Chapter 17

The New Industrial Age

Industries Expand New Technology The Electric Telegraph

Samuel Morse By 1900 the telegraph network was about

1,000,000 miles long 63 million messages were sent a year

Edison Thomas Alva Edison

The phonograph The motion picture camera The microphone The incandescent light bulb

1879 the incandescent light bulb replaced the arc light because it lasted much longer

Communication takes new forms The Telephone

Alexander Graham Bell The first switchboard was in New Haven,

Connecticut 1878 with 21 subscribers 1880 - 54,000 phones in service 1900 - 1 million Transcontinental talk was achieved in 1915

The Typewriter Invented by Christopher Sholes in 1867

Saw invention as a kid toy Remington Arms Co bought his patent

1870 - women made up 5% of office workers

1900 - women made up 75% of office workers

Why?

Steel Industry William Kelly and Henry Bessemer

created a process that made steel faster and better

Most of the nations steel mills were in Pennsylvania

Most steelworkers were Slavs

Other Resources Iron

1855 Soo Canal opened linking Lake Superior and Lake Huron to ship Iron from UP

Coal Most coal came from Appalachian Mountains Coal production 1870 - 33 million tons Coal production 1900 - 250 million tons

Oil Edwin L. Drake drilled for oil in Pen Used primarily for kerosene lamps

Railroads Connect the Nation 1870 railroads employed 163,000 1900 railroads employed 1 million + Railroads influence time

Each RR company had its own time 1883 time zones came to RR in America This allowed RR to run smoother 1918 Congress made 4 time zones official

in the United States

The Golden Spike The Transcontinental Railroad

Would link coast to coast Lincoln started the plan by signing the

Pacific Railroad Act in 1862 It gave 20 million acres of land to lay tracks Also gave 60 million dollars in federal

money

Laying Tracks Many hardships met the Union Pacific

while laying the tracks west toward California Indian attacks by Sioux and Cheyenne Long waits for supplies of nails, wood,

food, and water Pneumonia and other diseases Drunken brawls that killed workers

Laying Tracks Central Pacific had problems as well Chinese Workers

Worked hard and long hours Received less pay than white workers Had to buy their own supplies

RR Complete The Union Pacific and Central Pacific met at

Promontory Point, Utah on May 10, 1869

Of Course There’s Corruption The Credit Mobilier was a construction

company formed by the Union Pacific They overcharged the government on

the building of the RR They pocketed the extra cash and gave

stock to congressmen, that made them tons of money, so they would not look into their business

The Grange Formed by Oliver Kelley in 1867 Argues RR prices were unfair They claimed that RR’s were public utilities Elected officials that set RR commissions set

price rates Munn v. Illinois the Supreme Court said

Granger Laws were constitutional because they were for the public good

The Interstate Commerce Act Passed in 1877 Required RR to make rates “reasonable

and just” and it established the five member Interstate Commerce Commission (ICC) Prohibited RR from charging more for short

hauls than for long hauls It could only enforce its rules by suing

RR’s, but that could drag on for years

Complex Business Andrew Carnegie

Irish immigrant started with a job that paid $1.20 a week

53 years later he sold his business for 500 million

Self educated man After a job with the RR, he launched

Carnegie Steel Corporation

Carnegie Steel Turned out a better product at a lower

price He purchased all aspects of the steel

making process to lower the price to the consumer, and to make more money

By 1901, he was producing 25% of the nations steel

Robber Barons? John D. Rockefeller

Standard Oil Company Sold low to drive others out of business,

then raised prices sky high Demanded rebates from RR or threatened

to pull his business from them Robber Barons - acted not to improve

their own business, but to destroy others

Congress Acts The Sherman Antitrust Act

“every contract, combination in the form of trust or otherwise, or conspiracy, in restraint of trade…is hereby declared to be illegal.”

Tried to prevent monopolies from forming and hurting the public

It failed to do anything

Horatio Alger Jr. and Social Darwinism Social Darwinism - Some people are

better suited to survive in business, while others are weaker and will not succeed

Alger wrote many books that believed in Social Darwinism His books encouraged people to take

advantage of the Industrial Age