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The
Industrial
Revolution
By Brad Harris,
Grand Prairie HSSE: US 3B, 3C, 24B
An_Introduction_to_the_American_Industrial_Revolution
Grover ClevelandChester A. Arthur Benjamin HarrisonJames Garfield
During the Gilded Age, it can be argued that the President of the United States had less power than the business leaders
The policies and actions of the U.S. government during the Gilded Age gave large corporations the freedom to do most whatever it wanted, leading to an industrial boom in the U.S.
Free Enterprise SystemThe free
enterprise system
is the economic
system in which
citizens are free to
run a business the
way they want
The system is based on the
laissez-faire theory, meaning a
business will succeed or fail and
the government will not interfere
The free enterprise system allowed the United States
to become a world industrial giant in the late 1800s
and led to numerous new inventions
Free Enterprise System
Bell develops telephoneThe free enterprise system
helped to lead to new inventions
by private businesses. One of
the most dramatic inventions of
the late 1800s was in the field of
communications.
In 1876, Alexander Graham Bell developed
the first telephone, which revolutionized
communication by increasing the scale and
speed of nationwide communications.
"Mr. Watson -- come here -- I want to see you."
Edison and the Light BulbIn 1879, American inventor Thomas
Edison developed the first light bulb.
The invention led to the wide spread
use of electrical power and factories
being able to run at night.
Edison is considered one of the most
prolific inventors in history, holding
1,093 U.S. patents in his name.
This in turn produced
more jobs and more
product, which led to
lower prices.
Innovations_of_the_Gilded_Age
The Bessemer Process
The Bessemer process was the first inexpensive
industrial process for the mass-production of steel.
By the late 1880s an immigrant by the name of Andrew
Carnegie used this process to become a millionaire
Entrepreneurs & Industrialists like Cornelius Vanderbilt, Andrew Carnegie, John D. Rockefeller and J.P. Morgan were
able to build great fortunes during the Gilded Age
Captains of Industry
The government created policies to support the industrialists• High tariffs led to lower prices for American made goods
• There were very few government regulations on big business• Government supported owners over workers in labor disputes
Oil
John D. Rockefeller
Steel
Andrew Carnegie
Railroads
Cornelius Vanderbilt J.P. Morgan
Banking
Big_Business__Rockefeller__Carnegie
Captains of Industry …
…or Robber Barons?
Carnegie Mansion
Vanderbilt Chateau
The Gospel of WealthMany Christians rejected
Social Darwinism because
it contradicted the Bible
Many believed that those who profited
from society owed something in return.
This philosophy of giving back to society
became known as the Gospel of Wealth.
The Captain of Industry who most
believed in the Gospel of Wealth was
Andrew Carnegie, who gave millions
of dollars to numerous charities
©CSCOPE 2008 18
During the Gilded Age, the U.S. economy went through periods
of growth and depressions, due to tariff and currency policies
1870-1900
Major depressions occurred in 1873 and 1893
Farmers were especially hard hit. Since the U.S. put high tariffs
on imports, Europe refused to buy our agricultural products
©CSCOPE 2008 20
While wealth and affluence were
growing and the middle class was
rising, the number of poor were also
growing
The poor (immigrants,
minorities, unskilled laborers) flooded to the cities looking for work in
the factories
Farmers were greatly impacted by increased production (which seems like a good thing), but it drove prices down.
“Rags to Riches”Immigrants came to America with the
hope they could become rich and
successful if they worked hard enough
Novelist Horatio Alger
wrote stories where the
main character went
from “rags to riches.”
The belief that people who worked hard
could raise their standard of living was
known as “Individualism”
Rich Uncle Pennybags
Going from “rags to riches” became known as achieving “The American Dream”
Social DarwinismNot everyone was able to achieve the American Dream
Many people ended up broke trying to achieve wealth
The belief that things that can not adapt to their environment
will eventually die out is known as Social Darwinism
“Survival of the fittest”
Survival_Theories__Social_Darwinism_and_Eugenics_
Coming
Up Next…
Immigration during
the Gilded Age