America Resists the Industrial Revolution
America was not so quick to join this revolution. Their so-called resistance to industrialization was due in part to several significant factors. Settlers were still busy trying to develop the land and establish communities in the newly founded colonies. It was hard enough trying to clear land, cultivate crops, harvest the fields, and build homes while being short on hands. The United States did not see a mass influx of migration until the 1840s.
Another reason for the delay in industrialization was the lack of capital. After the American Revolution in 1783, the new nation was immersed in launching its government while also trying to pay back creditors for the debt it had incurred during the war. As a result, there was not an abundance of capital streaming through the economy. The focus instead was on rearing the young nation.