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American History Chapter 14-1. Industry and Railroads. New Developments in the 1800s. Bessemer process : Using a blast of hot air to purify molten iron, converting it into steel. Patented by Englishman Henry Bessemer. Steel was stronger & more pliable than iron.
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American History Chapter 14-1 Industry and Railroads
New Developments in the 1800s • Bessemer process: Using a blast of hot air to purify molten iron, converting it into steel. • Patented by Englishman Henry Bessemer. • Steel was stronger & more pliable than iron. • Effects of producing more steel: • Steel became cheaper to use as a building material. • Turned the U.S. into a modern industrialized economy. • Railroads expanded more quickly. • Could build taller buildings. • Could build bigger bridges.
The Birth of the Oil Industry • 1859 – In Pa., Edwin Drake drilled the first commercial oil well. • Wildcatters: Oil prospectors that began the search for more “black gold.” • 1901 – Spindletop Hill in Texas became the site of an oil boom in the U.S. • Some leading oil companies began in Texas: • Texaco, Exxon Mobil, Gulf Oil.
Growth of Railroads • Pacific Railway Act of 1862 gave land to RR companies to build more RR & telegraph lines. • Cheap steel aided the expansion of RRs. • 1862 – The U.S. Congress authorized the building of the 1sttranscontinental railroad: • The Union Pacific started in Omaha & built to the West. • The Central Pacific started in Sacramento, Ca. & built to the East. • May 10, 1869 they met at Promontory Summit, Utah Terr. • Effects: Promoted trade, provided jobs, & connected the East to the West.
