages was the light bulb and electricity that powered the bulb, the light bulb was invented by a man named Thomas Eddison, when Eddison invented the light bulb he knew that it was going to be a life changing Impact on people, he knew that people would
Was Mark Twain correct in calling the Gilded age? “Even though the era following the Reconstruction was one of the great invention and economic growth, all did not share in that prosperity.” For example according to Introduction to American History in 1860’s and 1900’s the millage of railroads increased from a 30,000 miles to a 193,000 mileage. One million to ten millions and the number of workers from 1.3 million to 5.3 million.
In both the early and late 19th century there were a lot of things that contributed to the growth of America. Economically, during this point in time there was extreme growth. Up to the end of the Civil war, the way people went about life was about to change even more than what has already changed in the last fifty years. Post-Civil war, over 4 million slaves were freed. They migrated and assimilated towards the pacific coast and towards northern states.
Between the year of 1865 and the year of 1920, the United States moved towards becoming a more industrialized and developing society. With this change taking place, resulted in improvement with how people live with family and earned money differently. The three major aspects of industrialization during the 1865 and 1920 that influenced the politics, economy and society of the United States are: entrepreneurship, technology, as well as transport and communication network. Entrepreneurship: the period after the Civil War from 1865 to 1920 was characterized by fast economic growth in the country.
This caused America to flourish with new inventions, for example the automobile, household machinery, television, etc. Even old inventions and ideas were improving, like the radio, movies, and the use of advertising. The radio, movies, driving, and buying the various new products became a part of the daily lives. These inventions created a sense of ease for daily lives in America in the 1920s. It made life, jobs, and experiences easier.
The immense growth of industry and an increasing drive to move further westward from 1815 to 1860 marked a time that would forever change the fabric of America. Economic and territorial expansion would further drive sectionalism within the nation and disrupt national unity to a nearly unfathomable extent. Watt and Boulton experimenting with steam in England, Whitney combining wood and steel and creating the cotton gin, Slater dividing factory work among men, Morse spanning a still growing nation with the telegraph, Field expanding transportation and linking the market with steamboats– these men and many more crafted a mighty revolution of industry. This great growth in economics marked the fall of agriculture in the great race for economic
The invention of the cotton gin decreased labor and increased the production of usable cotton and the demand for items being made from it. Advancements being made in both water and land transportation led to explosive growth in cities and factories; thus improving the national economy little by little. All in all, the revolution taking place in the Americas after the war of 1812 turned the nation into the successful, worldwide marketplace we know of
Throughout American History, revolutions in transportation have affected the American society politically, socially and economically. Soon after the war of 1812, American nationalism increased which leads to a greater emphasis on national issues, the increase in power and prevalence of the national government and a growing sense of the American Identity. Railways, canals, and Turnpikes began to increase making many people employed. The era of 1830-1860 represents a shift from agrarianism to industrialism. Overall, during the transportation revolution, construction of turnpikes, roads, canals, and railroads led to the market economy expansion, an increased population in America and alternations of the physical landscape of America.
The Tremendous Impact of Railroads on America In the late 19th century, railroads propelled America into an era of unprecedented growth, prosperity, and convenient transportation. Prior to the building of the railroads, America lacked the proper and rapid transportation to make traveling across the country economical or practical. Lengthy travel was often cumbersome, costly, and dangerous.
Industrialization after the Civil War One of the most remarkable consequences of the Civil war was the industrialization of the United States, which transformed the economy of the country. While certain industries, such as textiles and clock making saw industrialization during the first half of the nineteenth century, it was not until the Civil War that industrialization spread throughout America. The Civil War spurred the process of industrialization and encourages new production techniques that would have the greatest impact after the end of the war. Some of the significant reasons for the delay of industrialization of America after the Civil War were social, economic, political, geographic and legal reasons. The industrialization affected various groups of the society belonging to distinct races and ethnic backgrounds.