The Industrial Revolution in the United States: 1790–1870

Joshua L. Rosenbloom ()
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Joshua L. Rosenbloom: Iowa State University, Ames, IA and NBER

A chapter in The First Industrial Revolution and Global Divergence, 2026, pp 305-338 from Springer

Abstract: Abstract This chapter traces the distinctive path of American industrialization up to 1870, showing how the United States adapted British technologies to its unique economic and resource conditions. Rather than simple transfer, development reflected path-dependent processes and contingencies—such as the Embargo Act of 1807 and government-backed firearms production—that fostered a domestic innovation ecosystem. It examines how high-pressure steam engines, integrated textile mills, and precision manufacturing evolved amid labor scarcity, capital constraints, and abundant resources. American manufacturers substituted mechanization and organizational innovation for skilled labor, creating technologies distinct from Britain’s and foundational for the Second Industrial Revolution. The chapter also highlights democratized invention, driven by economic incentives and institutional support, explaining how the United States built a robust manufacturing sector despite unfavorable beginnings

Date: 2026
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DOI: 10.1007/978-3-032-26359-9_8

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