New Industry

Industrial Boom Transformation from a primarily agricultural nation to an industrial nation Result: By the 1920s, the US was the leading industrial power, producing more than 1/3 of the world’s manufactured goods 3 factors for industrialization: 1.Wealth of natural resources 2.Explosion of inventions 3.Growing urban population

Natural Resources - OIL Black gold Edwin L. Drake used a steam engine to drill for oil in Pennsylvania Oil was transformed into kerosene Gasoline was made during refining process Important use today: gasoline Refining: to reduce to a pure state; to remove impurities or unwanted elements from a substance

Natural Resources - Coal Mined from the ground all over the world Production: ◦ 1870: 33 million tons ◦ 1900: 250 million tons Usage then: heat homes, power railroads and factories Usage today: 86% is burned in the US to produce electricity from power plants

Natural Resources – Iron and Steel Strong, heavy metal that tends to break and rust Removing carbon from iron produces steel The Bessemer Process ◦ Method injects air into molten iron to remove the carbon ◦ By 1880, this method was used to produce 90% of the country’s steel Uses for steel: railroads, bridges, barbed wire, farm machines, sky scrapers