The Industrialization of New England, 1830 - 1880

This paper surveys the economy of New England in the half-century following 1830. It begins by discussing reasons why manufacturing grew in the United States and especially in New England. The paper surveys the outputs of New England industry, particularly machine tools and textiles. It then discusses the inputs to industry. Women formed an important part of the New England labor force; the histories of Boston and Lowell illustrate the increasing urbanization of the labor force. Capital for industry was raised both through formal credit instruments (for large enterprises) and through local banks (for smaller ones).