Where are We? The United States 1870 - 1900

How the Industrial Revolution Changed America

Drastic Changes in Production 1860 – US behind GB, France, and Germany in production  by 1900 we out produced all 3 combined.

Coal Production Coal was produced at 33 million tons in 1870 In 1900, 250 million tons was being produced. What is coal used for?

Steel Steel production in 1867 was 1,643 tons. By 1897, production increased to 7,156, 957. By the end of the century, the US had outstripped both Germany and GB in steel production. What does this MEAN? “Hell with the lid off,” was an apt description of Pittsburgh during its peak decades of industrial production. Each month the steam boilers and furnaces of its industries, railroads, and homes dumped 100 tons of pollutants on its streets.

Railroad trackage increased from… 30,000 miles in 1860 52,000 miles in 1870 93,000 miles in 1880 163,000 miles in 1890 193,000 miles in 1900

Railroad trackage increased from… 52,922 miles of rail in 1870 to 193,346 miles of rail by 1900 Railroads were to dominate American life for one hundred years. What does this Mean?

Percentage of Population Location 1860-1900

Shifts in U.S. Labor Force 1860-1900

Between 1790 and 1860, the Federal Government issued 36,000 patents… Between 1860 and 1890, they issued 500,000!

New Inventions Phonographs Sewing Machines Typewriters Automobiles In 1877, Thomas Edison announced the invention of his Phonograph by which sound could be recorded mechanically on a tinfoil cylinder. Phonographs Sewing Machines Typewriters Automobiles Electricity Light Bulbs Telephone

Indoor Electric lighting did not exist in 1865… By 1898, nearly 3,000 power stations were lighting some 2 million light bulbs across America What does this Mean?

By 1900, 1.5 million telephones were in use January 28, 1878 the first commercial telephone exchange began serving only 21 customers By 1900, 1.5 million telephones were in use What does this Mean?

Where does this lead us? Brainstorm with a group what could happen with all these changes in a drastic amount of time. Keep in mind: workers, business owners, government, farmers, immigrants, city-dwellers.

UNIT 1 The Industrial Revolution New Business Strategies Big Business Tycoons The Laboring Class Capitalism vs. Socialism The Progressive Solution - Muckrakers - The Square Deal - A New Role for Government