Industrialization in the United States

The Rise of Industry in the United States(1860s-1900s)

“The Rise of Industry”

After the Civil War (1865) the U.S. economy was based on agriculture…

By 1920, the U.S. was the leading industrial power in the world!

Enormous growth was due to 3 factors… 1. Natural Resources

2. New Inventions, Technology

3. Support from the GOVT

1. An Abundance of Natural Resources

MAIN IDEA: Natural resources and a large labor force allowed the United States to industrialize rapidly.

What natural resources were abundant in the United States?

Why is it important that these resources were IN the United

Sates?

Drake Discovers “BLACK GOLD”

1859, Edwin Drake used a steam engine to drill for crude oil (petroleum)

This breakthrough started an oil boom in the Midwest and later Southwest…

At first the process was limited to transforming the oil into kerosene and throwing out the gasoline – a by-product of the process…

Iron just wasn’t cutting it…

Henry Bessemer started playing around with military technology…

Developed the Bessemer Process!

BESSEMER STEEL PROCESS

When you remove the carbon from iron, the result is a lighter, more flexible and rust resistant compound… Steel!– Bessemer process

Importance of Bessemer

Decreased cost Increased speed and

ease of production…– Mass production

Expanded the market for Steel…

Allowed for larger and more powerful machines…

NEW USES FOR STEEL

The railroads, with thousands of miles of track, were the biggest customers for steel… – Barbed wire, farm

equipment, bridge construction, and the first skyscrapers.

Brooklyn Bridge, 1888 – 1,595 ft.

2. New Inventions and the Development of Technology MAIN IDEA: New inventions spurred

economic and industrial development.

Edison, Westinghouse and ELECTRICITY

vs.

THE TYPEWRITER

Christopher Sholes invented the typewriter in 1867…

His invention forever affected office work and paperwork… – WHO did it effect the

most?

1870: _________ 5% of workforce…

1910: ______40% of workforce…

THE TELEPHONE

1876, Alexander Graham Bell and Thomas Watson unveiled the telephone… – 1877, Bell Telephone

Company = American Telephone & Telegraph Company (AT&T)

MAIN IDEA: Laissez-faire economics promoted industrialization and tariffs protected American companies from foreign competition.

3. Free Enterprise Allowed for Massive Economic Growth

“Laissez-faire” Economics

Following the Civil War, the government took a “hands-off” approach (for

the most part) to business throughout the country.– Laissez-faire

There were barely any Economic regulations AND Social regulations (for

the most part) on corporations throughout the country. – Left to state governments

Post-Civil War Economics

“Laissez-faire” Economics and Protectionism

On top of a Laissez-faire approach to the economy, the Republican dominated Federal Government practiced protectionism…– Morrill Tariff, 1861

Are tariffs good or bad? Why? Explain. – North v. South– Republican v. Democrat