The Expansion of American Industry Chapter 5 Sections 1 & 2 1850-1900
Objectives Describe how advancements in transportation, communication, and electric power affected people & businesses.
Daily life in 1865 Imagine it is 1865… Indoor electric lighting did not exist. The sun dictated the day’s work. No refrigerators. No Internet!!! Long distance communication was slow Up to months before you heard important news. Travel via horseback or Train
Technological Revolution Patent & Trademark Office 1790 -1860 – 36,000 patents issued 1860 – 1890 – 500,000 patents issued Canned food 1810 – used hammer & chisel 1858 can opener finally invented. Rubber band 1845. Balloon 1824 McCormick reaper 1831 horse drawn – wheat. Wrench 1835. Stamp –1837. Grain elevator 1842. TP - 1870
Transcontinental Railroad Rails improved after the Civil War. Stretched from East to Mississippi River Government Involvement Union Pacific - West to Omaha Central Pacific - California – Eastward May 10, 1869 they “Meet in the Middle” Immigrants build the RR
Problems & Solutions RR - Noisy, dirty, uncomfortable Telegraph system Brakes & tracks Time Zones 1883 Shipping Costs Barrel of Flour Chicago – NY $3.45 in 1865 $.68 in 1895 Durand, MI Aug. 06, 1903 Great Wallace Brothers circus train crash
Advancements in Technology Electric Power Thomas Edison Wizard of Menlo Park Phonograph Tinker with Electricity Central Power Station
General Electric George Westinghouse Transformers Move electricity efficiently & cheaply General Electric & Westinghouse Electric formed in 1898. 3,000 power stations 2 million light bulbs Rural areas did not receive electricity for many decades yet to come.
“The REAL McCoy” Elijah McCoy 1843-1929 Born in Canada studied Scotland Michigan Central Railroad Lubricating Cup – continuously oiled the moving parts of factory machinery Invented & sold 57 devices Wanted machines equipped with McCoy’s inventions
The Telegraph Perfected the telegraph Morse Code – Short & long pulses of electrical impulses to represent letters of the alphabet. Western Union 1900 over 900,000 miles of wires. SAMUEL MORSE
Bessemer Process 1856 – Henry Bessemer Steel ~ Mass production by removing impurities. Brooklyn Bridge Symbol of American Success. Complete May 1883 BESSEMER ROEBLING
Free Enterprise Laissez-faire: let people do as they choose. Belief that the government should allow business to operate freely. Is this a good or bad thing?
Free Enterprise Argument for Free Ent. Regulation of business increases the price of items. Free market leads to greater efficiency and products. Arguments Against Government makes money off of taxing. Stop the creation of a monopoly. Monopoly: one company controls a single market.
Entrepreneurs People who risk their own capital to organize and run a business. Government regulations were hardly imposed until after the early 1900’s. Didn’t control wages, hours and prices. Could this lead to problems? Land Grants: Government would give land to companies to build a transcontinental railroad.
Government Tariffs U.S. would raise tariffs on foreign goods. How do you think this would affect American products?
Tariffs By imposing tariffs, the government would hurt American business. Competing countries would increase tariffs. Made products too expensive.
Latest & Greatest You are going to create the next best thing. Create an invention that will be useful to everyone. Why do you feel we need this invention? How much will it cost? Is it believable? Draw a picture & write a description of your invention. You will present your idea.