The Industrial Revolution as a Turning Point for the South “Manufacturers will create employment and revenues that will improve the well-being of all sectors of the economy… [It] will provide cheaper goods and create a more profitable outlet for its produce”. The Industrial Revolution was a major event in the United States history that lasted over a century and resulted in many developments and changes in the economy. This movement started the transition from production in households by hand to production in factories by machinery. Soon, by the end of the 1900s, the United States developed into one of the world’s leading industrial powers because of the Industrial Revolution. It also set the stage for the Civil War through showcasing the
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New inventions created during the Industrial Revolution, such as the cotton gin and steamboat, led to an increased requirement for cotton. The production of this raw material resided mostly in the South, which would then be transported to the North for manufacturing in factories. The 1800s marked an important time during this time period for the South because each decade showed a cotton production that was two times more than the first (Olsen-Raymer). Cash crops such as sugar, tobacco, and rice were also increased in production (“Compare Two Worlds: North vs South”). In total the South saw a export amount of around $185,000,000. This did not include naval supplies, lumber, rice, and much more. The South also sent the North $30,000,000 of cotton and $7 or $8,000,000 of tobacco (Hammond). Senator James J. Hammond of South Carolina expressed his amazement and pride at the South during a speech, “If I am right in my calculations as to $200,000,000 of surplus produce, there is not a nation on the face of the earth, with any numerous population, that can compete with us in produce per capita…” (Hammond). The production of exports was so great that the total exports of the South eventually exceeded the overall exportation of the United States of years before (Hammond). The change in slaves in the South was also a large factor in the …show more content…
The increased demand for raw materials because of new inventions and the large 1,000 acre plantations were both factors that led to the increased necessity and employment of slaves. The production of cotton was of extreme importance in the South, and before the Industrial Revolution, skilled slaves were required in order to man the machines that spun and weaved the material. However, once the cotton gin was created, no longer was skill necessary, instead quantity was more important than quality. The Industrial Revolution also affected the lives of slaves because all ages and genders could work in the fields. The large plantations that produced the cash crops provided work for men, women, and children alike (Sheppard). As senator Hammond remarked, the plantations also provided employment for life, in which slaves were given reasonable compensation for their work. As a result, the increased employment in southern farming and export businesses led to a decreased amount of starvation among slaves and those who turned to begging on the streets (Hammond). The increased demand of workers in the fields of the south greatly affected the lives of slaves during the Industrial
New inventions created during the Industrial Revolution, such as the cotton gin and steamboat, led to an increased requirement for cotton. The production of this raw material resided mostly in the South, which would then be transported to the North for manufacturing in factories. The 1800s marked an important time during this time period for the South because each decade showed a cotton production that was two times more than the first (Olsen-Raymer). Cash crops such as sugar, tobacco, and rice were also increased in production (“Compare Two Worlds: North vs South”). In total the South saw a export amount of around $185,000,000. This did not include naval supplies, lumber, rice, and much more. The South also sent the North $30,000,000 of cotton and $7 or $8,000,000 of tobacco (Hammond). Senator James J. Hammond of South Carolina expressed his amazement and pride at the South during a speech, “If I am right in my calculations as to $200,000,000 of surplus produce, there is not a nation on the face of the earth, with any numerous population, that can compete with us in produce per capita…” (Hammond). The production of exports was so great that the total exports of the South eventually exceeded the overall exportation of the United States of years before (Hammond). The change in slaves in the South was also a large factor in the …show more content…
The increased demand for raw materials because of new inventions and the large 1,000 acre plantations were both factors that led to the increased necessity and employment of slaves. The production of cotton was of extreme importance in the South, and before the Industrial Revolution, skilled slaves were required in order to man the machines that spun and weaved the material. However, once the cotton gin was created, no longer was skill necessary, instead quantity was more important than quality. The Industrial Revolution also affected the lives of slaves because all ages and genders could work in the fields. The large plantations that produced the cash crops provided work for men, women, and children alike (Sheppard). As senator Hammond remarked, the plantations also provided employment for life, in which slaves were given reasonable compensation for their work. As a result, the increased employment in southern farming and export businesses led to a decreased amount of starvation among slaves and those who turned to begging on the streets (Hammond). The increased demand of workers in the fields of the south greatly affected the lives of slaves during the Industrial