MANUFACTURES IN THE UNITED STATES. At the end of the colonial period manufacturing in dustry in America was of slight importance. The principal salable articles were raw materials, such as the products of the forests. Each house hold provided it-self with the chief commodities for consmnption. In New England, however, the manufacture of rum was extensive, and the pro duction of hats, coarse cloth, and nails was car ried on under the domestic system of industry. The total value of the manufactures of America at the time of the adoption of the Constitution has been estimated at $20,000,000: but this includes lunch domestic production for home consumption.
Machine production seareely existed before 1790. In that year a British mechanic, Slater, set up spinning machinery in Rhode Island. In 1794 Whitney invented the cotton gin, thus as suring a supply of raw materials for the new cotton manufacture. By 1810 machinery had been generally introduced in textile manufacture, although large quantities of goods were still produced under the older system. The value of textiles produced in that year was estimated at about $40,000,000.
The iron manufacture developed more slowly. Machinery of improved types was introduced in the first and second decades of the nineteenth century, but the greater part of the production and manufacture was carried on in a primitive fashion, until the fifth decade of the century, when anthracite began to be substituted for charcoal in smelting. From that time increase was rapid, as will he seen in the statistics given under IRON AND STEEL. METALLURGY ()F.
The value of the manufactures of the United States for the year 1S10 was estimated by Tench Coxe to lie $198,013,471. In 1820 the value of
manufactures had risen to $268,000,000. The following table, taken from the Twelfth Census, Manufactures, part gives the essential facts as to the development of manufactures from 1850; In estimating the economic significance of the development of manufactures as shown in the above table, it will be necessary to make allow ance for the fact that a considerable number of operations are now carried on as manufactures which formerly were a part of household indus try. The increase in the net product of manu factures above cost of material is not wholly •a, net increase in national income, although the greater part may be regarded. It is further to be kept in mind that the statistics of capital are based upon estimates which in the nature of the case are not very reliable.
The following table, taken from the Twelfth ('roses, Manufactures, part i., shows the rank of the various States and Territories in gross value of manufactures: The four states New York, Pennsylvania, 11 linoi and Massachusetts produce nearly one half the manufactures of the United States. The greatest concentration of manufacturing industry is in southern New England and New York and eastern Pennsylvania. But there :years to be a general tendency toward extension of the area of manufactures.
The United States occupies at present the fore most rank as a manufacturing nation. The suc cessive stages by which it has reached this posi tion are illustrated by the following table, taken from the Tire/ft/1 Census, Manufactures, part i. (Munail's estimates) :