SSUSH11 The student will describe the growth of big business and technological innovations after Reconstruction.

Railroads

Railroads increased the amount of steel being used in two ways- 1. The railroads used steel for their rails. 2. Railroads made it much easier to transport large quantities of the natural resources needed to produce steel (iron, coal), which increased the demand for those products.

Railroads Railroads also reshaped the steel industry (and many others) by developing vertical integration. Railroad owners bought iron mills, coal mines, and factories which produced railroad cars. Railroads helped to spur the “Gilded Age”.

Railroads In 1862 Lincoln signed the Pacific Railway Act which helped create the transcontinental railroad. The railroad connected the east coast to the west coast, opening up settlement in the west. Much of the western portions of the railroad were built by Chinese laborers, specifically brought to the US to work.

Transcontinental railroad Transcontinental railroad helped spur growth by: -increasing the number of markets (places to sell products). -requiring enormous amount raw and finished materials to build and supply the railroad. -providing land for settlement.

John D. Rockefeller Founded Standard Oil Company in To remove competition, Standard Oil bought up oil refineries, so that by 1880 they owned 90% of the refineries in the US, forming a monopoly. To avoid violating state laws, Standard Oil formed a trust, a way of merging and controlling other companies.

John D. Rockefeller Standard Oil was a monopoly controlling all aspects of the oil industry. Standard Oil was broken up by the government in 1911 for being a monopoly. Rockefeller was also a philanthropist.

Thomas Edison Invented the phonograph, light bulb, and the motion picture all in the late 1800s. Created a research lab to develop and perfect his inventions. Electricity eliminated much need for manual labor. How would these inventions have an impact on society?

Questions 1.How did the railroads help big business and the steel industry grow? 2.Why were railroads important in the settling of the west? 3.How was John Rockefeller able to control the oil industry? 4.What were the results on American life that many of Thomas Edison’s inventions had?