history 1 1919

The invention that revolutionized American industialization: Eli Whitney's cotton gin

Elias Howe's marvelous creation: the sewing machine

These two photos show inventions made during American industrialization. The cotton gin and the sewing machine changed the economy durring the american industrialization. Home life also changed, more women went out to work instead of staying home to make cloths and do other chores.

“workers ‘stood by one another in the mills; when one wanted to be absent half a day, two or three others would tend an extra loom or frame apiece, so that the absent one might not lose her pay.’”

The Lowell Mill girls worked long hours in the factories. They went to work because they needed to make money for their families.Women were wanted by factory owners because they already had the skills necessary to create clothing, they would work for low wages while working tedious hours. The mills did, however, provide opportunities for women to become economically self-supporting. Jobs in the mills also affected family life, making the house a refuge from work. Families grew smaller and more closely knit.