The American Revolution and the Growth of a Nation

The nineteenth century was a period of enormous change around the world, particularly from an economic perspective. Beginning in Britain in about 1760, economies began to shift toward manufacturing. Textiles were one of the first areas to industrialize, with the invention of devices like the spinning jenny, which allowed weavers to work far faster than before. It spread to a variety of different areas, including transportation, chemicals, and even energy.

While this process occured more slowly in the United States than it did in Britain, by the beginning of the nineteenth century the United States was beginning to industrialize. New England was the first region to industrialize, initially relying on river systems to provide power for mills and factories. British immigrants to the United States brought technical expertise from factories in Britain. In 1793, the first textile mill opened in Pawtucket, Rhode Island; soon, similar mills opened throughout the Northeast.

Another major innovation that came from the United States was the concept of interchangeable parts, first proposed by Eli Whitney and perfected over the next two decades. Creating interchangeable parts simplified manufacturing. In the United States, Simeon North proposed a division of labor among workers to allow them to concentrate exclusively on one task. Following the British example, New York led the way in developing a canal system to transport goods, which other states emulated.

Even in the rural South, the Industrial Revolution had important effects. The cotton gin, invented by Eli Whitney in 1807, was designed to remove cotton seeds from the fiber. The explosive growth of textile mills fueled demand for cotton, and the cotton gin made it dozens of times faster to produce cotton for textile production. This increased its value and also increased the demand for enslaved workers in the southern states.

Example

In which country did the Industrial Revolution begin?

The correct answer is C. The Industrial Revolution began in Great Britain.