Age of Systems Flashcards
What was the American System of Manufacture?
A manufacturing technique involving producing parts exactly interchangeable with each other.
Why was “Armory Practice” advantageous?
1) It allowed parts muskets to be exactly interchangeable, rather than the traditional process of adjusting and fitting each part to the individual muskets. This expedited both production and repairs.
2) It was dramatically cheaper to produce, and required less skilled workers
Where was “Armory Practice” pioneered. When did this development take place?
The Springfield Armoury, from roughly 1802-1822.
What techniques informed the “Armoury Practice” model?
1) Division of labour
2) Piece rates rather than hourly rates
3) Special machinery to cut or verify parts uniformly
What was the “putting out” system?
In the 18th century; manufacturing was done in a person’s home, and a merchant made the rounds of his operators’ homes to gather the finished product
What was the “factory system?”
Gathering machines and operators under one roof, close to the system of power needed to move the machines
Why was the factory system advantageous for the employer?
1) Cut on transportation cost of supplies between individual homes
2) Allowed the employer to keep a close watch on the employees
What was the major geographical limitation for early factories?
They had to be located near a source of power flowing (water, a steam engine)
Why were British factories initially urban while American factories rural?
In Britain, rich with coal cities were often the easiest supplied. In the United States, there was a lot of available waterfront along the eastern seaboard, as well as rivers running from the Appalachians.
Why did American factories switch to coal?
1) Coal transported by rail became more available
2) River sources became unstable as the ecosystems were damaged by settlement
How did the American factory workforce change in the early 19th Century?
Initially, the workforce was largely children. The level of mechanization increased and mills were designated to professional managers, and the workforce was delegated to young unmarried women.
However, by 1850 demands on workers increased, and factories shifted to hiring more pliable Irish and French-Canadian immigrants
How did the timing of transportation change during the early 19th century?
It increasingly followed a schedule. New modes of travel (steamship, trains), were faster and more reliable than previous methods, relying on wind or muscle power. This allowed predicting both departure and arrival times.
How did new transportation change traditional postage networks?
The volume and speed of steamships and rail made postage more affordable, where it had traditionally been reserved to the rich. By the middle of the 19th century, postage stamps were introduced, and by the end, an international postage union was set up.
How did Prince Edward order insubordinate soldiers flogged?
By telegraph
How did the telegraph modify the experience of presence?
It made it increasingly intangible, replacing it with “telepresence.”
What were methods of distance communication before the telegraph?
Sound (bells, whistling, drums)
Transportation (runners, riders, birds)
Visual signals (Smoke, beacons, flags)
What was the aerial telegraph?
A land-based equivalent of naval flags built in 1794 in France. The system relied on a series of towers equipped with signal masts and staffed by dedicated men.
When was the first aerial telegraph line built in Canada? What did it link?
- It linked the British base in Halifax, to a lighthouse on Sambro Island, as well as Fredericton (a shuttle carried the messages across the Bay of Fundy)
What was a major limitation of the aerial telegraph?
It cost a lot to build the towers and permanently man the towers.
Why did Quebec City merchants help maintain the city’s aerial telegraph network?
It helped them learn of ship arrivals ahead of time
In what century did electricity begin to be intensely studied?
18th century
What was the British Admiralty’s response to Francis Ronald’s experimental electric telegraph in 1816?
The admiralty dismissed it as unnecessary
What types of electric telegraph systems had been developed by the 1830s?
1) Needle system
2) Armature system
What was the needle system of telegraph?
The needle system employed the deflections of small magnetic needles placed at the receiving ends of the wires through which a current was sent
