The Yeoman The Yeoman FarmerFarmer Ideal of the Ideal of the

Jeffersonian Jeffersonian RepublicRepublic

Independent farmer Independent farmer beholden to no beholden to no bossboss

Owned his own land Owned his own land (were some women (were some women farmers, but not farmers, but not celebrated like the celebrated like the men)men)Did not work for Did not work for wages: Wage wages: Wage Slavery seen as a Slavery seen as a type of dependency type of dependency and weaknessand weaknessTo Jefferson, only To Jefferson, only the independent the independent man could be a man could be a reliable citizen of a reliable citizen of a democracydemocracy

Pittsburgh, PA, factories c. 1850

Southern Cotton Fields c. 1850

Philadelphia Centennial Exposition, 1876

Philadelphia Centennial Exposition, 1876

Memorial Hall

Agricultural Hall, exterior and interior

Machinery Hall

U.S. made cannons on display outside the Machinery Hall

Corliss Steam Engine in the “Machinery Hall” of the Philadelphia Fair, 1876:

•1400 horsepower

•1.7 million lbs

American IndustrializationAmerican Industrialization

Antebellum period, U.S. a nation of small Antebellum period, U.S. a nation of small farmers and shopkeepers scattered over farmers and shopkeepers scattered over large arealarge area

After the war, nation becomes increasingly After the war, nation becomes increasingly centralized, urbanized, and interlinkedcentralized, urbanized, and interlinked

Lincoln president of a rural agrarian Lincoln president of a rural agrarian republic; Teddy Roosevelt will be republic; Teddy Roosevelt will be president of an urban industrial republicpresident of an urban industrial republic

American IndustrializationAmerican Industrialization

Shift from artisans and local small manufacturing to the Shift from artisans and local small manufacturing to the Factory SystemFactory System

Make more and more materials of everyday lifeMake more and more materials of everyday life Increasing numbers of Americans work for wages in factoriesIncreasing numbers of Americans work for wages in factories

Exploitation of abundant natural resources of the nationExploitation of abundant natural resources of the nation—especially the American West—especially the American West

Discover vast reserves of copper in Montana, for exampleDiscover vast reserves of copper in Montana, for example

1870: Agricultural production surpasses industrial 1870: Agricultural production surpasses industrial production by $500 millionproduction by $500 million

By 1900, industrial output has quadrupled and surpasses By 1900, industrial output has quadrupled and surpasses agriculture by $5 billionagriculture by $5 billion

Population booms, doubles between 1865-1901, approx. Population booms, doubles between 1865-1901, approx. 38 million to 77 million38 million to 77 million

Crowded dirty streets of the New York City ghettoes, c. 1900

John Gast, American Progress, 1872

Thomas Edison with early phonograph, 1878

Thomas Edison at age 14

Telegraph operators for the Northern Pacific Railway, c. 1905

New York City, c. 1880

Edison’s ticker tape invention, 1869

Edison’s Menlo Park, New Jersey, Laboratory, c. 1885

Original Edison phonograph, 1877

Edison’s 1879 Light bulb

Nikola Tesla with his massive Tesla Coil

George Westinghouse

The Edison-backed AC electric chair

Illustrations of the Edison Kinetoscope

Pennsylvania Coke Company with Railroads, c. 1880

Creation U.S. RailroadsCreation U.S. Railroads

First U.S. trains built in 1830sFirst U.S. trains built in 1830s Small, locally operated, inefficientSmall, locally operated, inefficient Prone to accidents and breakdownsProne to accidents and breakdowns Transport very inefficienct: All have different gauges Transport very inefficienct: All have different gauges

and demand repeated transfersand demand repeated transfers

Wide desire for a Transcontinental lineWide desire for a Transcontinental line Far too costly for any existing railroad company to Far too costly for any existing railroad company to

buildbuild

Federal government build?Federal government build? No, subsidize private companies with land grantsNo, subsidize private companies with land grants

•U.S. gives private companies 200-400 acres of public land for every mile of track built

•Railroads become second largest land holders in the American West

Completion of the Union-Pacific Transcontinental railroad, 1869

Union Pacific Locomotive

Rationalization of American RRsRationalization of American RRs

One option: Government ownership and controlOne option: Government ownership and controlInstead, allow and essentially encourage private Instead, allow and essentially encourage private consolidation—consolidation—decreasedecrease in competition in competitionLeads to creation of first modern corporations, heavily Leads to creation of first modern corporations, heavily capitalized by large public stock salescapitalized by large public stock salesMassive consolidation of industryMassive consolidation of industry

1870: Several hundred railroads1870: Several hundred railroads 1900: Seven railroad corporations1900: Seven railroad corporations

Demands of efficient operations increasingly Demands of efficient operations increasingly incorporates Americans in the railroad system:incorporates Americans in the railroad system:

Workers linked into a bureaucratic hierarchyWorkers linked into a bureaucratic hierarchy Distant farmers depend on for access to urban marketsDistant farmers depend on for access to urban markets All Americans become part of the Railroad time zones created in All Americans become part of the Railroad time zones created in

18831883

Industrialization and Industrialization and Corporations:Corporations:

Large corporations needed to create Large corporations needed to create industrial systems of electricity and railroadsindustrial systems of electricity and railroads

Americans increasingly “incorporated” into Americans increasingly “incorporated” into these systemsthese systems Dependent on railroad timeDependent on railroad time Farmers need for shippingFarmers need for shipping Growing number of people work for big businessGrowing number of people work for big business

Corporations becoming very powerful, Corporations becoming very powerful, perhaps as much so as the Governmentperhaps as much so as the Government The Big QuestionThe Big Question: Is this a threat to democracy?: Is this a threat to democracy?

Questions?Questions?