THE AGE OF INVENTION Industrial Innovations 1865 1900

THE AGE OF INVENTION

Industrial Innovations � � 1865 -1900 the United States experienced a surge of industrial growth Marked beginning of second industrial revolution In the late 1800's steel helped spur a second industrial revolution It was used to build railroad tracks, bridges, and tall city buildings

Steel � Steel was around long before the second industrial revolution � Advantages Strength Flexibility – could be bent without cracking � problems converting steel from iron ore – removing the impurites � � Long slow expensive process Henry Bessemer in Great Britain and William Kelly in the United States: Developed new process

Steel � � � Bessemer Process: put out more steel in a day than old technology could in a week Production required iron ore – most came from the Iron Range of Minnesota One of the major consumers of steel were the railroads � � Construction Led to countless other inventions Automobile Appliances Etc.

Oil � The development of a process to refine oil also affected industrial practices � Refined crude oil replaced whale oil and could be turned into kerosene � � Eventually – gasoline, diesel fuel and many other products Edwin Drake found oil in Pennsylvania. It was referred to Drake’s Folly. Pumped out 20 barrels a day.

Oil � Led to intense drilling. Black Gold � Elijah Mc. Coy made a significant contribution to the industrial use of oil Invented a lubricating cup that fed oil to parts of a machine while it was running

Transportation � Innovations in the steel and oil industries lead to a surge of new advances in the transportation industry � This lead to a massive expansion in the railroad network � laid the groundwork for air flight and the automobile Workers build the Central Pacific Railroad

Transportation � Made travel more efficient � Closer contact with each other � It allowed isolated regions to link up with the rest of the United States

Railroads � The availability of cheaper steel encouraged railroad companies to lay thousands of miles of new track � This led to a more efficient network of rail transportation � This made it possible to lengthen tracks and make travel a lot less expensive

Railroads � Transcontinental Railroad was completed in 1869 � Central Pacific and Union Pacific Railroads were joined � This would allow for towns to spring up and existing towns to transform into lager cities. The Central Pacific and the Union Pacific Meet at Promontory Point, Utah.

Horseless Carriage � Innovations in oil led to development of motors and the creation of a new mode of transportation � Gasoline powered engine led to the creation of a more practical self propelled vehicle � It was limited however since the only ones to have them were the wealthy 1 st practical automobile - 1893

Airplanes � Internal combustion engine � Dec. 17 th 1903 Orville Wright made the first piloted flight of 12 seconds and 120 feet � This received little public attention � As word spread more people tried their hands in the new technology

Telegraph � Samuel Morse: invented a means of communicating over wires with electricity � Morse � Code Businesses recognized this tool and used it to place orders � Dramatically cut the time necessary to communicate over long distances � Western Union became one of the largest telegraph companies Western Union Telegraph Office

Telephone � Patented by Alexander Graham Bell � “The Talking Telegraph” � One of the greatest marvels � Businesses turned their attention to the telephone and replaced the telegraph

Typewriter Woman with an early typewriter - 1893 � Christopher Sholes in 1867 � Would quickly produce easily legible documents � His design was the first to be marketed � Provided work opportunity for women in typing pools

Edison and Menlo Park � Edison made his mark in electricity, light bulbs, phonographs, and early motion picture cameras. � He went into the invention business full time � Made the promise that he and his crew would deliver an invention every ten days � Over 1, 000 patents Thomas Edison with the 1 st phonograph

BIG BUSINESS

The rise of the Corporation � Business structure � Shares of ownership are sold to raise money for the business Shareholders receive a percentage of the profits through dividends Shareholders have limited liability Very stable as it can last many generations – a corporation does not end when an owner dies

Steel • Carnegie used knowledge of business to reduce production costs. • Vertical Integration – he owned all phases of the steel production process • From ore to the finished product – he controlled the whole process Steel Mill - Ohio Andrew Carnegie

OIL STANDARD OIL TRUST � Rockefeller used horizontal integration – owned all of one part of the production process � � Oil Refining Was able to control the industry because no one else could refine oil John D. Rockefeller

Railroad � Following the civil war, Vanderbilt bought up railroads in the northeast � Used smaller lines to create direct shipping routes between major cities � Owned 4, 500 miles of track and was worth $100, 000 at his death in 1877 Cornelius Vanderbilt

Westinghouse � � Made a fortune in the railroad industry Westinghouse Air Brake Co. � 7000 rail cars were equipped with brakes � He made it possible for trains to carry more as well as travel faster

George Pullman � � � Another successful railroad tycoon Designed railcars to be more comfortable for passengers on longer trips Tried to create a company town � Build a factory and a town around it � Residents grew dissatisfied when he became too controlling Pullman’s sleeping car

Business Controls � People wanted trusts to be outlawed � Trust – a group of companies controlled by one board of directors (created powerful cartels and monopolies) � With no competition the product and prices were not be good for consumers � Sherman Antitrust Act: Outlawed all monopolies and trusts that restrained trade

The New Working Class � Many new workers were immigrants � they came to make a living � to provide dowries for daughters � purchase land � gain work for their sons � African Americans joined them in the workforce � Most of the industries would not offer blacks jobs -they were stuck in the dirtiest and most dangerous jobs

Women and Children � Most women worked because family needed money � The number of children working also increased for the same reason � It wasn’t hard work but it was monotonous because they would do the same thing all day.

Working Conditions � 12 hour shifts 1 -2 dollars a week wages � Dangerous machines – spinning/moving parts � No sick-leave, vacation, unemployment, workman’s compensation � Workers were viewed as part of the machine � � Conditions were worse for unskilled workers Children sorting and tying tobacco

Labor Unions � Labor Union – organization whose purpose is to improve working conditions and pay for its members � Provided one voice in negotiations with management Taylor strike in New York City

The Knights of Labor � Workers wanted a change � Strike – work stoppage in protest of something � Knights of Labor: White male union. Eight hour work day, equal pay for equal work, and an end to child labor. Leadership of the Knights of Labor

Great Upheaval � � � In 1886 the nation experienced a time period of many intense strikes Many of these strikes were violent Haymarket Riot - Chicago � Mc. Cormick Harvesting Machine Company Demand eight hour work day Numerous deaths caused by the strike

American Federation of Labor � New union formed by Samuel Gompers � Worked to advance the interests of skilled workers � Plumbers, pipefitters, machinists, carpenters

Homestead and Pullman Strikes � Workers went on strike in the steel industry. � Guards were hired and the workers would clash with them � Pullman Strike led to people not working and not riding in the trains � Government put a halt to the strike