Changes in the Industrial Workforce

America’s Economic Revolution

The Expansion of Business (1820 – 1840)

Causes: Urbanization Transportation Specialization

The rise of corporations made it possible for businesses to raise more capital, enabling them to expand manufacturing

Growth of corporations was kept in check, however, by limited capital and limited availability of credit

The Emergence of the Factory The most important economic development

of the mid-19th century

Factories were a response to: Improved technology Increased demand

More than half of the factories in the United States in 1860 were in the Northeast, producing more than 2/3 of the nation’s manufactured goods

Advances in Technology

Interchangeable parts revolutionized manufacturing

Coal (replacing wood and water power) made it possible for factories to move away from streams

The number of patents applied for rose almost 10 times from 1830 to 1860

Recruiting a Native Workforce

Factories initially had a difficult time recruiting workers from the ranks of farmers and artisans

However, improvements in farming methods and equipment led to a rise in production with less labor

These displaced farm workers needed jobs

Women Workers

Work was not a new experience for many women in the factories, especially the women that came from farms

However, the monotonous nature of repetitive work was taxing

Factory work was usually the only work that many women could find

It was unthinkable for women to travel the country alone looking for work, so they had few options

The Immigrant Workforce Immigrants settling in the major

northeastern cities provided a large pool of inexpensive labor

There were no real regulations for factory owners to provide decent working conditions for their employees

Skilled workers earned $4 - $10 per week Unskilled workers earned $1 - $6 per week

Decline of the Artisan Tradition

Factory work required little to no skill for the manufacturing process

Workers performed specialized tasks

Trade Unions

Many artisans formed trade unions to protect their positions in the economy and resist industrialization

These unions first took form as political parties

Laws hostile toward unions made it difficult for unions to survive

Forming unions was seen as an illegal conspiracy

The Panic of 1837 further weakened unions

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How did the industrial workforce change between the 1820s and the 1840s?

What were the effects on American society of changes in the workforce?

How did America’s industrial revolution and the factory system change family life?

How did America’s industrial revolution and the factory system change women’s social and economic roles?