AP WH 5.5 Technology of the Industrial Age
first Industrial Revolution from 1750-1830
mainly confined to Great Britain
coal was the main fuel
burned hotter than wood
main engine was the steam engine
developed and improved by British scientist James Watt in the 18th century
burned coal to boil water to create steam to turn a turbine
the chief effect of the adoption of the steam engine is that factory machines no longer had to be powered by rapidly moving water in streams, which meant factories could be built anywhere, which became a chief reason for the rapid spread of the factory system
also used to power locomotives which ran along railroads which became a significant means of transporting mass-produced goods to markets quickly
steamships also fitted with steam engines which increased the efficiency with which products could be sold
many ports around the world developed coaling stations for ships to refuel
with the opening of the Suez Canal in 1869, the distance from Europe to Asia shortened significantly, which led to the multiplication of steamships and the rapid expansion of trade
second Industrial Revolution from 1870-1914
spread beyond Britain to some places in Europe, the United States, Russia, and Japan
in the 19th century, oil was harnessed
methods developed to refine oil into products like gasoline
both coal and oil dramatically increased the amount of energy available to humans during this period even if it came with significant environmental costs like air pollution
internal combustion engine was developed to harness the energy of gasoline
smaller and more efficient than the steam engine
eventually powered the automobile
widespread development of steel as the main building material for industrialization
iron used in the first Industrial Revolution
the Bessemer Process combined iron with carbon and blaster hot air into it
the steel that emerged from the Bessemer Process was far stronger and more versatile than iron alone
steel became cheaper to produce so steel became the preferred building material for constructing bridges, railroads, and ships
chemical engineering
synthetic dyes were developed for textiles
cheaper than the organic dyes used in the first Revolution
vulcanization was a process developed to make rubber harder and more durable
rubber was widely used in factories to make belts for machines and later, tires for automobiles
rise of electricity
Thomas Edison harnessed electricity to power lightbulbs
lit factories and homes
electric streetcars and subways were developed to provide mass transit in major cities that were becoming large and complex
Samuel Morse developed the telegraph in the 1840s
able to communicate across wires to distant places with the use of short and long electrical signals which became known as Morse Code
in the 1870s, a telegraph wire was laid across the Atlantic Ocean connecting Britain with the United States, which further developed these two industrial powers’ economies
effects of new technology
development of interior regions
for much of human history, the most developed cities and states were located in coastal areas because that’s where most of the trade and interaction happened
with the expansion of railroads, including several transcontinental railroads in places like the United States and Russia, new settlements were developed in places that were previously much more difficult to reach
the telegraph made instant communication possible across great distances which enabled manufacturers to gain almost real-time intelligence on market conditions in distant places
led to increased production, sales, and wealth
increase in trade and migration
global trade multiplied by a factor of ten between 1850 and 1913
as a result, states across the world were becoming more closely interlinked into a global economy
new transportation technologies like railroads and steamships facilitated a massive spike in migration
by the mid-19th century, a little more than half of Europe’s population had migrated from rural areas to urban manufacturing centers in search of jobs
various factors like famine and political instability in the late 19th century caused nearly 20% of Europe’s population to then migrate to the America, Australia, or South Africa