Spread of the Industrial Revolution
At the time of the Revolutionary War, the American colonies were importing factory-made goods and luxury products from Great Britain. In 1790 Samuel Slater built the first practical cotton spinning machines in the United States, and in 1793 Eli Whitney patented the cotton gin. New England soon had a flourishing cotton textile industry.
The manufacture of iron developed more slowly because of the lack of soft coal. A process for using anthracite coal, which was plentiful, was introduced about 1830. Later both iron ore and soft coal were found in western Pennsylvania. The great expanse of American farmland encouraged the mechanization of agriculture. Invention of a successful reaper by Cyrus McCormick in 1834 was followed by the development of other types of farm machinery.
As the nation expanded, the almost unlimited supply of raw materials and the constantly increasing number of customers brought a rapid growth of industry. The steamboat, which came into general use about 1817, provided transportation on inland waterways. A railway system was built up after the introduction of steam locomotives in the 1830's.
The principles of mass production, based on the use of interchangeable parts, were developed by Eli Whitney in the early 19th century. These were widely adopted at the time of the Civil War, when the need for supplies brought a great increase in manufacturing. Another development during the Civil War was use of the sewing machine, perfected during the 1840's and 1850's, to mass-produce readymade uniforms. Postwar growth and a vast supply of immigrant factory workers made the United States a leading industrial nation.
During the early part of the Industrial Revolution workers had no means of protecting themselves from long hours, low wages, and loss of jobs. Beginning in 1813, some states passed laws regulating child labor. After the Civil War a national organization of industrial workers, the Knights of Labor, rose briefly to prominence, but declined without accomplishing any political or economic reforms.
By the start of the French Revolution in 1789, France had begun to adopt some of the new English manufacturing methods. The political confusion of the next several decades, however, held back industrial development. Hand labor continued to be dominant until the middle of the 19th century, when a revival of commerce brought a gradual changeover to mechanical production. After formation of the Third Republic, 1870–71, France entered its modern industrial era.
Mechanization of German industry was delayed by the disunity of the German states. Until the middle of the 19th century progress was retarded by internal tariff barriers, inadequate transportation, and lack of colonial markets and money for investments. Only in Prussia was there a move toward establishment of heavy industry. After unification under the Prussians in 1871, Germany launched a program of industrial and commercial expansion that made it a world leader by the early 20th century.
The first Asian nation to become industrialized was Japan. After restoration of imperial power in 1868, Emperor Mutsuhito sent Japanese scholars to study Western industry. Quickly and methodically Japan became a highly efficient industrial nation.
China and India largely retained their ancient primitive systems of agriculture and handicraft until after World War II. The governments of these countries then began the slow process of teaching the peasants modern agricultural and industrial methods.
Russia under the czars was also a peasant society. After the Russian Revolution in 1917, the Communist leaders moved first to gain control of agriculture and production. In 1928 the First Five Year Plan went into effect. Its aim was to transform the nation from an agricultural to an industrial one. Under a continuing series of five-year plans, the Soviet Union became second only to the United States as an industrial power.
Industrialization in Latin America came largely in the 20th century, due in many cases to foreign investments. Unstable governments and lack of effective social legislation, however, hindered progress in many countries.
