The Dawn of Innovation: The First American Industrial Revolution: PDF Included

by Charles R. Morris, David Colacci (Narrator)

In the thirty years after the Civil War, the United States blew by Great Britain to become the greatest economic power in world history. That is a well-known period in history, when titans like Andrew Carnegie, John D. Rockefeller, and J. P. Morgan walked the earth.But as Charles R. Morris shows us, the platform for that spectacular growth spurt was built in the first half of the century. By the 1820s, America was already the world's most productive manufacturer and the most intensely commercialized society in history. The War of 1812 jump-started the great New England cotton mills, the iron centers in Connecticut and Pennsylvania, and the forges around the Great Lakes. In the decade after the War, the Midwest was opened by entrepreneurs. In this book, Morris paints a vivid panorama of a new nation buzzing with the work of creation. He also points out the parallels and differences in the nineteenth century American/British standoff and that between China and America today.

Genres: History, Nonfiction, Economics, American History, Business, American, World History

MP3 CD

First published January 1, 2012

About the author

Librarian Note: There is more than one author in the Goodreads database with this name. This profile may contain books from multiple authors of this name.

See also:

Charles R. Morris

Reviews

[Joshua Rigsby · Rating 3 out of 5]

Morris's task in this book is to set out the advances in industry and technology that lead to the United States surpassing Great Britain in economic superiority. On the whole he does a good job, jumping from industry to industry, comparing and contrasting the cultural and ideological differences that contributed to America's lapping of her older brother and rival.

There are also places when Morris gets bogged down in the specificity of the products and machines of the era. Describing with extreme detail each step in the mechanical sequence of firing a musket, for example. These sections, while probably easily conveyed in a diagram, resulted in some fairly dull reading.

Otherwise, though, he does well, offering a broad and helpful sweep of mechanization for anyone interested in the era. I especially liked how he incorporated travelogues to highlight the surprise both Americans and Brits felt when sojourning in the other's territory. Their observations are both illustrative and entertaining.

http://joshuarigsby.com

[Casey · Rating 4 out of 5]

A good book, providing a technical history of America’s place in the west’s First Industrial Revolution and a comparison of the mid-19th century situation with today’s international economic conditions. The work concentrated on the means by which the industrial innovative spirit of England was transformed in America into a broader corporate and managerial revolution. The author points out that England had a good political and cultural recipe for invention, making the big technical leaps that were the foundation of the industrial revolution. But he then argues, convincingly, that Americans contributed to the First Industrial Revolution through scope and capacity; developing new practices and innovative means to give these technical leaps better implementation. Whereas England had constraints based on labor, resources, and corporate change, America’s growing consumer base, bountiful resources, and ”blank canvas” enabled a greater market share than was possible in England. The book describes in detail the varied industries of pre-Civil War America. The origins of the American mass marketing, production, and commerce of the 1900s are closely explored. Myths that the “American System” were solely based on the gun manufacturing industry’s development of interchangeable parts are fully disputed. The author ends with an in-depth comparison of America’s mid-19th century relation with England to the current relations between China and America. A great book for better understanding American industry in the first half of the 19th century. Highly recommended for those wanting to know how a technology advanced nation can avoid being surprised by the rapid advance of seemingly less developed competitors.

[Jim · Rating 5 out of 5]

http://www.usatoday.com/story/money/b...

Some quick notes and Factoids to remind myself what I learned. (Work in Process)

3 stupendous and strongly reinforcing innovations in Politics, in the economy and in social relations occurred in the US between 1820-30.

1)Universal white male suffrage came into effect throughout the country, with voter turnouts in the 80% for a wide range of offices

2)Wide spread of mechanized, large-scale production occurred in the US

3) Political and Economic Power shifted away from a small wealthy elite as the worlds first middle class seized control of the political apparatus.

Book is organized by two thematic hooks;

1) Competition between Great Britain and the US
2) US mass production and mass consumption in all areas of business (as much by organization as machinery)

Armory Practice refers what GB referred to as the American System of Manufacturing.

As it's been often noted, warfare drives innovation. In the war of 1812, controlling the waters routes of Lake Ontario proved decisive.Some of the world's largest and most formidably armed ships of
the time were built there. This ship building effort played a role in jump starting America's industrialization.

Although Britain applied industrialization to textile,the American's went further applying it to most every industry: Clocks, Cloth,Shoes,Cast Iron stoves.

[Marks54 · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book is an effort at a popular focused economic history of the US in the 19th century. Morris has a particular case to make – that the surge in US economic performance from the late 19th century and well into the current one was based on fundamental developments that promoted scale and scope economies in US supply and distribution capabilities, combined with well known influences as economic culture, innovation, political economy, and the role of great plutocrats such as Morgan, Rockefeller, Carnegie, Mellon, Gould, and others. The boom would have happened without these individuals, even if the shape of the economy would have been different. Morris adds to this an effort to draw out comparisons from the US-Britain battle and apply them to the situation between the US and a resurgent China today.

While the author makes a case that is worth considering, the book as a whole is noteworthy from drawing together a number of existing historical accounts and analyses to fashion an uncommon perspective. The comparisons between the US and China catch-up strategies are helpful. I most liked that the author’s explanation combined a number of factors, some focusing on competition and innovation, while others focused on restricting competition, promoting government intervention in the economy through protectionism where needed and lax enforcement of intellectual property laws. In addition, the historical context and natural resource endowments are also crucial. This book presents a more multifaceted and more plausible story for US economic growth and prospects that is seen in many popular accounts of these issues. Success such as the US had earlier and China is having now require some restrictions on the operation of free markets, since those markets would work to eliminate excessive profits – the more quickly the freer the markets. In this sense, the book is also a call for attention to effective economic governance, similar to such recent books as "Why Nations Fail".

This book is also refreshing to me as an tonic against the easy resort to political rhetoric and economic platitudes that are common in popularized accounts. The reality of economic dynamism and growth is very complex – explanations about national prospects for economic performance should work to better reflect that complexity, even while trying to simplify and explain.

The downside of this, of course, is that if an explanation gets too contextualized, that it is unique and without implications for future situations. This is a tension the author tries hard to manage. His efforts are generally successful.

A side benefit of this book is the author’s use of more primary source accounts by mid-19th century writers about what was going on in America. Well known sources, such as DeTocqueville are mentioned, along with others such as Fanny Trollope. It was nice to contact these sources again.

The specialist will find less of interest here that is new. However, unless you are well schooled in American business and economic history between the revolution and 1850, it is likely that there will be something for most readers to value.

[Martin · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was surprised how much I loved this book! I was basically looking for something to fill in my gaps in knowledge of 19th Century history, and was expecting this to be informative but dry. Instead, I couldn't put it down. We get histories of the major players in the American industrial revolution, what they innovated and what effect their mass production had on society. I learned about company towns that sprang up in Massachusetts, New York and Ohio. The author quotes (often British) observers of this societal leap forward as varied as Frances Trollpe, Isabella Lucy Bird, and Dickens himself. The history begins with Marc Brunel's pulley block factory in Portsmouth, England which started the British industrial revolution, then continues on with his son, Isambard Kingdom Brunel, considered one of the greatest Britons of all time. Then we move to America where the idea of mass production gets applied to nearly every possible commercial product possible. The author always notes how each industry changes American lives, whether the change occurs in war, transportation, clothing or diet. This book perfectly synthesizes in-depth information while taking the widest view possible. The eventual supremacy of the U.S. over Britain is always alluded to, but it is finally dealt with by examining the condescending attitudes toward American ingenuity that prevailed in Britain throughout the 19th Century. However, although Americans were incredibly adaptable, they also had the advantage of starting out in the comfortable position of Number Two, enabling them to develop others' long-gestating ideas, if not outright stealing them. The author then jumps ahead to the 1950s and 60s when Japan managed the same trick with the U.S., and today when China has begun to steal intellectual property from its close partners Germany and the U.S. You won't find many history books with a point of view that so clearly draws parallels between two centuries ago and today. This book was as thrilling as the time it evoked.

[David Kopec · Rating 4 out of 5]

History, Economics, Invention Manual, Confused?

Do books need to fit into neat little categories for a store's shelf? Morris doesn't think so. This genre defying volume is filled to the brink with the innovations of 19th century America. Is the focus of the book explaining the innovations themselves, their impact on society, how they came about, or the men behind them? It's not really clear, since Morris goes into detail about all three. In some cases, excruciating detail.

"The Dawn of Innovation" is at its best when it fits the pieces of industry, economy, history, culture, and government together to form a cohesive picture of the transformative power of the industrial revolution. It is at its worst when it gets caught up in the details of how a gun barrel is made. It does not add to the larger narrative and it takes away (at least in my instance) the most important asset for an author - the reader's interest. Changes in tone and voice from chapter to chapter add to the muddle.

However, the many stories of industrial triumph and personal vignettes are interesting. The larger picture is definitely well explained. The book is clearly informative for anyone interested by the subject matter. Some chapters are quite comprehensive to the point where it could almost be considered a reference work. It is clear a great deal of thought and work went into creating every page.

This is a well researched, well written, interesting book. It's just a little bit confused about its identity.

[Michael Clifford · Rating 4 out of 5]

Nice read concerning the early phases of the industrial revolution in the United States. Of particular interest is the comparison of the US vs. Great Britain in this same period. The US focused on mass production and less focus on labor. The net result was a huge increase in output which eventually eclipsed Great Britain.

[Nooilforpacifists · Rating 4 out of 5]

I wish two things: that this book was written by a more fluid writer, and it was more up to date (2012). Normally, that wouldn’t matter for a book about 19th Century American manufacturing, but the author tacks on a chapter trying to apply the principles developed comparing 19th Century Britain to America to 21st Century America to China. It’s far too outdated to be relevant; skip most of it (one thing I learned was China’s water shortage in the more populated, prosperous North).

The book starts by examining the War of 1812. What does that have to do with the American system of manufacturing, I hear you cry? This: it was the first time- and transport-centric requirement for large building. The war of the Great Lakes was won not just by Captain Perry, but by capitalism, plus shorter interior lines.

Then there’s a review of British developments, in gage making, tool and die, ship’s blocks (pulleys), then (relatedly) clocks that had solved the longitude problem a Century earlier. The scene shifts to the mill towns of New England, which stole some technology from Old England, but were more willing to take risks in further development (a constant refrain in the book, sometimes blamed on unions, other times on management, but more broadly on conservative commercial reflexes).

Although many consider Colt and firearms in general to be the predecessor of Ford’s assembly line, Morris shows convincingly it was various industries (textiles first, then wall clocks, canal boats, shoes, then steam engines) feeding off riverine waterpower that wrought the assembly line as hand-crafted steps got places in sequence, then close, then (much later) in a continuous flow. “[W]hat became an American specialty, the textile-mill model of mechanized mass production of every major industry was also pioneered in Great Britain, but the innovation was stillborn.”

Twin crises interrupted antebellum American progress, both created by Democrats: The veto of renewing the Second National Bank and slavery. The first, by President Jackson, led to a hodgepodge of State banks which, in theory, could offer funds for the finished value of goods to ease the cash-flow gap. But in practice, the long times to market in the 1830s and early 1840s, and the uncertainty about unrelated banks accepting another bank’s notes extended beyond bridge loan amounts. This hiccup wasn’t solved until the introduction of the steamboat cut upriver transport from a month or more to a week.

The second issue was sectional differences that made the Northeast, then later, the Northwest, manufacturing centers, while:


“[The Democrat-led] South slipped into the position of an internal colony. In effect, the South exploited its slaves, while the rest of the country exploited the South.… Cotton was very profitable, but the first large slice of cotton profits accrued to Northern finance houses in the form of hefty trading, marketing, shipping, banking, and insurance revenues.”


The next section covers Europeans abroad: Frances Trollope (mother of the more famous novelist, Anthony), Alexis de Tocqueville, and Charles Dickens, being the best known. Although I haven’t read it in 40 years, I remember Trollope scandalized by the lack of “Domestic Manners” (the title of her first book on America).

The next part is about the connection of waterways. The story of the Erie Canal is well known; less familiar to me was the tying of that canal with the Ohio, Mississippi, Missouri, etc., which made Cincinnati for quite some time the largest city West of the Alleghenies. In this role, the book highlighted an author I had never known: Isabella Lucy Bird, a British Parson’s daughter, who grew sickly every time her father (then later her husband) tried to keep her home. Her cure was traveling the world, ultimately to China and South America.

[More to come]

[Christopher · Rating 4 out of 5]

Interesting look at the industrial development of the United States from the War of 1812 to the Civil War and how the economy overtook Great Britain... Good Stuff on the development of farmers in the Northeast and later on in the Midwest moving from farming to manufacturing, the development of arms manufacturing, and Cincinnati's hog rendering plants. Excellent illustrations of the machines and explanations in the great difficulty in standardizing parts and making them interchangeable when work was still mostly done by hand.

"And therein lies the secret of the American surge in per capita growth. It wasn't advanced technology. Throughout the nineteenth century, Americans were students to the British in steelmaking and most other science-based industries. Where the Americans wrote the rulebook, however, was in mass-production, mass-marketing, and mass-distribution. The great nineteenth-century American economic invention, in short, was the first mass consumption society. The invention proceeded in stages. The first was to create the infrastructure for a continent-wide, first-class economic power (p. 273)." -Charles Morris

[Amy W. · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book provides both a macro and micro look at "The First American Industrial Revolution". It zooms in and out of various times, places and industries. I thought the zooming in aspect was very well done (once I got past "The Shipbuilders' War"). It provided an in-depth look at the foundations for development of certain industries, as well as a view into life at the time. The second chapter, about the beginning of the machine tool industry in Great Britain, was in my opinion one of the best. I had never really thought about what came before the invention of standard measuring tools, or standardized screws. It's kind of amazing to think about what was accomplished without them. I also found myself fascinated by clocks, canals and railroads, less so by guns.

The macro aspect worked less well for me. I could sense a throughline, but less a thesis. This certainly may be my issue and others may get more out of the broad themes. I would probably have to read it again to get the most out of it. Overall I did enjoy and learn from this book and will probably read it again, except for the war of 1812 chapter.

[Al · Rating 3 out of 5]

Reread. This wonderful book delves into the spirit and practice of innovation in the United States, going all the way back to the shipbuilders' war in the War of 1812 and running right to the date of the book's publication in 2012. I found the early going a bit difficult when it came to the descriptions of the technical aspects of early American inventions. This wasn't due to any lack of clarity in Mr. Morris's writing, but to a lack of engineering background on my part. About halfway into the book, though, Mr. Morris breaks through into fascinating descriptions of the development of the West and American industrial dominance, including reference to the social aspects of this growth. One doesn't need to understand the technical drawings to appreciate Mr. Morris's discussion of American entrepreneurial spirit and ambition. It's a well-researched and clearly written look at a vital part of our history.

[Eric Gardner · Rating 3 out of 5]

In Dawn of Innovation Charles Morris argues that America’s economic dominance wasn’t driven by science, technology or ingenuity, but our commitment to mass production (scale). “The dominating American characteristic across all major industries,” he writes, “was the push for scale—adapting the production methods, the use of machinery, and the distribution to suit the product.” Viewing the world through this lenses reveals two myths; applying it to modern times illuminates the biggest issue facing modern governments—How to scale innovation in a knowledge economy.

NOTE – Scale in this context does not mean the modern “growth hacker” definition. Instead, it means the political, social, and business networks required to bring a product to the masses.

Myth #1 - Innovation’s “Exceptional Individual”

In the 1800s gears, not microprocessors, ran the world. Today, corporations invest billions of dollars on migrating to the cloud; 200 years ago that money went towards systems that mass produced precision gears. It seems silly now, but these gears powered the next 150 years of industrial output. Steam engines needed gears. Guns needed gears. Clocks needed gears. Nearly everything in the mechanical age was powered by toothed wheels, working together to power inanimate objects. Almost every investor wanted to be in the gear business.

Most failed.

Why? According to Morris, it was because they weren’t located in England, where “naval and other high-end engineering applications had created a market for high-precision scientific instruments for astronomy, surveying, and a host of industrial uses.” One French nobleman researched the newest technologies and attracted the era’s brightest minds to Paris. By all accounts he was an exceptional individual. His noble birth gave him access to the continent’s best education. He had capital. He had gear designs that were more advanced than his competitors. On paper, the start-up should have worked. But he had no chance. English naval spending drove the industry and without a network of buyers, suppliers and sales agents to connect with, his company faded into history. The moral of the story? Social networks matter.

Myth #2 – Innovation = Science + Engineering

Science and engineering are undoubtedly important for innovation. Together, the two disciplines push the world forward. However, they aren’t the sole drivers. You can still generate incredible innovation with “B” level science—if it is targeted at the right markets. “Throughout the nineteenth century,” Morris explains, “Americans were students to the British in steelmaking and most other science based industries.” By the turn of the century America was an undisputed innovation and economic powerhouse. How? We targeted our production methods towards the masses. Prior to America, clocks and ovens were reserved for the wealthy. Once the items were scaled, large economic networks developed to produce, market, sell and support the goods.

How to Scale Innovation in a Knowledge Economy

Industrial America became an economic powerhouse because it created the political, social, and business networks to scale the era’s products. Here’s an incomplete breakdown:

Political: Relatively low barriers to enter an industry, stable and transparent legal system, free and fair elections (for some), steady stream of government contracts to fund long term innovation
Social: Public education created a capable workforce, railroads connected supplies and people to production centers, guilds and unions organized skilled labor, informal networks developed to help allocate resources
Business: Products were targeted at the masses; value chains developed to support products, patent and legal system ensured people’s inventions were protected, a federally regulated monetary system provided fluid capital (until Andrew Jackson destroyed it), bankruptcy laws

Today our political, social and business networks are ill-equipped to compete in the knowledge economy. The networks are still aligned with industrial and 1950s era norms. New networks that embrace the fast moving, tech centric nature of the knowledge economy must be created. The current set-up can't can’t scale modern inventions or the social system needed to engage with it.

What do I mean by that? Let’s take the first point: Relatively low barriers to enter an industry.

The knowledge economy moves at a rapid pace. This means people and businesses must be free to quickly adapt and take advantage of opportunities. On paper, it has never been easier to start a business. Paperwork is streamlined, regulations are cut, and capital is easy to find. However, there are new problems not found on a traditional balance sheet that destroy innovation. Research has shown that tying health insurance to an employer creates “entrepreneurship lock,” discouraging otherwise entrepreneurs from creating new business because they can’t afford health care. According to City Lab, bad infrastructure has the potential to wipe out the economic benefits of cities. Student loan debt is crippling young entrepreneurs--over 2 million people report it as a barrier to entry, and antiquated IP protections discourage innovation. None of these will be found on a balance sheet. All of these impact people's ability to enter and compete in an industry.

This is obviously an incomplete list, however, for all our talk about building an innovative society we'd be best served to look to the past. Morris revealed that a solid social system matters much, much, more than we'd like to realize.

This review originally appeared at www.ericgardner.net. Check out my website if you found this review interesting.

[Joe Stevens · Rating 4 out of 5]

A clearly written book that actually told the story it set out to tell. Some of the more technical bits flew over my head, but I got the gist of what he was talking about. After reading the book, I felt that I learned things and exited the experience with useful knowledge that I didn't have when I first cracked the cover.

[Stacia · Rating 3 out of 5]

The audio version was well-done. But the book itself is very dry. It'd be a great reference book for a research paper, or if you really like machines etc. I was hoping it would include more of the people of the Industrial Revolution and its impact on society. Which it did, but mainly focused on the development and manufacturing.

[Peter Mayeux]

The book discusses and illustrates significant innovations and changes during the 19th century. It combines technical and sociological trends and developments. The writing style is o.k. but is weakened by the unnecessary use of vocabulary that the average reader may not understand. The source notes and bibliography are helpful research aids.

[Sully Augustine · Rating 3 out of 5]

library hardbound - It was interesting for facts I've never come across before in quite a bit of military and naval history reading but marred by the unevenness of the writing and the fact that the author can be so poor at explaining technical details that he really shouldn't try, especially in the absence of serviceable illustrations.

[Dillon Johnson · Rating 4 out of 5]

Book seemed tailor written for my personal interests, most people will love one or two chapters and struggle through the others. Everything is related to the theme of the book though. Great overview of the development of the technical advances of the 19th century.

[Teresa · Rating 3 out of 5]

Pretty good for non fiction read. I think the audio version would be better. Good plane read.

[Steve H · Rating 3 out of 5]

Interesting view . I was expecting a different analysis. Worth reading. I don't know if I will read another one of his books.

[John Rosenfelder · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent Industrial History. Talks about more than the usual steel, railroads, oil, and Henry Ford. there were a lot more innovations.

[Steve · Rating 4 out of 5]

After a slow start, a very good look at American industrial development and growth in the first half of the 19th Century, showing how the US passed the UK as the world's leading industrial economy.

[Clear Glass Pubns (Consignment) · Rating 5 out of 5]

A superb history of the explosive, innovative, economic growth of America. I have never seen another book that is as accurate and comprehensive as Morris's. He describes both the social milieu and the technical details that brought out the genius of American industrialization. Every student of world history needs to know this story and understand the unique qualities that made America the creator the modern world.

[Peter · Rating 4 out of 5]

Through the battles with Britain on the Great Lakes, a fight of weaponry and shipbuilding, to the introduction of basic manufacturing in the US, Morris ties the innovations of the past to American prosperity and achievements over Great Britain in the 1800s. While seeming incapable to the Britains and pursuing some ideas they'd all but written off, the Americans seized on advancements in textiles, clock-making, weaponry, steel manufacture, &c., &c. quietly re-engineering ideas from across the Atlantic and emerging with better products able to be produced faster and more effectively than Britain had ever dreamed of. In his parting words, Morris adds his research into the likelihood of a new incumbent to the US as a world power in manufacture from across the Pacific; China. While also facing challenges of their own, they could be next in line, with a script that reads closely to the come-up of the Americans.

[Pam · Rating 4 out of 5]

What a great wonky book full of details about the industrial revolution in the US. Morris isn't afraid of boring you with machining details, pattern making, and the other details that consumed the inventors and entrepreneurs of the time. His argument is in that the US went from being a sleepy colony to a full blown industrial power in a few short decades mainly because Americans created the first mass consumer society (thanks to universal male suffrage, burgeoning middle class and the desire for mechanized mass production). Again and again from steel to textiles, Morris paints a picture of relentless improvement, mechanization, work organization, and drive to cross fertilize methodologies from industry to industry. Fascinating though I can't see it becoming a favorite read given the details on steam engines, gun barrels, and mechanical clocks.

[Al · Rating 4 out of 5]

I don't know why the book is called The Dawn of Innovation; it's actually a wide-ranging, fascinating history of the development of mass production and precision manufacturing in the United States in the nineteenth century. As such, it's a wealth of interesting detail, clear explanations -- with illustrations -- of key advances, and reader-friendly writing. It ranges from a discussion of the race to develop naval power on the Great Lakes in the War of 1812 all the way to an analysis of the problems China faces in trying to become a world-class economic power. That may sound a little confused, but don't be put off -- it's not. Highly recommended.

[Lockett · Rating 5 out of 5]

Growing up in New England, having been a small history museum director for 23 years, much of the territory covered was familiar, but the concept of American as the first middle class nation was interesting. How he explained the various phases of industrial growth in different industrial areas that allowed the US to outproduce Great Britain and Germany by WW I was interesting. The follow up chapter on China now challenging us and how that might play out was an added bonus. A clearly written easy to read book.

[Frederick Bingham · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book traces the rise of industrialism mainly in the US. It goes into many different industries, guns, railroads, steamships, steel, textiles, etc. This is more of a book for historians, but was interesting enough to get all the way through. There is a final chapter on the rise of China which I found off-putting.

[Gordon Fowler · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a fun book filled with lots of anecdotes around American Economic History during the early 19th century. The heroes of this book are the mechanical engineers who figure out how to mass produce goods for the benefit of an increasingly prosperous middle class.

[Michael · Rating 3 out of 5]

more about the era prior to the industrial revolution very little on 1880 -1910. Well written by an experienced writer.

[Antonio · Rating 5 out of 5]

excellent look at the different industries of 19th century America and how they compare to Great Britain.