1 / 9

U.S. Economic Changes

U.S. Economic Changes. Late 1700’s to mid 1800’s. Pre Industrial Work. People worked at or near their homes Tasks revolved around caring for the home and family. Farm life, spinning, weaving, sewing. Skills passed on through the family.

bertha
Download Presentation

U.S. Economic Changes

An Image/Link below is provided (as is) to download presentation Download Policy: Content on the Website is provided to you AS IS for your information and personal use and may not be sold / licensed / shared on other websites without getting consent from its author. Content is provided to you AS IS for your information and personal use only. Download presentation by click this link. While downloading, if for some reason you are not able to download a presentation, the publisher may have deleted the file from their server. During download, if you can't get a presentation, the file might be deleted by the publisher.

E N D

Presentation Transcript

  1. U.S. Economic Changes Late 1700’s to mid 1800’s

  2. Pre Industrial Work • People worked at or near their homes • Tasks revolved around caring for the home and family. Farm life, spinning, weaving, sewing. Skills passed on through the family. • Home produced items were cheaper and easier to obtain than foreign made goods. • Home produced goods had no fixed prices and were often bartered. • Traditional work was slow, unscheduled, and completed as needed.

  3. More pre industrial work • Home and work were not separate activities or locations. • Urban Artisans- apprentice, journeyman, master craftsman. Work schedule fluctuated with demand. • Patriarchal society- men directed the lives and work of family members. Deciding occupations

  4. The Market Revolution • Major change for American communities - Rapid improvements in transportation, (canals & RR), people and goods could move with ease and speed. - Commercialization, production of goods for a cash market rather than home use. - Industrialization, goods produced by power driven machinery, not by hand.

  5. Factory System • Slater’s Mill- Samuel Slater left England and made copies of British machinery and began operating a mill in 1790. Work force was children ages 7-12 and women. • Lowell Mills- Francis Cabot Lowell, developed the power loom and opened the first cotton mill near Boston in 1814. He had many investors who moved to a new location and opened new mills. Built a town around the mills. (Lowell)

  6. The American System Of Manufacturing • Interchangeable parts- used in gun mfg. developed by Eli Whitney. Standardized production revolutionized production. • Americans mass produced high quality goods for the ordinary person. • Specialization and standardization of work increased production. • Increased wealth and living standards for many.

  7. Mechanization • Tasks could be performed by unskilled labor and posed a threat to the skilled artisan. • Liberating effect on the women and children of farm families. Low pay and poor working conditions were characteristic. • People working for wages outside of the home weakened patriarchal control.

  8. Impact of Industrialization • Factory work lacked the flexibility of pre industrial work. Constant pace of work. • Time divided between work and leisure. Separation of home and workplace. • Transformation from a barter system to a cash economy. • Relationship between workers and employers was more impersonal.

More Related