The document summarizes the key events and impacts of the Industrial Revolution. It began in Europe in the 1700s as the population grew and demanded more efficient ways of production to meet needs. New inventions like the spinning jenny and steam engine automated manufacturing. This led many to move from rural to urban areas to work in the new city-based factories. While some American leaders opposed industrialization, it eventually spread to the U.S. where new infrastructure like railroads and policies to promote inventions accelerated industrial development, transforming the economy.

1. Formatted By: Mr. Schnee
The Industrial Revolution
Before the Industrial Revolution, life was very different from today’s standards. Most
labor was done by hand, such as planting crops, spinning thread and making utensils. But in the
1700s in Europe, the population grew quickly and placed more demands on communities.1 They
needed more efficient ways of getting things done. The Industrial Revolution was born.
The Industrial Revolution was a time when many new inventions were being made, like
the spinning jenny, the water-powered loom, the steam engine, and new farm machines.2
Because many jobs that related to these new inventions were in the cities, many people moved
away from rural areas to be closer to their jobs. As the trend spread in European countries, it also
began to take place in the United States.3
When the Industrial Revolution first began in the U.S., leaders disagreed about it. Some
leaders, like Thomas Jefferson, thought the U.S. should be a nation of small business-owners and
farmers. Others, like Alexander Hamilton, thought the Industrial Revolution would help the U.S.
remain competitive and strong.4 Eventually most American leaders agreed that the Industrial
Revolution was good for the U.S., so a national bank was set up to help factories, and new patent
laws were created so people could own the rights to their inventions. By the end of the 1700s, the
U.S. had many inventions to add to the Industrial Revolution, such as larger textile mills and Eli
Whitney’s cotton gin.5
Around 1861, the U.S. railroad tracks were 30,000 miles long. Railroads were very
important for transporting goods. The railroad industry quickly became the biggest business in
1
Anita L. McCormick, The Industrial Revolution in American History (Springfield: Enslow Publishers,
1998) 14.
2
McCormick 16.
3
Andrew Langley, The Industrial Revolution (New York: Penguin Books, 1994) 30.
4
McCormick 24-25.
5
McCormick 27.
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April 16, 2009