Social Studies Chpt. 4

Matthais Baldwin

Built the first American steam train which moved at a terrifying speed of 16miles pr hr.

Clara Barton

Rushed the American Red Cross to the Johnstone flood site.

Henry Bessemer

Invented a new process of blasting air through molten iron, which removed the unwanted impurities. Known as the Bessemer steel process, it was know possible to mass-produce high-quality steel at a much cheaper price.

Andrew Carnegie

Perceived that huge profits could be gained by investing steel. He learned about the bessemer process for making steel. He incorporated this process into a steel factory he had built in pittsburgh, the largest mill of its time. His company grew into the Carnegie steel company.

Eugene Debs

Leader of the American railway union and cofounder of the IWW.

Edwin Drake

Solved a way to get oil out of the ground. He launched the modern petroleum industry by being the first person to drill a successful oil well.

Samuel Gompers

Was elected president of the Federation at its founding convention and served as its president for 37 years.

Elias Howe

Invented the sewing machine.

Eli Janney

Created the knuckle coupler which secured the cars on trains.

Mary Harris Jones

An instrumental speaker and organizer who worked with several of the major unions. She helped coordinate major strikes and cofounded the Industrial workers of the world.

Saumel Kier

Built our nations first Refinery in Pittsburgh to produce kerosene.

Terence Powderly

Leader of the Knights of labor

George Pullman

Became a wealthy industrialist by designing more comfortable sleeper cars for the railroads. Hired African Americans, known as Pullmans porters, to provide first class service.

John D. Rockefeller

Earned the nickname king of oil. Invested heavily in a new industry called oil refining. He named his business the Standard oil company.

Cornelius Vanderbilt

Nicknamed Commodore, became one of the richest man in america. He controlled the shipping industry, gaining wealth from shipping and railroads.

Alexander Bell

Invented the telephone.

Thomas Edison

Had complied an astounding 1093 patents in electricity, telegraph, phonograph, telephone, and storage batteries. Built a crude research laboratory and machine shop, probably the first in the country.

Henry Ford & Ransome Olds

Created the idea of an assembly line in the detroit area.

Mack Brothers

Founded Mack Trucks.

Samuel Morse

Co developed the telegraph, his system was simpler and easier to use.

John Pitcairn & John Ford

Established the glass industry.

John Roebling

Devised a method for twisting 7 strands of wire together, which he called wire rope. He used his invention to build aqueducts and suspension bridges.

Gustavus Swift

revolutionized the meat packing industry with the idea of a refrigerated railroad car.

Wright Brothers

Inventors of the airplanes.

Laissez-faire policy

The U.S. government maintained a non-intervention policy. Because of the Policy steel and railroad companies became extremely large. Even though they were created to improve the efficiency and organization of the company, they were soon referred to as monopolies because they controlled all aspects of production that affected the price of the product.

J.P. Morgan steel company

A banking firm that John Pierpont Morgan established. He purchased Carnegies company in 1901 and reorganized it into the U.S Steel Corporation, which became at the time the largest corporation and steel producer in the world.

Process Carnegie use to make steel

Bessemer Steel Process

Molly Maguires

Threatened mine owners and work supervisors and were not opposed to violence.

Sherman Anti-trust Act of 1890

The response to the public outcry of monopolistic companies, and was the first law of its kind. It took a while to implement the law. President Mckiney launched the trust busting era, wich was vigorously seized upon Theodore Roosevelt.

Most important freight carried by Railroads

Coal.

Assembly Line

Cut the costs of cars, the idea was created by Henry Ford.

Centennial Exhibition

Celebrated our nations 100 years of independence by showing off these new inventions. The main attraction was the Hall of Machinery.

Kinetoscope

A device that shows the pictures, created by thomas edison.

Explain Age of Big Business

The industries of our country grew so rapidly. The successful business people who became very wealthy were known as industrialists. If they achieved their wealth through no hard work they were called robber barons. If they used their wealth for good they were called captains of industry.