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C H A P T E R 5 S E C T I O N 1
The Rise of Industry
The Rise of Industry
Big Ideas:
The abundant natural resources from the West allowed for rapid industrial expansion in the US. Entrepreneurs and inventors strived to create improvements to increase productivity and profits.
Large factories with complex machines and armies of workers replaced the small family-owned workshops.
The Rise of Industry
Many Americans left the family farm to work in the factories of the overcrowded industrial cities such as Pittsburgh, Chicago, and New York City.
By 1914 the gross national product (GNP) of the country was 8 times greater than it was at the end of the Civil War.
The Rise of Industry
During the late 1800s, reliance on oil from the ground began to replace the reliance on whale oil.
Edwin Drake drilled the first oil well in Pennsylvania in 1859. By 1900 there were oil
wells from Pennsylvania to Texas.
The oil was used to create kerosene for lamps and stoves.
The Rise of Industry
The large factories needed a large workforce to function.
Bad living conditions in Europe and China encouraged many to emigrate to the US, providing a source of abundant, cheap labor
During the period of 1860 – 1910 the population of the US tripled.
The Rise of Industry
In 1864, Scottish inventor Alexander Graham Bell invented the telephone forever changing how people communicate.
In 1877 Bell created his own phone company, American Telephone & Telegraph (AT&T)
The Rise of Industry
Thomas Edison ran an idea factory where new inventions were produced every month.
His first breakthrough came in 1877 with the invention of the phonograph.
1879 he perfected the electric generator and the light bulb.
He also created his own electric company known as Edison General Electric (GE)
The Rise of Industry
One of the major reasons for the rapid industrial expansion in America was the free enterprise system.
The government took a “hands-off” approach to business also known as laissez-faire.
Supporters of laissez-faire argued that government regulation hurt the economy more than it helped.
The Rise of Industry
The growing economy encouraged people to risk their time & money to start new businesses. These entrepreneurs focused their capital resources in the areas of manufacturing and transportation.
The Rise of Industry
Government was not completely hands-off though.
They take measures to protect American goods from imported items.
The Morrill Tariff greatly increased import duties to protect factory owners, but it hurt farmers who sold their products abroad.
