Risk and Technological Innovation: American Manufacturing Methods During the Nineteenth Century

Between 1800 and 1900 the Industrial Revolution swept the United States. Behind this revolution were changes in business organization and advancement in science and technology. This book is concerned with the interaction of these social forces. It demonstrates when and for what reasons the introduction of new manufacturing led to business risks and losses. The study is based on the records of technological innovation in methods of producing iron and steel, in textile machinery, in machine tools, and in electric power equipment.