Answer Key: Industrial Transformation (1800–1850)

Answer Key Chapter: Industrial Transformation in the North, 1800–1850 1. How were the New England textile mills planned and built? a. Experienced British builders traveled to the United States to advise American merchants. b. New England merchants paid French and German mechanics to design factories for them. c. New England merchants and British migrants memorized plans from British mills. d. Textile mills were a purely American creation, invented by Francis Cabot Lowell in 1813. 2. Which is the best characterization of textile mill workers in the early nineteenth century? a. male and female indentured servants from Great Britain who worked hard to win their freedom b. young men who found freedom in the rowdy lifestyle of mill work c. experienced artisans who shared their knowledge in exchange for part ownership in the company d. young farm women whose behavior was closely monitored 3. What effect did industrialization have on consumers? 4. Most people who migrated within the United States in the early nineteenth century went ________. a. north toward Canada b. west toward Ohio c. south toward Georgia d. east across the Mississippi River 5. Which of the following was not a cause of the Panic of 1819? a. The Second Bank of the United States made risky loans. b. States chartered too many banks. c. Prices for American commodities dropped. d. Banks hoarded gold and silver. 6. Robert Fulton is known for inventing ________. a. the cotton gin b. the mechanical reaper c. the steamship engine d. machine tools 7. What did federal and state governments do to help people who were hurt in the Panic of 1819? 8. Which of the following was not a factor in the transportation revolution? a. the steam-powered locomotive b. the canal system c. the combustion engine d. the government-funded road system 9. What was the significance of the Cumberland Road? a. It gave settlers a quicker way to move west. b. It reduced the time it took to move goods from New York Harbor to Lake Erie. c. It improved trade from the Port of New Orleans. d. It was the first paved road. 10. What were the benefits of the transportation revolution? 11. Which of the following groups supported the abolition of slavery? a. northern business elites b. southern planter elites c. wage workers d. middle-class northerners 12. Which social class was most drawn to amusements like P. T. Barnum’s museum? a. wage workers b. middle-class northerners c. southern planter elites d. northern business elites 13. What did Peter Cooper envision for the United States, and how did he work to bring his vision to life? Critical Thinking Questions 14. Industrialization in the Northeast produced great benefits and also major problems. What were they? Who benefited and who suffered? Did the benefits outweigh the problems, or vice versa? 15. What factors led to the Panic of 1819? What government regulations might have prevented it? 16. Would the Industrial Revolution have been possible without the use of slave labor? Why or why not? 17. What might have been the advantages and disadvantages of railroads for the people who lived along the routes or near the stations? 18. What were the values of the middle class? How did they differ from the values of those above and below them on the socioeconomic ladder? In what ways are these values similar to or different from those held by the middle class today? Answer Key 1. c. New England merchants and British migrants memorized plans from British mills. 2. d. young farm women whose behavior was closely monitored 3. Industrialization increased the availability and variety of consumer goods, leading to greater access for consumers and often lower prices due to mass production. 4. b. west toward Ohio 5. d. Banks hoarded gold and silver. 6. c. the steamship engine 7. Federal and state governments provided limited relief through debt relief laws and some public works projects, but assistance was generally insufficient. 8. d. the government-funded road system 9. a. It gave settlers a quicker way to move west. 10. The transportation revolution led to increased trade, economic growth, westward expansion, and improved communication and mobility. 11. d. middle-class northerners 12. b. middle-class northerners 13. Peter Cooper envisioned a strong industrial economy for the United States and worked to bring it to life by establishing ironworks, investing in railroads, and promoting industrial and technological innovation. Critical Thinking Questions 14. Industrialization in the Northeast brought economic growth, job opportunities, and technological advancement, but it also resulted in poor working conditions, labor exploitation, and environmental degradation. While merchants and industrialists benefited financially, many workers suffered from low wages, long hours, and unsafe working conditions. Whether the benefits outweighed the problems is subjective and depends on one's perspective. 15. The Panic of 1819 was caused by factors such as speculative land purchases, overextension of credit, the collapse of land prices, and a contraction of credit by banks. Government regulations, such as tighter control over banking practices and speculative investments, might have mitigated some of the economic instability. 16. The Industrial Revolution could have occurred without the widespread use of slave labor, although the presence of slavery did contribute to the profitability of certain industries, particularly in the South. However, industrialization was driven primarily by technological innovation, capital investment, and the desire for increased efficiency. 17. Railroads brought advantages such as increased access to markets and goods, faster travel times, and economic development along their routes. However, they also posed disadvantages such as noise pollution, disruption of communities, and environmental damage from construction and operation. 18. The middle class valued hard work, education, social mobility, and respectability. These values differed from those of the wealthy elites, who valued status and inherited wealth, and from those of the working class, who prioritized economic security and fair treatment. Today, the middle class continues to value similar principles such as education, economic stability, and social mobility, although the specific manifestations may vary.