Innovations in Technology

607 Words3 Pages
What innovations in technology and business practice led to the transformation of American society from 1800 to 1850? Did these innovations improve or complicate life for Americans? In the first half of the Century, an economic transformation swept across America. This was known as the market revolution. Many new innovations in communication and transportation can be seen as the spark to this revolution.Before this revolution and new technology, most technonology had ceased to change much. Skills were passed down from artisan to apprentice, slow forms of transportation made for transporting goods long and costly, and communicating between vast distances was always a struggle. The Market revolution represnted the evolution of man, working harder, becoming better and stronger as a whole nation. In the beggining of the 19th century, canals, the steam boat, railroad, and telegraph were essential to bringing our nation our of our failing economic past, into a new prosperous era. The Erie Canal was a remarkable feat of engineering, unlike anyhting seen before. It strached from the Great Lakes to New York City, allowing goods to flow easily betwen these two regions. Thousands of other miles of Canals were built after the creation of this one, sending many states into finicial crisies, but this created a link to almost all water ways. This canal is the reason we saw many new cities arise, basking in its economical productions. Steam boats enabled the world wide efficent transportation of goods, cutting the time it took to transport goods in more than half. They were able to travel upriver, against the currents, a problem that held most commercial shipping handicapped. While Canals linked water ways, railroads connected Americas Frontier land to the east. Railroads made new foreign areas much more accessible along with promoting the coal mining for its fuel along with iron
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