Our Pennsylvania Story
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Lesson 26:
Pennsylvania and the Industrial Revolution
At one time, our state led the nation inmaking
or producing textiles (clothing), coal, oil, lumber,
aluminum, steel, glass, and food products. In
Lesson 12, you learned how Pennsylvania still
producesmany important products.
Once youmake products, you need tomove
them over land andwater. Moving people and
products is known as transportation. Over time, we
have changed thewaywemove products. At first,
wemoved goods by horses. Thenwemoved
products bywagons. Next came the canals. A canal
is awaterway dug through land. Boats loadedwith
goods weremoved through canals by horses.
Next, we began to use steam engines tomove
more products. Steamboats became a better way to
move goods over water. The locomotive steam
engine became a better way tomove goods over
land by rail. When the gasoline enginewas
developed, wemoved products by cars and trucks.
Today, wemove goods by ships, railroads, aircraft,
and trucks.
Is It aNeed or Want?
Is It aGood or Service?
drinking freshwater
selling cars
using the computer
baking bread
playing games
making cell phones
eating food
fixing teeth
drinkingmilk
driving trucks
watching TV
deliveringmail
eating broccoli
making bikes
drinking soda
seeing a doctor
The Bessemer process was a
quicker and less expensiveway to
make steel.
