Engines of Change: The American Industrial Revolution, 1790-1860

Engines of Change is based on a Smithsonian Institution exhibit of the same title. The principal theme is the importance of technological transfer. It ventures beyond discussion of machines and tools to consider the effects of geographical dimension, natural resources, business practices, the role of women, ethnic diversity, and education. In this work the authors present a pictorial history of the Industrial Revolution in America, derived from surviving artifacts, historical prints, and other graphic materials. By means of this work they bring about a fuller understanding of the major developments in American technology, business, economics, and labor, tracing the migration of technology and technologists from Europe to America, where skilled craftsmen—combined with the richness of natural resources and the energy and innovations released by the young nation's political freedoms—enabled industrialism to flourish.