American History Chapter 15 Section 1

The Industrial Revolution Industry is any business activity including manufacturing, trade, agriculture and transportation. From 1865 to 1905, the U.S. experienced a huge industrial growth. This time period is known as the American industrial revolution, or 2nd industrial revolution. This revolution was caused by advances with steel and petroleum.

Steel In 1850, Henry Bessemer of Britain developed a new way to make steel using a “Bessemer Converter.” This new method burned off all impurities in molten iron with a hot blast of air. The Bessemer Process was the new method of steel making that was cheaper and more effective.

Bessemer Converter

Bessermer Converter at Station Square in Pittsburgh, PA

Steel The steel makers could now produce in a day what used to take a week. In 1865, the U.S. made 15,000 tons of steel. In 1910, the U.S. made over 28 million tons of steel. Steel became an important commodity in the United States. New towns became booming cities, like Pittsburgh, Cleveland, and Gary Indiana.

Steel These cities lied along bodies of water, which allowed for easy transportation of iron, coal, and steel. Steel wasn’t the only important industry. Coal mining also became more important, as the coal was used as a fuel source in the process of steel making. Because it could be made more cheaply, steel was used in new ways. Steel was used in bridges, buildings, etc. Steel led to the development of skyscrapers.

Steel The steel beams allowed for stronger frames to be built, and thus large buildings. Prior to this, most buildings were made of stone, concrete, or other masonry products. Steel and skyscrapers changed the direction in which cities grew. New York World Building, built 1889

Here, a worker helps build the Empire State Building in 1930 Here, a worker helps build the Empire State Building in 1930. The Chrysler building is in the background

Oil Oil was another industry that grew at this time. New refining methods were developed. They learned how to make kerosene from crude oil, which was used as fuel for heat or light.

Oil Some people got rich from Oil advancemnts. Edwin L. Drake used a new steam-powered drill in Titusville, Pennsylvania in 1859, to produce oil. This was known as “Drakes Folly” because most thought he was wasting his time. His drill was successful and he began producing oil faster than anyone else.

Oil Prospectors called oil “black gold.” The oil rush was a lot like the gold rush in the west. Drake revolutionized the oil industry.

Oil Refiners developed other petroleum products that increased the uses of oil. Oil would help machines stay cool and run smoothly. Elijah McCoy invented a cup that fed oil to parts of a machine while it was running. He got a patent for this invention.

Transportation The steel and oil industries led to improved transportation. The cheap steel allowed the railroads to thrive. Because the Bessemer process increased the amount of steel, the price of steel dropped. This encouraged rail companies to lay miles and miles of new track.

Transportation Now, there were long stretches of rail, that directly tied cities like New York and Chicago. The transcontinental railroad which ran from Omaha, Nebraska, to the Pacific Ocean, was finished in 1869.

Transcontinental Railroad’s “Golden Spike” in Utah

Transportation Cities began to grow around the rail lines. Many jobs were created by the increased railways. Companies could now sell their products nationally.

Transportation The horseless carriage was a self-propelled vehicle that eventually led to the automobile. It was still very expensive and only the wealthy owned these carriages.

Transportation Using small gasoline engines, planes were invented. Orville and Wilbur Wright, of Dayton, OH developed a working airplane that flew on December 17, 1903 at Kitty Hawk N.C. Their first flight only lasted 12 seconds. They were the first in flight.

The first flight: Dec. 17, 1903

Wright Brothers Orville Wright Wilbur Wright

Communication The Telegraph was an invention that allowed communication over wires with electricity. It was developed by Samuel Morse, who developed Morse Code. It used a dot-dash code. This allowed businesses to communicate over great distances much more efficiently.

Communication Alexander Graham Bell developed the telephone in 1876. It was called the “talking telegraph.” His telephone company would eventually be “American Telephone and Telegraph.” To use these early phones, an operator had to connect you.

Other Advances Thomas Edison was a pioneer of communications technology, who made advances in electricity, lightbulbs, phonographs, and motion picture cameras.

Other Advances Edison was true to his promise. When he died, he held over 1,000 patents. His assistant is responsible for many of his inventions. Lewis Latimer was Edison’s assistant who made many contributions to his inventions. The lightbulb, plane, typewriter, oil, steel, etc are all still in use today.