Industrial Revolution Vocab Unit 3

Interchangeable Parts

• Introduced during the 19th-century Industrial Revolution, transforming manufacturing by replacing craftsmanship with machine production.
• Popularized by Eli Whitney, allowing large-scale production of firearms with pre-manufactured parts.
• Enabled unskilled workers to assemble products quickly and affordably while simplifying repairs and replacements.

Cotton Gin

• Patented by Eli Whitney in 1794, revolutionizing cotton production by expediting seed removal from cotton fiber.
• By the mid-19th century, cotton became the leading U.S. export, impacting the economy and social structure.
• Justified the expansion of slavery in the South despite growing abolitionist sentiments.
• Whitney’s innovations led him to secure a contract for U.S. government muskets, further advancing the idea of interchangeable parts.

Turnpike

• A toll road funded by traveler fees at tollgates, named after the hinged bar that prevented access until payment was made.

Erie Canal

• Completed in 1821, the canal stretched 363 miles from Albany to Buffalo, creating a navigable route from New York City to the Great Lakes.
• Significantly reduced transportation costs by 95% compared to horse-drawn carts and eliminated the need for portage.
• Encouraged population growth in western New York, facilitated westward expansion, and cemented New York City’s status as a major port.

Samuel Slater

• Known as the "Father of the American Industrial Revolution" and "Father of the Factory System" for his role in introducing British textile technology to the U.S.
• After training as a textile machinery apprentice in England, he designed America’s first textile mills, despite export restrictions on designs.

Cyrus McCormick

• Inventor and founder of the McCormick Harvesting Machine Company, credited with creating the mechanical reaper.
• This horse-drawn device dramatically improved crop harvesting efficiency, replacing traditional scythes and fostering agricultural expansion.

Samuel Morse

• Originally a painter, Morse became an inventor known for developing a single-wire telegraph system and co-inventing Morse code.
• His inventions revolutionized communication across the United States, connecting distant regions and replacing previous methods like the Pony Express.

Eli Whitney

• An influential American inventor recognized for the cotton gin and advancements in interchangeable parts and milling machines.
• The cotton gin played a pivotal role in making cotton a lucrative crop, solidifying the economic reliance on slavery in the Antebellum South.

Steam Engine

• A heat engine that performs mechanical work using steam, first invented by James Watt in 1781.
• Early steam engines powered various manufacturing machinery and evolved to facilitate industrial growth by enabling larger-scale production.