Industrial Revelution

John D. Rockefeller

Founder of Standard Oil, he created a monopoly in the oil industry through aggressive business practices. His success led to antitrust laws to prevent monopolies.

Andrew Carnegie

Industrialist and philanthropist who led the expansion of the American steel industry. He believed in the 'Gospel of Wealth,' advocating for the rich to give back to society.

James B. Duke

A key figure in the tobacco industry, he expanded the American Tobacco Company and helped establish Duke University.

Henry Ford

Revolutionized the automobile industry with the assembly line, making cars affordable for the masses. His Model T was a game changer.

Thomas Day

A free African American furniture maker in North Carolina known for his craftsmanship and influence in the antebellum South.

Alexander Graham Bell

Invented the telephone, which transformed communication worldwide.

Thomas Edison

Inventor of the light bulb, phonograph, and motion pictures. His work helped bring electricity to homes and businesses.

Dorothea Dix

Advocate for mental health reform, she fought to improve conditions in asylums and prisons.

Harriet M. Berry

Advocated for better road systems in North Carolina, which helped modernize transportation.

John Muir

Environmentalist who pushed for the creation of national parks. His work led to the formation of Yosemite National Park.

Susan B. Anthony

Leader of the women's suffrage movement, helping push for the 19th Amendment, which granted women the right to vote.

Upton Sinclair

Author of The Jungle, which exposed the horrors of the meatpacking industry and led to food safety laws.

Ida Tarbell

Muckraking journalist who exposed the unethical practices of Standard Oil, contributing to antitrust movements.

Orville and Wilbur Wright

Pioneers of aviation, they successfully flew the first powered airplane in 1903 at Kitty Hawk, NC.

Monopoly

A company that dominates an industry, eliminating competition. Monopolies were common in the late 1800s (e.g., Standard Oil) and led to antitrust laws.

Suffragette

A woman who fought for the right to vote. Leaders like Susan B. Anthony and Elizabeth Cady Stanton played key roles.

Muckraker

Journalists who exposed corruption and social injustices during the Industrial Revolution. Examples: Upton Sinclair (The Jungle), Ida Tarbell (Standard Oil).

Tenement

Overcrowded and poorly built apartment buildings where many immigrants and factory workers lived in cities.

Sharecropping

A system where farmers (mostly former slaves and poor whites) rented land and paid with a portion of their crops, often keeping them in debt.

Jim Crow Laws

State laws enforcing racial segregation in the South, restricting African American rights and freedoms.

Sherman Anti-Trust Act (1890)

The first federal law to limit monopolies and trusts, making it illegal to interfere with free trade.

19th Amendment (1920)

Gave women the right to vote after decades of activism by suffragettes.

Plessy v. Ferguson (1896) / 'Separate but Equal'

Supreme Court case that upheld racial segregation, ruling that facilities could be 'separate but equal.' This decision legitimized Jim Crow laws.

African-American Voting Limitations

Poll taxes, literacy tests, and grandfather clauses were used to prevent Black citizens from voting despite the 15th Amendment.

Development of Railroads

Railroads expanded transportation, connecting cities, enabling westward expansion, and boosting industries like steel and coal.

Migration to Cities

Many people, especially immigrants and rural workers, moved to cities seeking factory jobs. This led to urbanization but also overcrowding and poor living conditions.

Factory Working Conditions

Often dangerous, with long hours, low pay, and unsafe environments. Led to labor unions and worker protections.

NC Industries - 'Big 3'

North Carolina's major industries during the Industrial Revolution: Tobacco (Duke family, American Tobacco Company), Textiles (textile mills producing fabric), Furniture (North Carolina became a furniture production hub).

Tobacco and Textiles

Two of the biggest industries in the South, with North Carolina playing a key role in both.

Biltmore Estate

Built by George Vanderbilt in Asheville, NC, it showcased the wealth of the Gilded Age and remains the largest privately-owned home in the U.S.