Name: Elements of Industrialization
Part One: Reading on Interchangeable Parts
In the early 1800’s, Eli Whitney came up with an idea that had a great impact on the way goods were produced.
Before his idea of interchangeable parts, skilled workers who made each item by hand from start to finish produced most goods. For example, a gunsmith worked long and hard on each gun he made. First the stock was made, then the barrel, and also the trigger. Each gun came out a little different, so if a part on a gun broke, the gunsmith would have to make a new part for that particular gun. This took a lot of time. Who is Eli Whitney?
Whitney’s idea was to build a machine that made Eli Whitney was born in each separate part of the gun. That way, all the parts Westborough, Massachusetts, in would be exactly alike. Each barrel would be the 1765. His father was a farmer. At an same length, and stocks would be the same size and early age Whitney developed an shape. If something broke, it could be easily replaced. interest in machinery. During the Revolutionary War, while still a boy, he helped produce nails and gained Whitney promised to built 10,000 muskets (guns) in a reputation for being a skilled two years . The federal government gave him money craftsman. Whitney attended Yale to build his factory, and in 1801, Whitney was called College (now Yale University), to Washington, DC, to give a demonstration. graduating in 1792. Whitney stood before President John Adams and his A year later he invented the secretary of war. He had an assortment of parts for famous cotton gin, a machine used 10 guns. He had an assortment of parts for 10 guns. to separate cotton seeds from He then randomly chose parts and quickly assembled cotton fiber. In 1798, Whitney began them into muskets. To the audience’s amazement, he manufacturing musket rifles for the repeated the process several times. new American government. At his armory he pioneered the use of interchangeable parts and the Whitney had proven that American inventors could milling machine. Whitney died in improve upon the new technologies. Machines that 1825 at the age of 58. produced matching parts soon became standard in industry. Interchangeable parts sped up mass production.
Why would interchangeable parts be so important in the industrial revolution?
Part Two: Below is an excerpt from the textbook United States History: Beginnings to 1914 that outlines some of the key components of industrialization.
You’ve already discussed interchangeable parts in part one, but how do the other three components affect/influence industrialization?
1. Machine Tools
2. Division of Labor
3. Mass-Produced Goods
Part Three: Using the information from this reading, let’s analyze this historical document.
1. What are some of the things you see in this painting?
2. What are some of the elements of industrialization you see in this painting?
3. Imagine someone came up to you and showed you this painting. They said “This is supposedly showing industrialization? What is industrialization?” What would you say?