The Industrial Revolution changed the course of American history, accelerated the American economy, and affected the way people lived. This ready-reference encyclopedia offers in-depth coverage of the economic, political, and social developments of the Industrial Revolution in the United States from 1750 to 1920. More than 200 substantial entries cover key individuals--among them entrepreneurs, inventors, captains of industry, and robber barons--significant technologies, inventions, court cases, companies, political institutions, economic events, and legislation. Highlights of the work include numerous entries on developments in water and rail transportation, agriculture, manufacturing, mass production, the labor movement, big government, and the key inventions that changed the American economy. Entries on the social implications of the Industrial Revolution will help students to understand how the Industrial Revolution affected the social fabric of the nation. Each entry is placed in economic, political or social context to show how it contributed to the great changes that were occurring in the United States, such as how the development of new technologies altered agriculture, manufacturing, trade, and even patterns of immigration. Each entry is followed by a short list of suggested reading for further study. A comprehensive, engagingly written introduction traces the history of the Industrial Revolution in the United States. A timeline of important events in the history of the Industrial Revolution in the United States and a topically organized bibliography are important research aids. More than fifty historical illustrations and photos enliven the text. This curriculum-related reference work will supplement the American history course and is ideal for student research. The Industrial Revolution changed how people worked and lived in the U.S. This reference work is designed to help students understand the concepts, events, and persons that brought about those all-encompassing changes. The alphabetically arranged entries are enhanced by suggested readings (including Web sites), black-and-white illustrations, and cross-references. Readers can learn about such diverse topics as the American Bimetallic League, the Gold Standard Act of 1900, the Hay market Riot, the Molly Maguires, and the panics of 1819, 1837, 1857, 1873, and 1907. Inventors, industrialists, politicians, and other key players are profiled, as are major corporations that led the way. Concepts like Infrastructure and Vertical integration are explained, and significant legislation and landmark cases related to industrialism in the U.S. are reported. The chronology (from the opening of the first coal mine in America in 1756 to 1922's landmark Bailey v. Drexel Furniture Company decision ) and the bibliography (arranged by topic) help put the period in perspective. Although this is a useful resource for persons already knowledgeable about the topic, its index makes it difficult to hone in on specifics. For example, Richard Hoe, who revolutionized newspaper printing, merits a lengthy article and is mentioned in the entry on the printing press, but the index does not include a heading for newspapers. Frederick W. Taylor has his own entry, which calls him the "leading efficiency engineer of the Industrial Revolution in the United States," but the researcher not knowing his name cannot find him as there is no index heading for efficiency. And, because students frequently need to find significant inventions and inventors, it would have been nice to have them clustered in the index. Nevertheless, this is a handy compilation of information about a significant period in our history. It should be available to people studying that era, along with The Industrial Revolution: Opposing View points (Greenhaven, 1998). Recommended for high-school, public, and undergraduate libraries. RBB Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved .,."this condensed one-volume encyclopedia delivers a well-organized and comprehensive ready reference to the period spanning the 1750's to the 1920's that was critical in both American and world history...High school students will find this single volume helpful as a starting point for information...definitely a book to be used for basic research purposes..."-VOYA .,."this is a handy compilation of information about a significant period in our history. It should be available to people studying that era....Recommended for high-school, public, and undergraduate libraries."-Booklist/Reference Books Bulletin ?...this condensed one-volume encyclopedia delivers a well-organized and comprehensive ready reference to the period spanning the 1750's to the 1920's that was critical in both American and world history...High school students will find this single volume helpful as a starting point for information...definitely a book to be used for basic research purposes...?-VOYA ?...this is a handy c