Mass Society in an Age of Progress (1871-1894)

Second Industrial Revolution: Transformed industries through innovations in steel, chemicals, electricity, and petroleum.
- Steel: Replaced iron for lighter, smaller, and faster machinery.
- Key Players: Britain was the leader in the 1870s, but Germany surpassed it by 1910, and the U.S. became the top by 1890.
- Chemicals: France and Germany overtook Britain in producing vital chemicals for textiles, soaps, and paper. Germany led in dyestuffs and photographic chemicals.
- Electricity: Revolutionized industries and everyday life. Major developments included:
- 1870s: Practical generators became available.
- 1881: First British public power station established.
- 1910: Introduction of hydroelectric power stations.
- Inventions stimulated by electricity included the light bulb (Edison), the telephone (Bell, 1876), and electric streetcars (Berlin, 1879).
- Internal Combustion Engine: The first engine arrived in 1878, but commercial success relied on the development of liquid fuels like petroleum, pioneered by Gottfried Daimler in 1886.
- Led to innovations like the automobile and the airplane, with Henry Ford's assembly line revolutionizing production in 1916.

Economic Growth: Industrial advances created a surplus, with rising populations and incomes expanding markets.
Growth of department stores met the demand for consumer goods.
Tariffs and Cartels: As competition grew, tariffs were applied to protect domestic markets, and cartels formed to control prices and production.

Focus on efficiency led to larger factories equipped with mechanized tools and transportation.
Emergence of assembly lines and interchangeable parts.
Economic patterns evolved with greater frequency of