Will Luce EGEO 201 1:00 Explain the emergence of the Manufacturing Belt as the core region of the United States and account for its subsequent decline. Beginning in the early 19th century, the area from Boston and Baltimore on the east to Milwaukee and St. Louis in the west, developed into the manufacturing core of the United States. This region has aptly been referred to as the Manufacturing Belt. There were many factors which contributed to the growth and development of this area, as well as its eventual decline. Seemingly boundless natural resources and a growing population spawned the growth in this region, technology and transportation increased the area’s influence, and those same factors eventually led to its downfall. Once the general foundations were laid for this large scale manufacturing to occur, new ways of transportation and technologies enabled the region to become the dominant production and exportation center in the United States. The first major change in the region was the development of the canal system. From 1825 to 1850, around 1,240 miles of canals were constructed, which effectively united the region. The Erie Canal was very important; it linked the Belt to New York and consequently the Atlantic Ocean. At first the barges which traveled on the canals had to be towed by horsepower, which is both cumbersome and slow. However, with the advent of a new technology, the steam engine, goods were able to move much quicker to their intended markets. The steam engine was important in another method of transportation as well, the railroad. Much faster than any other previous methods of travel, railroad infrastructure sprang up across the country, and especially through the Manufacturing Belt. The key hub was in Chicago, which means more traffic and goods flowed through the region, increasing the prominence of the entire area. The Manufacturing Belt was very important to the growth of America as a world power, for it provided much economic...