How Did The Industrial Revolution Affect The Economy

The 19th century was a period of incredible technological advancement and saw the beginning of the Industrial Revolution. In 1800 the United States was almost entirely agrarian, with the vast majority of people employed in the agricultural sector. However, as the century progressed technological advancements revolutionized the United States forever changing the nation into an industrial superpower. The technological developments of the 19th century transformed the economy and affected the environment of the United States by driving the Industrial Revolution; leading to more efficient farming; and spurring the growth of cities.

The Industrial Revolution forever changed both the environment and the economy of the United States. The rapid industrialization began due to the increasing availability of cheap labour, due to immigration, combined with new technologies such as coal powered machines. Almost from the outset industrialization began to transform the economy, by producing consumer goods, such as cheap textiles. Industrialization also allowed the U.S. to compete with European nations in manufacturing,

In the 1800’s many Americans moved to cities to work in newly constructed factories. This great migration of millions of people to Eastern cities from both Europe and the continental United States, was made possible by the steam engine, powering both steamboats and railroads. The availability of cheap labour in cities revolutionized the American economy and made possible the great manufacturing booms of the late 1800’s. Other inventions of the 19th century such as the telegraph and telephone allowed for greater communication between cities connecting the country and removing communication barriers. However cities also completely ruined the environments of their respective regions by dumping waste into nearby water sources, and polluting the air of their