What sparked the era of unprecedented industrialization?
the Union army’s need of uniforms, supplies, boots, food, wagons, railroads, etc.
extreme population growth between 1860-1900, many immigrants too
expansion of transportation systems: canals, steamboats, railroad, etc.
improved communication: telegraph and later telephone
big business tycoons who created large enterprises, improved efficiency, bought politicians, etc.
What 3 developments sparked the Second Industrial Revolution?
creation of modern transportation that gave factory and farm owners access to national and international markets
creation of electrical power increased the efficiency of machinery and accelerated urban growth by spawning technologies needed to enable trolleys, subways, streetlights, and elevators for taller buildings
the systemic application of scientific research to industrial processes expanded the scope and scale of industrial organizations (ex. refining kerosene and gasoline from crude oil) (industrialists often paid/funded this research)
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What sparked the era of unprecedented industrialization?
the Union army’s need of uniforms, supplies, boots, food, wagons, railroads, etc.
extreme population growth between 1860-1900, many immigrants too
expansion of transportation systems: canals, steamboats, railroad, etc.
improved communication: telegraph and later telephone
big business tycoons who created large enterprises, improved efficiency, bought politicians, etc.
What 3 developments sparked the Second Industrial Revolution?
creation of modern transportation that gave factory and farm owners access to national and international markets
creation of electrical power increased the efficiency of machinery and accelerated urban growth by spawning technologies needed to enable trolleys, subways, streetlights, and elevators for taller buildings
the systemic application of scientific research to industrial processes expanded the scope and scale of industrial organizations (ex. refining kerosene and gasoline from crude oil) (industrialists often paid/funded this research)
Capital-intensive industries
required specialized equipment for mass production
ex. tobacco, processed food, steel, oil
served customers across the nation and around the world
required advanced marketing and advertising
Bonanza Farms
spread across the West
were run like factories under strict supervision
machinery to harvest crops was often operated by migrant workers
Mexicans, Scandinavians, Europeans
they were housed in strict military bunker-like houses
worked 10-13 hrs a day
women would clean, wash, etc.
most popular crops were wheat and corn destined for eastern or foreign markets
Oliver Dalrymple (Wheat King of MN)
first to see the potential of bonanza farming
owned/managed many farms
developed a system for maximizing profit of wheat bonanza farms:
purchased the most efficient machinery
employed workers only when needed
developed systems of feeding and housing workers and livestock at the lowest possible price
What was the connection between the urban industrial sector and agribusiness?
they stimulated each other
agribusinesses used new technologies and scientific methods and became famous for their productivity
Chicago: meatpacking and slaughterhouse capital of the world
Economies of Scale
large business enterprises and huge commercial farms could afford advanced technologies that would increase their productivity
Alexander Graham Bell’s Telephone
1876
started AT&T
by 1881, he had mastered long distance communication via telephone
it was a success
Typewriters and Sewing Machines
because men thought that women had more dexterity in their fingers and were cheap labor, they put them to work on typewriters and sewing machines
working at sewing machines was often exploitive, sweatshops
clerical jobs became the most popular jobs for women outside of the house
Thomas Edison
poor background, no formal education
founded 100+ companies
with 40 assistants, he invented many things
lightbulb
rock crusher
improved telephone
projector
and more
What company controlled many other light bulb companies in 1882?
Edison General Electric Company, later known as General Electric
What was America’s first big business?
railroads
first on wall street
moved things faster and cheaper, spurred the development of cities on the way
created time zones and wristwatches became popular
railroads would transport:
raw materials and finished goods
immigrants looking for homesteads
federal workers sent to suppress Native resistance
building railroads was expensive, so many railroad companies built contracts with investors and gained capital by selling shares of stock to investors
Why was building transcontinental railroads very expensive?
a lot of the West was unpopulated and materials needed to be transported to the remote locations (usually by ship then train)
Congress helped fund the transcontinental railroads through the Pacific Railway Acts of 1862 and 1864
Pacific Railway Act (1862)
context: original construction was delayed bcz of southern and northern congressmen disagreeing on routes
but after they seceded, the pacific railway act 1862 allowed the Union Pacific Railroad and the Central Pacific Railroad to build the railroad coming from opposite sides
workers often cut corners and built stuff cheaply because Congress promised the company that laid the most track in the shortest time would be rewarded more money