Frontiers of Change by Thomas Cochran is an educational book about early industrialism in America. In the introduction Cochran informs the reader that the coming of industrialism to America is selected as an example of how societies in general evolve new structures, new beliefs, and new patterns of action. People's experiences with life, the knowledge gained by these experiences and people's aspirations all result in new innovations and ways of life(3). Cochran's main thesis stresses that cultural forces shaped the early Republic's economy and the nation's industrial development more than specific individuals or market forces, like labor costs. Cochran argued that many of the new Americans were natural risk takers and that the settlers did not have a strong class based society so that failure was more acceptable and more risks were taken. This was an era that without such risks, new developments and innovations could not have came about.
Cochran also argues that the key to the American economy and industrialization was not production or manufacturing, but rather processing, speed, travel and trade. Of course we can not forget about communication's effect on industrialism. Throughout this book Cochran shows how all of these things helped shape industrialism in early America.
I thought that Frontiers of Change was a good informative book about early industrialism but sometimes the chapters drug on for a little too long. Although this is not a long book by any means it seemed a lot longer than the one hundred or fifty pages or so it is. Being that I am interested in business I did enjoy the two chapters that focused in on businesses and how they worked early on. I found it interesting that businesses were also open to taking risks during ths time period where risks were needed to be taken. Cochran states,"the mobilization of savings through banks, insurance companies, and other means provides the capital necessary for the adoption of new technology or the improvement of services."(17) I could not have agreed more with this statement.
Frontiers of Change provided me with a good deal of information in part because I have never really known too much about this subject before reading this book. I was surprised to learn that Philadelphia had been the economic center of the nation. I also never would of thought that cheap paper would have been one of the major advances industrialization(59).
"Give me a good theory over a strategic plan any day of the week," is the opening sentence of Michael Fullan's book “Six Secrets of Change”. The read is a guide for both business and education leaders who desire to make their organizations successful. The six secrets that are illustrated in this book are offered as a theory of action. Individually each secret may appear to be simple, yet Fullen layers them with intricate details that express its value to change. Although some of the secrets may be difficult to understand the author makes a conscience effort to provide real-life examples of these secrets through organizational practices. He discusses organizational attitudes and behaviors and provides example in which execution has been successful and other areas that have not been successful. By using these examples, Fullan provides a blueprint for organizational leaders that can be used to guide their action towards successful long lasting changes. Ultimately this will improve organizational culture and efficiency. Michael Fullan is a well-known, author of works devoted to leader...
During the 1800’s, America was going through a time of invention and discovery known as the Industrial Revolution. America was in its first century of being an independent nation and was beginning to make the transition from a “home producing” nation to a technological one. The biggest contribution to this major technological advancement was the establishment of the Transcontinental Railroad because it provided a faster way to transport goods, which ultimately boosted the economy and catapulted America to the Super Power it is today.
America’s large abundance of natural and human resources is what enabled the nation to develop so greatly in such a short amount of time. During the nations metamorphosis into the worlds industrial leader, the gross national product became eight times greater than after the civil war. New inventions also played a vital role in the country's industrial revolution. The technologies helped improve productivity, transportation, and communication. With the transcontinental railroad, refrigerated railroad cars, and the new air-brake system, larger amounts of various products could be shipped internationally at a much faster rate. A telegraph line was laid across the Atlantic Ocean, allowing the states to speak instantly with people in Europe. Railroads emerged rapidly and so did the scandals. Cruel, manipulative people dominated the country with their big businesses. Corporations came about, along with stock to raise money for them. The more money the corporation could raise through stock the closer they were to achieve economies of scale. Big businesses would sometimes come close to becoming monopolies that controlled the whole market. They were a rare...
6) Wyatt, Lee T. The Industrial Revolution. Westport, Conn.: Greenwood Press, 2009. Print. Greenwood Guides to Historic Events, 1500-1900.
Meyer, David R. The Roots of American Industrialization. N.p.: JHU, 2003. N. pag. Google Books. JHU Press. Web. 29 Sept. 2013
Advancements in new technology clearly promoted the industrial growth of the United States. The new technologies allowed business owners to reduce labor in the movement of materials from one point to the other. This occurred by using the new technology of railroads and machinery. Business owners used the railroads to transport their finished product and raw materials around the country more efficiently, which enabled businesses to expand. The business owners were now able to use machines for lifting materials from one floor to another and to use conveyer belts to move materials around on an assembly line. The use of machines is evident because the graph in document 5 clearly shows that American industrial and agricultural power sources between 1850 and 1900 changed. This is evident because in 1850, only 13% human power and 35% water and coal power was used, but in 1900 a mere 5% human power and a whopping 73% water and coal power was used. The use of machines more than doubled over the course from 1850-1900, and the human output de...
During the late 1700’s, the United States was no longer a possession of Britain, instead it was a market for industrial goods and the world’s major source for tobacco, cotton, and other agricultural products. A labor revolution started to occur in the United States throughout the early 1800’s. There was a shift from an agricultural economy to an industrial market system. After the War of 1812, the domestic marketplace changed due to the strong pressure of social and economic forces. Major innovations in transportation allowed the movement of information, people, and merchandise. Textile mills and factories became an important base for jobs, especially for women. There was also widespread economic growth during this time period (Roark, 260). The market revolution brought about economic growth through new modes of transportation, an abundance of natural resources, factory production, and banking and legal practices.
In the middle of the nineteenth century, an economic transformation occurred in the United States. Historians refer to this event as the market revolution. Americans integrated technologies of the Industrial Revolution into a new profitable market economy. Steam power moved steamboats and railroads, fueled the rise of American industry by powering mills and sparking new national transportation networks. Alexis de Tocqueville said on his first visit to America: ”No sooner do you set foot on American soil and you will see how everything is on the move around you.” This is considered a bold term that conjures up images of radical transformation within the American economy. However, not everybody enthusiastically participated in the new market
Industrialization seemed to be a good thing; it offered more jobs which in turn seemed to offer more money and would cause more spending to support the economy. The construction of railroads was the nation’s first big business. The development of a nationwide railroad network had the greatest impact on American economic life. But in many industries like railroads and mining, the work was very dangerous and life threatening, so much to the point that an estimated twenty percent of those who worked in these industries quit their jobs, but with high immigration levels, these jobs were reassigned to those who needed the extra income such as children, though to a certain extent.
America was a time of rapid growth for people all across the country. The Industrial Revolution began a few years after the Civil War with the invention of steam powered machines. From there, America faced a time of massive expansion and modern industrialized cities popped up across the United States. While there was much success across the nation, such as manual labor becoming easier and a huge population growth, the negative effects of industrialization outweigh the positives. A few of the issues that made industrialization an atrocious time for many was the racism and segregation towards immigrants and unsafe and unfair working conditions/the deprivation of a regular childhood for kids across the nation.
In the late 1800’s the socio-economic system within America began to change. There was a boom of commercial enterprise, which was a result of mass Industrialization. Banks, Railroads, and Factories seemed to sprout up in a matter of months. With the sudden change in enterprises there also came a shift in material longi...
The mid 19th century was an age of growth like no other. The term “Industrial Revolution” refers to the time period where production changed from homemade goods, to those produced by machines and factories. As industrial growth developed and cities grew, the work done by men and women diverged from the old agricultural life. People tended to leave home to work in the new factories being built. They worked in dangerous conditions, were paid low wages, and lacked job security (Kellogg). It is difficult to argue, however, that the economic development of the United States was not greatly dependent on the industrial revolution.
Lubar, Steven." Engines of Change: The American Industrial Revolution 1790-1860." Smithsonian Institution. http://www.si.sgi.com/organiza/museums/nmah/homepage/docs/engin10.htm ( 1986).
The Market Revolution was one of the most important changes of American society before 1850. It was the adoption of a nation wide commercial change that would later alter all the different societies within the country. Wilentz described this period as the development of a market based economy and the dramatic changes in America’s behavior during the first half of the nineteenth century. Collectively, Sean Wilentz wrote about how historians argued about the topic of the market revolution and how each part of the country was affected by this time period and the changes that resulted.
Hammond, J.L and Hammond, B (1937). The rise of modern industry. London: Methuen & Co . 162.