The Industrial Revolution
1850-1900
License to make, use, or sell an invention
1790-1860 36,000 issued
1860-1890 500,000 issued
No indoor electric lights
No refrigeration
In 1860, most mail from the East Coast took ten days to reach the Midwest and three weeks to get to the West Coast. A letter from Europe to a person on the frontier could take several months to reach its destination.
Power stations across the country began providing electricity for lamps, fans, printing presses, and many other appliances.
Drilling for Oil Needed for
factories to run efficiently
Drilling was quicker. cheaper, and created a much larger supply than digging ditches or melting animal fat
Invented by Samuel F. B. Morse
Invented by Alexander Graham Bell
By 1900, there were 1.5 million telephones in use all over the country, and Western Union Telegraph was sending roughly 63 million messages.
Setup research lab
Created a system for producing and distributing electrical power
Perfected the light bulb
Developed the phonograph
Developed the motion
picture camera
Helped make electricity safer and less expensive by funding Nikola Tesla (AC Current)
• More effective air brakes for trains
•Developed a way to transmit it long
distances (Transformers)
Electric sewing machine
• Cameras
• Refrigerator
Mechanical Reapers
Sod busting plows
Mechanized tractors
In 1856, Henry Bessemer receives a patent on a process that made steel production easier and less expensive.
The Bessemer process made possible the mass production of steel.
•The Brooklyn Bridge,
designed with steel
cables suspended from high
towers, was made
possible by mass
production.
Designed & started building the Brooklyn Bridge- 1st suspension
It took another innovation to
begin the transformation
of cities
Strong steel plus elevators mean that
America’s teeming cities can now grow upwards!
Automobile – Henry Ford made the car more affordable by using the assembly line
Assembly line – process where each worker does one task in the making of a final product
When someone completes one task as part of the job
Positive: increases productivity for businesses
Negative: workers no longer take pride in work and removes creativity
He may never work on shoes!
Organized and systemized factories
Goal: to get workers to produce more in less time
Business LeadersBusiness Practices Business Regulations
Generally classified as either a
“Robber Baron” or a
“Captain of Industry”
Business leaders who made their fortunes by taking advantage of the public
They drained natural resources and charged high prices
They persuaded public officials to interpret laws in their favor.
They ruthlessly drove their competitors to ruin.
• They paid their workers meager wages and forced them to toil under dangerous and unhealthful conditions.
Adhered to a policy of “Social Darwinism”, as it applied to business practices
Based on Darwin’s Based on Darwin’s Theory of Theory of EvolutionEvolution (1859) regarding (1859) regarding natural selection and the natural selection and the survival survival of the fittestof the fittest
Businessmen are justified in Businessmen are justified in using using anyany means necessary to means necessary to become rich and powerful, and become rich and powerful, and the government should stay out!the government should stay out!
Three business practices exemplified the philosophy of Social Darwinism Monopolies Cartels Trusts
Monopoly (Vertical Consolidation) one company completely controls a product or a service, from the means of production, to manufacturing, to transportation, and sales
Bob’s Pizza Using Vertical Consolidation, Bob could control the Pizza market in town by controlling many of the costs associated with making his pizza!
Bob’s Pizza
Bob’s Farm
Bob’s Cheese Factory
Bob’s Trucking Company
Monopoly (Horizontal Consolidation) One company buys out each of their competitors, and therefore owns every outlet for a certain product
Using Horizontal Consolidation, Bob could control the Pizza market in town by buying the other Pizza shops!
Bob’s Pizza
MOT Pizza Rizzo Pizza
Pizza Shack
Bob’s Pizza Bob’s Pizza Bob’s Pizza
Bob’s Pizza
Cartel – a loose association of businesses in a similar field or that make the same product and agree to limit supply to drive up prices
Trust multiple company’s selling the same product agreed that rather than compete with each other over prices and profits, they would agree to set their prices, and then split the profits evenly
Still practiced the theory of Social Darwinism to a certain extent to increase their fortunes, but: They increased the supply of goods by building factories.
They raised productivity and expanded markets, further lowering prices
They created jobs at decent wages and in safe factories that enabled
many Americans to buy new goods and raise their standard of living.
• They also funded museums, libraries,
and universities, many of which still
serve the public today.
Carnegie Hall
Philosophy that states a person should be able to make as much money as they can, BUT they should also use their wealth to improve society.
Formed Standard
Oil Company
Wealthy individual who saw the oil industry as a way to get richer
Made illegal deals with railroads to transport oil cheaper, thus weakening other refineries that he would eventually buy
Utilized horizontal consolidation for business purposes
Captain of Industry for steel production in Pittsburgh
Used Bessemer Process to produce stronger steel
Utilized vertical consolidation for business purposes
Born in Scotland
A Philanthropist uses wealth to improve society
Carnegie funded the building of libraries, education facilities, and music/arts facilities
The growth and contraction of a
nation’s economy A new concept in the
mid-late 1800s
While big business urged the federal government to adopt a Laissez-Faire attitude, many consumers and workers called for a “Social Welfare” policy to be enforced
It is the government’s responsibility to control big businesses in order guarantee quality products at fair prices for consumers, and fair pay and decent hours for workers
Enacted in 1890 Effort by Congress to end trusts
Ineffective due to lack of enforcement
Send children as young as age 6 to work
Force children to leave school Ask for aid from a private charity
(church, etc.) because Government Welfare is non-
existent at this time!
Typically 12 hours/day, 6 days/week
After 1868 Government employees were guaranteed an 8 hour day (did not apply to private businesses)
Used by some companies Paid by how many items you
produce Faster workers
made more $
Organized and systemized factories
Goal: to get workers to produce more in less time
Illustrated the negative impact of children working in mines and factories
Published photos of working children in How the Other Half Lives
Wrote Children of the Poor
Traveled around the country to photograph child workers in factories, mills, mines, and canneries.
Documented the plight of working children
Photos were used as evidence (to the public and government) of the need for child labor reform
Journalist who Journalist who investigated and investigated and
exposed misconduct exposed misconduct among political and/or among political and/or
business leadersbusiness leaders
Focused on Drilling, shipping, refining, and the sale of oil
Ida’s father was forced
out of business by Standard Oil
Perhaps this was
revenge???