-
Eli Whitney's Cotton Gin
In 1794, Eli Whitney invented the cotton gin which made the separation of cotton seeds much faster. The South increased its cotton supply and sent raw cotton north to be used in the manufacturazation of cloth. Francis C. Lowell increased the efficiency in the manufacture of cloth by bringing spinning and weaving processes together into one factory. This led to the development of the textile industry throughout New England. -
Eli Whitney's 2nd Great Invention.
Eli Whitney also came up with the idea to use interchangeable parts to build muskets in 1798. If the standard parts were made by machine, then they could be assembled at the end much faster than before. This became an important part of American industry. -
River Transportation
River transportation was made efficient through the creation of the first steamboat, the Clermont, crafted by Robert Fulton. This was made possible by James Watt’s invention of the first reliable steam engine. -
The Cumberland Road
The Cumberland Road, the first national road, was begun in 1811. This eventually became part of the Interstate 40. -
Cyrus McCormick's Reaper
Cyrus McCormick created the reaper which allowed quicker and cheaper harvesting of grain. -
Period: to
Agricultural Revolution
As industries and factories were becoming more abudent, people moved from farms to cities. This led to other issues including overcrowding and disease. However, some people stayed in the rural areas and advances were made in agriculture too including better machines and cultivators. -
John Deere's steel plow
John Deere created the first steel plow in 1837 helping speed up farming across the Midwest. -
Elias Howe's Sewing Machine
In 1846, Elias Howe created the sewing machine which revolutionized the making of clothing. All of a sudden, clothing began to be made in factories as opposed to at home. This allowed for mass production of clothing. -
Samuel F. B. Morse's Telegraph
With the increased size of the United States, better communication networks became even more important than before. In 1844, Samuel F. B. Morse created the telegraph and by 1860, this network streched from the eastern coast to the Mississippi. -
Railroads Across America 1
Railroads were of the utmost importance to the increase in trade throughout the United States. In fact, by the start of the Civil War, railroads linked the most important Mid-West cities with the Atlantic coast. -
Railroads Across America 2
Railroads further opened the west and connected raw materials to factories and markets. A transcontinental railroad was completed in 1869 at Promontory, Utah. The last rail road spike that was laid here was called the Golden Spike.
