The Rise of Industrial Society in America: 1850-1901
Chapter 18 explores the rapid industrial growth in America between 1850 and 1901, highlighting the ideal conditions for entrepreneurship, including an abundance of natural resources, a large labor force, and a significant domestic market. The chapter delves into the impact of railroads, which expanded rapidly, connecting the nation and facilitating commerce while also creating monopolies and competition. Key industrialists like Cornelius Vanderbilt, Andrew Carnegie, and John D. Rockefeller are discussed, along with the labor unrest that led to the formation of unions pushing for better working conditions.
The Rise of Industrial Society in America: 1850-1901
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Presentation Transcript
Chapter 18 The Industrial Society, 1850-1901
Industrial Development • Entrepreneur: • US offered ideal conditions for rapid industrial growth. • Abundance of cheap natural resources, l • Large pools of labor • Largest domestic market in the WORLD • Capital & government support w/o government regulation
Factors that helped build an Industrial Economy • Labor supply from Europe & American FARMS • Inventions • National market • Plentiful $$$ • Favorable government policies • Entrepreneurs
Railroad Empire • Positives of the RR • 1865-1916 laid down over 200,000 miles of track • Saved the federal government 1 billion $$$ X 1850-1945 • Greater speed & safety • Urban life to the country • RR companies were huge consumers AND employers • Building of Trunk lines • Transcontinental RR 1862 -Central & Union Pacific • Negatives of the RR • Monopolies • Fraud & waste connected • Intense competition • Panic of 1893
Empire Builders & Inventions • Cornelius Vanderbilt - railroads • Andrew Carnegie – Steel • J.P. Morgan – Banking then United States Steel • John D. Rockefeller – Oil – Standard Oil Company & Standard Oil Trust • Thomas Edison – telegraph, camera, processed foods, telephone, phonograph, electricity. • Bessemer Process…..
Cornelius Vanderbilt, J.P. Morgan, Andrew Carnegie, John D. Rockefeller
Selling a Product to Wage Earners • Marketing became a tool to sell a product. • Advertising was common • Department stores • Brand names • Mail order catalogs • Wage Earners built the new factory society which included men, women, & children • Skilled & unskilled but skilled white males received a greater share of the prosperity.
Culture of work • The hope of upward mobility was the goal for all factory workers. • Work difficult, long hours, little pay, worked w/ machines and by hand. • Punch the clock
Labor unrest & birth of Labor Unions • American Federation of Labor (AFL) still exists. Pushed for better wages & safer working conditions and did resort to violence to achieve it. • Knights of Labor founded by Samuel Gompers • Opposed use of work strikes • Only skilled workers were members. Women & Blacks not allowed. • Employers applied strict laws to increase supply of product. Lead to more strikes. • REMEMBER the HAYMARKET RIOT!