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Was The American Industrial Revolution Responsible For Economic Growth?

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The American Industrial Revolution (1820-1870) was responsible for a significant growth to the American economy. This economic growth, translated into material prosperity for early white American settlers, who owned farms because, the demand for their products increased exponentially. However, this demand resulted in a negative consequence in America society that saw expansion of domestic slave trade. The domestic slave trade expanded after the American government abolished the African slavery not only because, white American settler’s needed slaves to produce cotton, and sugar, but domestic slavery became a profitable business.
After the industrial revolutionary, slave labor was outlawed in many of the northern American states because, slavery …show more content…

The coastal system “sent thousands of slaves to the sugar plantations…” in places like New Orleans (Edwards, Henretta, & Self 308 355). However, the inland system was less visible and sent slaves to south to farm cotton, which was crucial for the prosperity of the southern economy. Overall, the slave trade system was a profitable, “commercial enterprise that enriched English merchants, (and)… became a great business between 1800 and 1860” (Edwards, Henretta, & Self 308 353).
After the industrial revolution, the need for slaves to work on farms increased significantly, because there was a demand for raw goods to be turned into final products. After, the American government ended foreign slavery; farmers had to find another source to fill the manpower shortage. So, farmers turned to domestic slavery, which eventually evolved into a successful and reliable business. Overall, the expansion of domestic slavery was directly linked to the abolishment of foreign slavery, and the need to fill manpower shortages caused by the industrial revolutions advent of factory

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