I think the major influence in the development of the American character the upsurge of manufacturing from the late 1700's. After the fulfillment of the Manifest Destiny, Americans had the confidence and determination to start building up their country, politically, economically and socially. We knew that one way we could start building our country was through increased manufacturing, which eventually lead to the country we have today.
             One way we needed to do to increase manufacturing was to make work more efficient. Beginning about 1750, many inventions started to pop up. A series of machines were invented that helped speed up the mass production of textiles. It was the start of a so-called industrial revolution.
             One of these famous inventors of this time was Samuel Slater. Slater or better known as the "Father of the Factory System" is famous for his invention of the machinery for spinning cotton thread. Another inventor that helped contribute to the industrial revolution is Eli Whitney. Eli Whitney invented the cotton gin, which helped pick out the seeds in cotton. It was much faster than hand picking cotton and it helped increase the production of cotton products not only in America, but throughout the world. However, increased production of cotton also meant increased demand for slaves on the cotton fields. Other inventions such as the reaper and steamboat helped increase both agricultural production and increased transportation. The steamboat invented by Robert Fulton sped up transportation. More people started traveling to more places and to farther distances. More efficient transportation also meant faster shipment of cargo to factories and businesses.
             More factories meant more jobs and more jobs meant more money for workers. During the beginning of the industrial revolution, the standard of living grew. More people had money to bring home to the family. People opened their own businesses and prided t...