Wednesday, October 31, 2007
Economic Revolution
Henretta Chapter 10 discusses the ever changing American Economy. Manufacturing was a critical component in boosting the American economy. Several factors lead to a successful manufacturing economy: division of labor, improved British technology and hiring less expensive workers.A division of labor assigns specific tasks to different workers. The division improved efficency and productivity leading to a significant increase in output. Secondly, by improving British technology American's were now able to compete in the textile industry. American's have Francis Cabot Lowell to thank for building the first textile plant to outwork the British. Lowell did so by touring British textile mills asking questions and secretly sketching drawings of the machinery and then passing them along to Paul Moody. Once Moody recieved the drawings he copied the machines and made vast improvments to the outdate American machines. Finally, American's began to hire less expensive workers. The "Waltham plan" recruited thousands of farm girls and women to work in the textile factories. The women were put up in housing and given curfews. Although the jobs were not glamourous, many women still chose to work in textile factories simply because the pay was more than they would be making doing household work.
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
8 comments:
the economic revolution was a huge boost for american society. the factors that were relevant for this economic revolution was the division of labor, improvement of technology through british contributions, and cheap labor. With the improvement of british technology America was now able to be a leading competitor in the textile industry. the Waltham plan recruited cheap women farm girls who did not get the same work wages as men did because it was the first time they were allowed to have paying work jobs. these factors are what made up the economic revolution and are what made America successful and economic status boom during this era.
Of course the economic revolution was a huge boost and improved the revenue in the U.S. It gave women an opportunity to have real jobs and feel some what independent. But besides making money for the overall American economy, it also created class systems and religious problems for the new immigrants who arrived between the 1840's and 1860's.
Like every situation in life, the economic revolution had its pros and cons and was beneficial but created problems, as well. But where would we be today if the revolution didn't take place? Would our economy and our country overall be different? The class system that developed and religious tensions seem to me like side effects of the economic revolution.
The class system was bound to develop and relgious differences can't be avoided. Equality is impossible in a capitalist society because where you get in life depended on who you knew, your hard work, how lazy or productive you were and how hard you worked. Your status was determined by your actions, for the majority of people in our country. And having different religions provided for different ways to see the world and to worship and praise God. Then and today individuality is what develops our society through unique ideas and innovative ways of thinking about and producing things.
Hooray for Francis Cabot Lowell and Paul Moody. Its a good thing they copies the British machinery and advanced the American technology. It is amazing to think that our country was less advanced than others, compared to today's technology. Without the economic revolution its amazing to think about how long it would have taken for America to advance
The economic revolution was very unfair, especially to women. To think that women were recruited as cheap laborers is very sad. Its amazing that once a woman was replaced by a new person the business men would give the new woman less than the previous worker.
The American Economic Revolution was pretty likely to happen even though Britain tried its hardest to keep its technological advances within its borders. Britain should have just made all its secret machinery plans public because American entrepreneurs were so determined that they got copies of the secret plans anyway. Even though Britain had a considerable head start in the economic and technological area, it was pretty obvious that America with its almost limitless resources would eventually surpass the small island country.
The economic revolution began, what today, has become one of the broadest growing movements in the United States. Today we are still constantly growing and expanding economically in society. The Whaltam Plan was amazing in my eyes. The fact that all of those (mostly) farm girls had a place to work, to help their family or what not till they got married was amazing. It gave them a chance to prove themselves.
The Economic Revolution provided an opportunity for women to contribute to their family finacially. I believe it does make sense when a woman is paid less than the amount the woman, who has been there longer, leaves. In any job, even today, there's a good chance you will start out making less than the person who's position you are filling. Everyone obtaining a job must start at the bottom and work their way up the corporate ladder. I do agree the working conditions were poor for these women and not always fair.
Post a Comment