Industrialization of America: Technology

Industrialization of America: Technology

Introduction

  • Unit six of the AP U.S. History curriculum focuses on the industrialization of America.
  • This video discusses the technological advancements that enabled industrialization.
  • Industrialization refers to the shift in how goods were made, transitioning from local production to mass production for global sale.

The Railroad

  • The railroad was the most significant technological innovation, providing rapid transportation of goods.
  • This facilitated the creation of a national market and mass production and consumption.
  • After the Civil War, railroad mileage increased fivefold.
  • The federal government supported railroad construction through land grants and loan subsidies.
  • The government granted approximately 170,000,000 acres of land to railroad companies.
  • By the end of the century, four new transcontinental railroads were built, connecting:
    • Nebraska to California
    • New Orleans to Los Angeles
    • Kansas City to Los Angeles
    • Minnesota to Washington

Steel Production

  • The Bessemer process, patented by Henry Bessemer in the 1850s, significantly improved steel production.
  • The Bessemer process involves blasting air through molten iron to produce higher-quality steel.
  • This method enabled the production of greater quantities of higher-quality steel.

Natural Resources

  • Greater access to natural resources like coal and oil also played a crucial role.
  • Coal, particularly anthracite coal from Western Pennsylvania, was the primary energy source for factories and locomotives.
  • Later, oil surpassed coal as the main fuel for industry and automobiles.

Communications

  • The expansion of communication technologies facilitated industrial growth.
  • The telegraph, invented by Samuel Morse in 1844, saw significant expansion during this period, enabling rapid communication over long distances.
  • The laying of a transatlantic cable connected America to Europe, creating an international market for goods like coal, oil, steel, and grain.
  • In 1876, Alexander Graham Bell invented the telephone, further enhancing communication.
  • Within a year, Bell founded the Bell Telephone Company, and by 1880, there were approximately 50,000 telephones in America.