Part 20 (1/2)
_Portland_, Me., has good harbor facilities, but is distant from the great lines of traffic. Steams.h.i.+p lines, which in summer make Montreal a terminal point, occasionally make Portland their winter harbor. _Newport News_, _Savannah_, _Charleston_, and _Brunswick_ are growing in importance as clearing ports for the cotton and produce from the region west of them. _Norfolk_ obtains importance on account of the United States Navy-Yard; it is also the great peanut-market of the world.
QUESTIONS FOR DISCUSSION
What are the requisites of a good seaport?
What is meant by the draught of a vessel?
For what purposes are pilots?
How are navigable channels marked and designated?
From the Statistical Abstract find six or more of the leading exports from each of the following ports: New York, Boston, Baltimore, Philadelphia, and the port nearest which you live.
FOR COLLATERAL REFERENCE
Statistical Abstract of the United States.
Statesman's Year-Book.
Industrial Evolution of the United States--Chapter II.
CHAPTER XVIII
THE UNITED STATES--THE NEW ENGLAND PLATEAU AND THE APPALACHIAN REGION
The manufacturing regions of the United States, which connect the country with the rest of the world, include mainly the New England plateau and the Appalachian ranges.
=The New England Plateau.=--This region embraces the New England States and practically includes all the eastern part of New York and northern New Jersey. The abruptly sloping surface affords a great wealth of water-power, and the region is one of the most important centres of light manufacture in the world. This industry resulted very largely from the conditions imposed by the War of 1812 and its consequent non-intercourse acts.
The interruption of foreign commerce not only cut off the importation of manufactured commodities, but also made idle the capital employed.
Manufacturing enterprises started in various parts of the United States, but they prospered in this region for three reasons--an abundance of power, plenty of capital, and business experience. Steam-power is largely supplanting water-power in the manufacturing enterprises, and in many instances the establishments have been moved to tide-water in order to get their coal at the lowest rates of transportation.
Chief among the manufactures are cotton textiles, the yearly output of which is about three hundred million dollars. About nine-tenths of the cotton goods made are consumed at home. Of the remainder, China purchases one-half. Great Britain and Canada take one-fourth, the South American and Central American states purchase most of the remaining output. The great improvement of spinning and weaving machinery has enabled the cotton manufacturer to export his wares to about every country in the world.
Boots, shoes, and other leather goods are also important manufactures.
The invention of improved machinery for making shoes has revolutionized the industry to the extent that a pair of stylish shoes may be purchased anywhere in the United States for about half the price charged in 1880.
Another result is the enormous importation of hides from South American countries and Mexico.
The New England plateau is also the centre of a large number of manufactures that require a high degree of mechanical skill and intellectual training, such as small fire-arms, machinery, watches and clocks, jewelry, machine-tools, etc. The location of such industries depends but little upon climate, topography, or the cost of transportation; it is wholly a question of an educated and trained people. This region is likely to lose a considerable part of its manufactures of cotton textiles, inasmuch as the industry is gradually moving to the cotton-growing region. The manufactures requiring training and skill, however, are likely to remain in the region where they have grown up.
_Lawrence_, _Lowell_, _Manchester_, and _Nashua_--all on the Merrimac River; _Lewiston_, _Waterville_, _Augusta_, _Woonsocket_, and _Adams_--each situated at falls or rapids--are great centres of cotton manufacture. Fall River has an abundance of water-power, and at the same time is situated on tide-water. Having the advantage of good power and cheap transportation, it has probably the greatest output of cotton textiles of any city in the world. Textile establishments have also grown up in the cities and towns of the Mohawk Valley, being attracted by the excellent facilities for transportation and also by the available water-power. _Lynn_, _Brockton_, _Haverhill_, _Marlboro_, and _Worcester_ are centres of boot and shoe manufacture; they turn out about two-thirds of the product of the United States.
_Bridgeport_ and _New Haven_ have very large plants for the manufacture of fire-arms and fixed ammunition; _Waterbury_ and _Ansonia_ for watches, clocks, and bra.s.s goods; _Meriden_ for silverware, and _Waltham_ for watches. _Worcester_, _Hartford_, _North Adams_, _Fitchburg_, and _Providence_ have each a great variety of manufactures.
The foreign commerce of these manufacturing centres is carried on mainly through _Boston_. _New Haven_, _New Bedford_, _Providence_, _Salem_, _Gloucester_, and _New London_ control each a very large local commerce.