written by: jonnette hay-rivenbark. industrial revolution overview first began in britain during...

Written by:

Jonnette Hay-Rivenbark

Industrial Revolution OverviewIndustrial Revolution Overview

• First began in Britain during mid-1700s—the United States by 1800s

• Change from small manufacturing to factory-based industry

• Change from a rural society to urban society

• Wealthy entrepreneurs

OverviewOverview

• Began in U.S. around time of Civil War

• Successful industries lured explorers to frontier

• Western states joined the Union

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Into the WestInto the West

• Gold rush of mid-1800s brought many to the West

• Settlers crossed the country by foot or covered wagon

• Gold mining in California and silver mining in Nevada

Into the WestInto the West• Cross-country railroad needed

• Led to Pacific Railway Act

• Cross-country railroads built

• Railroads improved shipment of goods and travel

• Chinese laborers recruited to build railroads

• Conditions were harsh

• Many died from unsafe working conditions

• Paid less than White counterparts

• Received no recognition



• Settling the West interfered with Native Americans’ cultural habitat

• Settlers in constant conflict with Native Americans

• Federal government moved Native Americans to reservations


• Homestead Act of 1862

• Government gave pioneers land

• Land give-away ended by 1890

• Forest Reserve Act passed

Into the WestInto the West• Economic depression

followed Civil War

• By 1870s: industry main source of jobs

• The United States was in the “Gilded Age”

• Considered a time of prosperity

Inventions that Fueled IndustryInventions that Fueled Industry

• Mills used to be powered by water

• James Watt developed steam engine

• Steam power allowed factories to be built in cities

• Caused rapid growth of factories

InventionsInventions

• 1844: Samuel F.B. Morse built a telegraph line, improving communication


• 1856: Bessemer process of making steel

• 1868: Westinghouse created train air brake

• 1875: Production of electric power


• 1876: Alexander Graham Bell patented telephone

• 1879: Thomas Alva Edison developed incandescent light bulb

• 1890s: George Westinghouse brought alternating current to America

BellBell

RailroadsRailroads

• First built in America in 1820s

• Railroads connected eastern and western United States

• Traveled faster than boats

• Travel not limited by environmental factors


RailroadsRailroads

• Railroad system grew rapidly

• Building was poorly organized

• “Free enterprise” kept government from interfering

• Railroads were constructed unequally

• Standard track-size was created

• Creation of time zones stopped scheduling confusion

RailroadsRailroads

• Government saw potential of railroads

• Government granted railroad companies land

• Companies later sold land for profit

• Profited by charging high shipping rates

RailroadsRailroads

• Railroads became essential to businesses

• Railroad companies engaged in unethical business practices

RailroadsRailroads

Captains of IndustryCaptains of Industry• Construction of railroads created wealthy class

• Business owners desired more money

• Began corporations

• Corporations became trusts

Captains of IndustryCaptains of Industry

• John D. Rockefeller: Standard Oil Company

• By age 39, monopolized oil industry

• Allowed him to control the price of oil

RockefellerRockefeller


• John Pierpont Morgan: U.S. Steel

• Controlled 60% of American- produced steel

• Steel needed for railroad tracks

• Necessary for bridge and building construction


• Other businessmen created trusts

• Enabled them to control major portions of an industry


GouldGould

• Trusts allowed a few to own most

• Monopolies crushed competition

• Corporations manipulated stock prices


• Workers were exploited

• Owners viewed workers as objects

• Company owners drove down cost of labor


Working for a LivingWorking for a Living

• Industrial Revolution began in England

• Jobs became scarce

• Cities overcrowded

• Europeans moved to America during its Industrial Revolution for opportunities


• Work for Americans replaced by machines

• American farmers migrated to cities for factory jobs

• African Americans came for better jobs

• Many factories built in northern cities


• Jobs in factories used unskilled labor

• Jobs were physically exhausting

• Most jobs extremely dangerous


• By now, 40% of Americans worked in factories

• Work day was often 10-12 hours

• Work week six days; no “weekend”


• Workers often could not afford essentials

• Whole families worked, even children

• Women paid half men’s wages

• Immigrants and people of color usually given worst jobs


Life in the CityLife in the City

• Before 1880s: most immigrants from western Europe

• Looking to escape European industrialism

• America: promised land and opportunities


• After 1880: immigrants came from other countries

• Traveled by boat, mostly to Ellis Island

• Most worked in factories

• Came for better lives

• Similar or worse conditions than before

• Lived cramped in tenement buildings

• Often only two or three rooms for families of five or larger


• Often no running water

• Apartments heated by coal or kerosene

• Used same stove for heating air and water and cooking



• Workers without apartments lived in boarding houses


• Tenements were extremely unhealthy

• Conditions exposed by book How the Other Half Lives


• Created their own sections within cities

• Maintained culture from place of origin

• Socialized within own communities


Workers UniteWorkers Unite

• Idea of unionizing gained strength

• Some unions had existed prior to 1870s


• Knights of Labor organized in 1869

• Knew importance of strength in numbers

• Recruited members in all areas

• Strike against railroad companies

• Knights of Labor gained 700,000

• Enough power to influence Congress


• May 1, 1886: strike of all industry workers

• 340,000 laborers representing 12,000 companies

• Demanded work day be lowered from twelve hours to eight


• McCormick Harvesting Machine Company workers in strike

• Peaceful rally turned violent

• Police action caused injuries and deaths


• Result: protest in Haymarket Square

• Led to Haymarket Riot

• Unions associated with violence

• Workers’ and management’s relationship worsened


• 1892: Homestead Strike on Carnegie’s steel plant

• Value of steel had declined

• Management had cut wages of workers

• Carnegie wanted union to disband


• Plant shut down

• Workers locked out

• Violence ensued

• Union eventually lost strength

• Those in union were fired


• AFL—American Federation of Labor

• Wanted better life for workers

• Used boycotts and strikes to achieve goals


Government InterventionGovernment Intervention

• Government had history of allowing free enterprise

• Workers’ suffering brought government intervention

• Government passed laws to help working class

ClevelandCleveland


• Set up Interstate Commerce Commission

• At first was ineffective

• Federal government used constitutional authority

• 1890: Sherman Antitrust Act

• Disbanded trusts and prohibited new ones

• Consequences included jail time and fines


Sherman VideoSherman Video

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View video

AfterwardAfterward

• Early 1900s: Issues still unresolved

• Industry and workers saw improvements after the Depression

Concluding ThoughtsConcluding Thoughts

• America became most prosperous nation


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written by: jonnette hay-rivenbark. industrial revolution overview first began in britain during...

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railroads conditions