The Age of Invention

1. The Age of Invention

2. 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

3. 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

4. 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.

5. 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.

6. Oil • Led to intense drilling. Black Gold • Elijah McCoy 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

7. 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

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

9. 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

10. 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.

11. 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 1st practical automobile - 1893

12. Airplanes • Internal combustion engine • Dec. 17th 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

13. 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

14. 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

15. Typewriter • 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 Woman with an early typewriter - 1893

16. 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 1st phonograph

17. Big Business

18. 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

19. 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

20. 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

21. 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 $100,000,000 at his death in 1877 Cornelius Vanderbilt

22. 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

23. 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

24. 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

25. 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

26. 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.

27. 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

28. 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

29. 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

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

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

33. 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