The industrial revolution is a period marked by unprecedented increase in production capacity, reduced costs of production due to technological advancement and new markets for manufactured goods. However, no single factor contributed to this development; a myriad of factors led to industrial revolution. Among the most crucial factors leading to industrial revolution were: construction of the Erie Canal, development of railroads, mechanization and rise of corporate organizations, technological advances and massive immigration.
Before the industrial revolution, America had few roads which proved to be impassable during bad weather. As a result, travelling was expensive, and people had to use long roads which took them long before arriving at their destinations. However, this scenario changed during the second phase of the 19th century when the US government undertook to build decent infrastructures connecting the major towns in the north and middle Atlantic with those along the East coast. One of those major infrastructures was the Erie Canal built in 1825 at a cost of $ 7 million. Built to connect Lake Erie with Hudson River, the Erie Canal is 363 miles long and 40 feet deep. After the construction of the Erie Canal, many other canals were constructed to allow passage between rivers close to major towns. However, the construction of canals declined after construction of the railroad system. Another thing which contributed to industrial revolution was the construction of railroads.
Before the railroads came into existence, people used to travel in crowded stagecoaches, along bumpy and dusty roads. However, the construction of railroads proved a very decisive step because powerful locomotives could now transport people comfortably for many miles across the land. On the commercial front, the railroads opened new pathways for trade. This was through extending markets, and facilitating the movements of products to the areas where there was demand. Additionally, sellers could now find viable markets for their goods, and buyers could easily obtain a variety of goods. The next phase of industrial revolution was driven by the rise of corporate organizations, mechanization and outburst of technological innovation.
Towards the end of the 19th century, US economy underwent economic transformation. One of the factors leading to this transformation was the rapid expansion of big businesses. However, the rise of big businesses meant that the productive capacities of the country were concentrated within few powers. Nevertheless, big businesses could now invest more money into mass production, and adopt new technologies to reduce the cost of products. The technological advances were also useful to individuals. Before industrialization, people used basic handmade tools and machines. However, the scenario changed when people made a shift to begin using specialized machines. The consequence was an increase in the number of factories for mass production. Iron and textile industries were particularly important in this phase. Technology also proved useful in this stage as the advances led to reduction of costs and increases in the quality of products.
Another turning point in the quest for industrialization was the massive immigration into the US. The Westward Expansion played a crucial role in this massive immigration as people began to move to productive lands searching for better opportunities. As the number of immigrants increased, the cost of labor and transportation also reduced significantly. Again, the population increase resulted into the development of productive lands; consequently, production increased as the number of people increased. The people immigrating into US brought with them unique skills, and these skills were also useful for land owners. The skills became useful in irrigating, draining and fencing new lands to make them more productive.
References
Grayson, R. (2010). The U.S. Industrial Revolution. New York, NY: ABDO.
Perrow, C. (2009). Organizing America: Wealth, power, and the origins of corporate
capitalism. Princeton, NJ: Princeton University Press.
Schultz, K. M. (2013). HIST . Stamford, CT: Cengage learning .
