what were the advances in technology from the American Revolution to the Civil War?

Question

Describe the advances in technology from the American Revolution to the civil war

Answer 1

The changes were ENORMOUS!

I see the answers so far have focused on those inventions with the most obvious affect on the Civil War (and its roots). I'll try to make some of these a bit more explicit (that is, HOW they shaped events, esp. the way the war was fought), and to set them in context... to consider the RANGE of inventions

(ALL CAPS refers to the "field", * = specific inventions)

(A) early Industrial Revolution -- steam power!

MANUFACTURING
* various steam-driven devices, mostly borrowed or adapted from British inventions (late 18th century)
- growth of industry in North fuels its population growth and ability to produce,
widening rifts with the South, which helps lead to war, and providing the means (people and goods) to win
(protection of American industry via higher tariffs, which helps Northern industry, but hurts Southern agriculture, adds to sectional tensions; indeed, it is the cause of the South's first step toward secession in the "Nullification Crisis" )

TRANSPORTATION
* first practical steamboats (Fulton, 1807)
- used to move goods via key waterways, such as the Mississippi (a key to splitting the Confederacy in two... a major Union strategy)

* steam locomotives >> *railroads:
- key for quick movement of troops & supplies - another ultimate advantage for the North (which has a much more developed railway system)

(B) AGRICULTURE
* cotton gin
- well-known influence on the spread of labor-intensive cotton crops, committing the Deep South even more to slavery

(C) beginning of Electronic Revolution
(starts with Volta's battery -1800, development of electromagnets and dynamo =foundations for practical electric devices)

* key invention = telegraph
much improved COMMUNICATION,
- allowing Lincoln to keep in contact with his generals,
getting immediate updates, sending instructions
- enabling quick spread of news to newspapers and all around the nation

(D) *photography
- provides us with a fuller record of what happened
along with quick spread of news (telegraph > newspapers), affected public perception of (and so reaction to) events

(E) weaponry
* rifled guns (also canons)
- greater distance with much more accuracy, leads to a much greater defensive advantage and FAR greater casualty rate... few understand this at first, but it gradually changes HOW the war is fought

Answer 2

If you look deeper, I think you'd find that the two were very much the same. The majority of the battles/skirmishes which took place in the American Revolution was between the patriots and Loyalists. Like the Civil War, this war split apart families and turned them on one another--a famous example of this was Benjamin Franklin's family. While Ben was a signer of the Declaration and the Constitution, his son was British governor of New Jersey and remained a staunch Loyalist. At root of the conflict was basically the same as the Civil War. Americans had to choose between an upstart country at home w/ a strong possibility of losing to a country that they were politically a part of. Southerners faced a similar dilemma in the Civil War. I believe in other words that the Revolution and Civil War were similar.

Answer 3

The American industrial revolution started in the early 1800s. It marked a period of time in which America started evolving from an agricultural economy to a manufacturing economy. There were advances in textile manufacturing, electricity, hydro-electric power, locomotives. The oil industry was just in it's infancy when the civil war broke out. Communications via the telegraph. The precursor to the modern printing press during the late 1700s.

I wish I had access to the internet when I needed to do my homework 30 years ago!!!

Answer 4

there were many advances in the technology of warfare,guns and and tactics with war battles.Differencces in battle stragthey.There was also a little bit more advances in the printing press newspaper.Money and the like.But as you well know there were not too many advances with cival war.Hench the reason for the war.Politcs were more.Entertaiment was aaround then.Santiary was almost the better.

Answer 5

Cotton gin, railroad, repeating and rifled guns, ironside ships, ...