The Second Industrial Revolution

1. The Second Industrial Revolution

2. The Second Industrial Revolution • As industrialization spread, industrialists competed against each other to goods faster, and with less expense • This competition led to the development of new products and new technologies • The improvements in materials, energy, communication, and transportation that occurred in the late 1800s and early 1900s became known as the “Second Industrial Revolution”

3. Steel • 1855—Henry Bessemer patents a process for making high-quality steel quickly and efficiently • Steel—which is lighter and more durable—replaced Iron as the primary building material in industrial factories

4. Electricity • 1870s—first electric generators developed • Electricity replaces Steam as the primary power source for industrial factories • Easily transferable into other forms of energy—heat, light, motion • Moves easily through wires

5. Revolution in Communication • 1876—first Telephone developed by Alexander Graham Bell • 1901—first Radio waves transmitted across the Atlantic Ocean by Guglielmo Marconi

6. Revolution in Transportation • 1880s—first appearance of Streetcars and Subways in European cities • Oil-powered Internal Combustion Engine gives rise to: • Oil-powered ships • Automobiles (1890s) • Airplanes (1903)

7. Assembly Lines • New method of mass production pioneered by Henry Ford around 1910 • Each laborer performs one specific task, repeatedly, as part of the production process • Products move along a conveyor belt, and are assembled by the workers, one bit at a time • What effect would this have on workers?

8. Urbanization • Throughout the Industrial Age, populations in industrialized areas continued their shift from the country to cities • Rapid Urbanization brought with it a number of problems, including: • Sanitation issues (no garbage service) • Crime (no police departments) • Overcrowding (no decent affordable housing)

9. The Growth of Unions • After the working class Revolutions of 1848 failed to overturn the economic system, workers turned to workplace organizing to press for better pay and conditions • These organizations—Unions—won two important rights: • Collective Bargaining • Right to Strike • Through collective bargaining and strikes, Industrial Age workers eventually gained: • Better pay • Shorter hours—a 10-hour day; and then an 8-hour day • Improved safety • Reformers also pressed governments for improvements for workers, including: • Child Labor laws • Minimum Wage laws

10. Unions (cont’d.) • Workers did not gain better pay and improved conditions easily • Employers fought against worker demands at every step—sometimes violently

11. The Growth of Prosperity • The efforts of unions eventually led to better pay for workers • Industrialists also realized that they needed to pay their workers decent wages so that workers could afford to buy their products • Henry Ford pioneered this idea • Some skilled workers were able to join the growing Middle Class • The wider spread of prosperity led to the growth of consumer culture

12. The Emergence of Mass Culture • Political reform movements eventually led to improvements in urban sanitation and safety • The Middle Class Ideal—the middle class began to grow during the late Industrial Age, and membership became a goal towards which members of the working class strived • The Family Ideal—The nuclear family became the central institution of Middle Class life, with women generally relegated to working in the home • Women’s Rights—in the late 1800s, women began to press for political rights • Public Education—the number of public schools increased dramatically during the late Industrial Age, and laws were passed mandating attendance at primary school (grades 1-6) • Leisure Activities—with shorter work days, people had time for leisure activities such as picnics, Sunday drives, bike rides, and spectator sports