Industrialization America forever changed

Modernizing America America was on a new horizon – Before this time America was vastly different than today's society

Life before industrialization There were no phones Cars No indoor electricity No refrigeration Communication was slow Standard of living was ok – It was fairly low in some areas

Industrialization However, times begin to change in America – With new inventions and increase in technology, America would change from a good place to live, to the best place to live in terms of GDP (Gross domestic product)

Things that changed peoples lives Transcontinental railroad Telegraph (communication) – Phone Electricity (light bulb ETC.) Steel Use of Oil

Newest revolution technology In 1860 – Only 36K patents issued to invent, use and sell an item – In the standard of living in many places (SOUTH) was very low By 1890 and 1900 – Over 500K patents issued – The standard of life in the United States was higher than any place in the world

Compare and contrast

Tech. –Railroad Transcontinental railroad Increased the standard of living for the people of the west Speedy travel

Railroad negatives Dangerous terrible construction practices – Iron and wood Early trial and error—uncomfortable rides Trains caused America to develop their time zones (Eastern, Central, Mountain, Pacific)

Tech – Communication Telegraph – perfected by Samuel Morse – Was first way to send electrical messages (20 th century texts!) – Companies like Western Union laid 100,000’s of telegraph cable. Almost a million by 1900

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Tech – Communication Telephone – (The most important thing a majority of you!!) Created by Alexander Graham Bell in 1876 Founded AT&T First words spoken on a phone – “Come here, Watson, I want you” k8

Thomas Edison The man of a thousand of inventions – Know for the inventions of the phonograph and motion capturing device – Most known however for the Light bulb He improved a design for the light bulb In 1880 the bulb changed the modern world Why?

Steel Andrew Carnegie – owner and contributor to steel in America – Met a English man named Henry Bessemer – Had developed a new strategy for making cheap good steel – Called the Bessemer process

Process.. Air burns out carbon from steel howstuffworks-show-episode-12- creating-steel-video.htm

Impact of steel Trains were improved Cities changed forever – Brought rise to the vertical cities – Sky scrapers

Electricity By 1885, electricity had become more accessible – Street lamps – Refrigerators – Machine lines – mass production of things such as clothing

Beginning of Big Business With the expansion of electricity and steel business practices in America began to change – Combinations of all the small businesses combined to form large companies

Two views 1 st – Robber Barons – these businessmen were viewed as “robbers” – They stole from the public by eliminating competition so they could jack up the prices

- 2 nd –Captains of Industry – These were the positive business leaders – Viewed as someone who helped their country in a very positive fashion – Creating new ways to improve quantity of goods

Money makers Carnegie, Rockefeller, Vanderbilt Steel, Oil, railroad Three of the richest men in American history

Andrew Carnegie Lived in Pittsburg Worked for the rail road in 65 – made 50K Started his own steel company four years later Created a monopoly on the steel company – Would be worth nearly 300 billion in 2007 – Bill gates is worth 59 billion…

Continued Gospel of wealth – People should give away some wealth – Gave away 350 million by his death

Rockefeller He created a monopoly on standard Oil – Formed his own company in 1863 – Was a cut throat businessman – Created a trust What do you think a trust is?

Continued He has a net worth around 310 billion dollars Tiger woods earnings X 310

Cornelius Vanderbilt He had a major hand in the rail road – He gained considerable wealth from the rail roads – He is the namesake of Vanderbilt University

Continued His net worth today would be around 178 billion dollars 3X as much as bill gates

The big three Between the three men, their value today would be a staggering – 788 billion dollars – Fifteen times as much money as Bill gates has today

Creation of new jobs With all these innovations, thousands of jobs were created – Between the end of the civil war and million immigrants came to America looking for jobs More than half of these moved into cities – Why the cities?

Sherman anti-trust act outlawed any combination of company or business act that would in return –create a monopoly – Was never enforced however

Child Labor There were no restrictions on who could work at this time… – hour shifts – Tiny hands could fit into hard to reach places – Awful working conditions Toxic fumes and smoke

The work place Description of your new job! – Working hours – 12 to 14 hours – Paid by production You DO NOT get paid by the hour – To Women – you have 0% chance to advance to higher paying jobs » Would you take this job?

Work conditions During the late 1800’s there were more than 600 deaths a week at the work place NO – Sick days – Vacation – Overtime – Unemployment women's wages were around 260 dollars a year, a mans would be around 490 dollars.

Labor Strikes What is a Labor Union? – Late 1800’s –wanted better conditions for the workers, as well as a higher wage – Wanted to reduce the work day – Knights of Labor – formed in 1869, planned to Unite all workers –failure

Labor unions American Federation Founded in 1886 Organized for only skilled workers Industrial workers of the world “Wobblies” Opposed the AF Was put together for the unskilled workers

The strikes Railroad strike of 1877 Haymarket Riot Homestead Strike Pullman Strike

Railroad strike 1 st major work strike in America Railroad companies cut wages Violence occurs Army brought in to end the riot – In 20 years there are over 24K strikes

Haymarket Strike Workers wanted an 8 hour work day Fight broke out between workers and scabs – Scabs are workers who are brought in during a strike Bomb was thrown – 7 killed – Lead to a huge riot

Strikes Homestead Strike – Caused from Carnegie steel cutting prices People die as a result of riots Pullman strikes – Last of the great strikes – George pullman cuts wages by 25%

Strikes 120K railroad workers eventually joined the strike Fed government had to intervene and get involved on strikes and working conditions

Employers views of strikes Hate unions and the strikes – Forbid union meetings – Wouldn’t recognize unions – Forced new workers to promise not to join a union – Firing anyone involved in a union