Rise of Industrialism

2. Rise of Industrialism • End of 19th century, beginning of 20th century U.S. became industrialized • Change in production from hand made to machine made • Industrialization fueled by several key factors • Abundant natural resources (coal, oil, iron ore) • Improved transportation • Population shift from rural to urban centers • Government support • Gave loans to industries • Laissez-faire: “hands off” approach/few regulations • No income tax & high tariffs on imports

4. Invention and Innovation • Spirit of Innovation • 1860-1900 over 676,000 patents to inventions of machines, techniques, and tools • Steel is King • Bessemer process made making steel easier and cheaper • Used in railroad track, skyscraper, bridges • Electricity becomes widespread • Telegraph & telephone • Escalators & elevators • Lamps & generators • Machines Increase Production • Sewing machine • Assembly line

6. Industrial Leaders • Industrialism led to enormous business enterprises • Companies consolidated into massive companies • Companies became wealthy and powerful, so did owners • John Rockefeller: Standard Oil • Andrew Carnegie: Steel • Cornelius Vanderbilt: Railroad • McCormicks: International Harvest Company • J. Piermont Morgan: Banking • Known as “The Gilded Age”

8. Trusts & Corruption • Businesses combined competing companies into large firms called trusts • Owners of trusts manipulated gov’t officials at all levels • Bribed legislators • Little regulation • High tariffs • Municipal governments run by political “machines” & “bosses” that catered to industrial interests

10. Criticism & Defense of Big Business • Many were unhappy with huge gap between wealthy and average american • Material worth of 1% of population greater than the other 99% combined • Business giants argued they had earned their wealth by taking risks in investing their resources • Some wealthy believed in donating large amounts of money

12. Impact of Industrialism • National wealth and income grew significantly • New inventions made life easier • Telephone, automobile, fresh produce, already made clothing, buy property, send kids to college • Most still lived a hard life • No plumbing or electricity, crowded tenements, little to no education • Terrible work conditions • 10-12 hour days 6 days a week • Hot, cramped work areas • Dangerous work conditions & no workers comp • Easy to be replaced • Low pay

14. Change and Discrimination at work • Women, children, minorities, & immigrants were recruited to work • Paid less than white males • Children worked 15 hour days in coal mines, canning factories, tobacco plants, garment factories

16. Organized Labor • As working conditions worsened & income disparity increased workers began forming unions • Wanted better pay • Better hours • Child labor laws • Businesses mounted fierce resistance to Unions • Unions went on Strike to get what they wanted • Often resulted in violence • Over time industries met many union demands • Maximum work hours, Better pay, Workers comp, Child labor laws

18. Progressivism • Consumer Fraud • Industrial Growth brought unfair & unethical business practices • Fooling people into buying things, or misleading consumers • Meatpacking • Extremely unsanitary practices to keep up production • Muckrakers • Group of people who concentrated on exposing ills of society • Wrote articles about political corruption, suppression of minorities, slum conditions, & dishonest business practices • Informed people about what was going on

20. Toll on the Environment • Increase in use of nonrenewable, or polluting fuels • oil • Coal • Natural gas • Mining & Deforestation • Mining was devastating to the environment • Entire forest were cleared for logging • Pollution • Quality of air & water suffered • Environmental Reformers • Wanted to protect the environment • Started Conservation movement • Many National Parks were created