american industrialization inventorsandinnovators who changed the way americans live
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American American IndustrializationIndustrialization
InventorsInventors and and
innovatorsinnovators who changed the who changed the
way Americans liveway Americans live
Edwin L. DrakeEdwin L. Drake 18591859 Titusville, PATitusville, PA DrilledDrilled for oil using for oil using
steam powered enginesteam powered engine Cheaper and more Cheaper and more
efficient way to obtain efficient way to obtain oiloil
Drake’s WellDrake’s WellTitusville,Titusville,
PennsylvaniaPennsylvania18591859
Produced 10 Produced 10 barrels per barrels per
dayday
Thomas EdisonThomas Edison 1880 improved 1880 improved the filament in the filament in light light
bulbsbulbs (bamboo fiber) (bamboo fiber) 1882 built 1882 built first power plant first power plant that lit that lit
dozens of buildings in dozens of buildings in NYCNYC Used direct current which could Used direct current which could
only travel short distancesonly travel short distances Received over Received over 1090 patents 1090 patents from from
U.S. Govt. for his inventionsU.S. Govt. for his inventions
Thomas EdisonThomas Edison
Thomas EdisonThomas Edison
Thomas EdisonThomas Edison
George WestinghouseGeorge WestinghouseΩ 18851885Ω Used Used alternating current (AC)alternating current (AC)Ω Cheaper & Cheaper & traveled longer distance traveled longer distance than than
direct current (DC)direct current (DC)Ω Invented the transformer to boost or Invented the transformer to boost or
reduce the power level as neededreduce the power level as neededΩ Made Made home electricity use practicalhome electricity use practical
Samuel F. B. MorseSamuel F. B. MorsePerfected the Perfected the telegraphtelegraph (did not (did not
invent it)invent it)18441844 – sent first telegraph – sent first telegraph
messagemessageMorse Code Morse Code – short & long – short & long
electrical impulses to represent electrical impulses to represent letters of the alphabetletters of the alphabet
Began a communication revolutionBegan a communication revolution
The TelegraphThe Telegraph
Morse CodeMorse Code
Alexander Graham BellAlexander Graham Bell
1876 – Patented the “talking telegraph”
1885 – Set up the American Telephone & Telegraph Company (AT&T) to build long distance telephone lines
1900 – 1.5 million telephones in use in America
The earliest “talking The earliest “talking telegraphs”telegraphs”
The latest “talking The latest “talking telegraphs”telegraphs”
Henry BessemerHenry Bessemer 1856 – England - received first 1856 – England - received first
patent for the “Bessemer process”patent for the “Bessemer process” Made Made production of steel from iron production of steel from iron
faster and cheaperfaster and cheaper Mass production of steel allowed Mass production of steel allowed
the building of the building of skyscrapersskyscrapers, , railroad railroad railsrails, and large suspension , and large suspension bridgesbridges (Brooklyn Bridge 1883) (Brooklyn Bridge 1883)
EntrepreneursEntrepreneurs who changed the who changed the way Americans way Americans create wealthcreate wealth
Andrew CarnegieAndrew Carnegie Scottish immigrant – came to U.S. at age Scottish immigrant – came to U.S. at age
1212 Worked in a textile mill as a childWorked in a textile mill as a child Then worked for Cornelius Then worked for Cornelius Vanderbilt’s Vanderbilt’s
railroad companyrailroad company Saw the potential in the Saw the potential in the Bessemer process Bessemer process
for mass producing steel.for mass producing steel. Carnegie Steel Works made him the Carnegie Steel Works made him the
wealthiest man in U.S.wealthiest man in U.S.
Andrew CarnegieAndrew Carnegie
Brooklyn bridgeBrooklyn bridge
John D. RockefellerJohn D. Rockefeller Poor son of a con-man and street peddler who Poor son of a con-man and street peddler who
did not support his familydid not support his family 1870 – Created the 1870 – Created the Standard Oil Company of Standard Oil Company of
OhioOhio Made Made secret deals secret deals to ship his kerosene to ship his kerosene
exclusively on exclusively on VanderbiltVanderbilt’s railroads’s railroads Set a new standard in Set a new standard in refining oil into kerosenerefining oil into kerosene Made a Made a safer product safer product and brought prices downand brought prices down 1882 –Standard Oil Trust controlled 90% of oil 1882 –Standard Oil Trust controlled 90% of oil
in United Statesin United States
John D. RockefellerJohn D. Rockefeller
John D. Rockefeller &
John D. Jr. 1921
What do you thnk was the most important technological
development of the time
Railroads
Transcontinental railroad
1863-1869 Joined the Union Pacific and the Central
Pacific rails at Promontory Point, Utah Funded by the U.S. government Irish immigrants worked from the East Chinese immigrants worked from the
West Averaged about 8 miles of track per day
Transcontinental Railroad“Driving of the Golden Spike”
Transcontinental Railroad Route
Promontory Point, Utah
Significance of Railroads
Faster, cheaper way to move people and products
Connected isolated markets
Caused other industries to grow (steel and coal)
How Business Grew
BIGin America
Businesses were structured in new ways – based on producing huge quantities of a
product
Economies of Scale
The more of something a company makes, the less it costs to produce each one.
Production goes up.
Prices go down.
Monopoly• Mono = one• Complete control of a product or
service by one huge company• Monopolies form when one company
forces other competing companies out of business or buys a majority of their stock
• Vanderbilt, Rockefeller & Carnegie all form monopolies
Are business monopoliesUsually good or bad for workers and consumers who buy the products
For example, what would happen if there was no
competition – if there was ONLY ONE car company
Without competition, a company could charge whatever price it wants to. Consumers have no
where else to go for that product.
But some monopolies actually produced better, cheaper
products by eliminating “wasteful” competition.
Trust• A type of business monopoly• Instead of one business buying
out the competition, several companies agree to combine their assets and give control to a “board of trustees”
• J.D. Rockefeller formed the Standard Oil Trust because monopolies were declared illegal
So what effect did these new BIG BUSINESSES
and their wealthy owners have on
American society
The distribution of wealth in America
became very uneven:
1/8 of the population owned 7/8 of the
wealth.
What does that look
like?
Lets divide $100 between 8 people
Carnegie gets $87.50
The common people get $1.79 each
How did the wealthy business owners
justify this unequal distribution of wealth
Laissez-Faire• French term – “leave alone”• Major element of a capitalistic
economy – the separation of the government and the economy in a nation
• So government should not attempt to regulate business practices.
• The “free marketplace” will naturally regulate economic successes and failures.
Social Darwinism
• Philosophy that applied Charles Darwin’s theory of “survival of the fittest” to the business world.
• The most “fit” businesses would grow and prosper and the “unfit” ones would fail
• So government should stay out of the affairs of business and let the process of “natural selection” operate
“The ability to make money is a gift from God.”
John D. Rockefeller
Some people are just “unfit” or God hasn’t blessed them
“God’s gift” to
Rockefeller - just the summer cottage
Gospel of Wealth Andrew Carnegie’s idea of philanthropy: The wealthy have been blessed by God
with the ability to produce wealth and should be allowed to do so.
But they also have superior knowledge of how to use that wealth to benefit society.
So the wealthy should give most of their wealth away to build museum, concert halls, universities.
Do you see any problems with Carnegie’s
philosophy
Will museums, concert halls,
and universities really help this woman
What was it like to be a factory
worker
Harsh Working Conditions
•Workers fined or fired for being late or talking
•Deafening noise •Poor lighting and ventilation•Unsafe •Frequent fires and accidents
Harsh Working Conditions
•500,000 workers were completely disabled each year
•35,000 killed each year•No corporate accountability
for worker safety. No workers’ compensation laws or insurance.
•You get hurt, you get fired.
Sweatshops• A shop usually in
upper floors of a building
• Crowded and hot• Often sewing
garments • Workers paid by
number of items produced (piece-work)
• No breaks or toilet facilities
Child Labor• No child labor laws existed.• Children as young as 6 could work
in a factory.• Most children permanently left
school at age 12 to work.• Factory owners wanted children
because they could pay them less.• Families needed the money
children earned.• Many were maimed or killed.
Child Labor
Child Labor
How did society
respond to these
problems
Labor UnionsGroups of workers with similar jobs that join together to fight for safer working conditions
8 hour work day
higher pay
Collective Bargaining
One or two union members are chosen as spokesmen for the workers.
Union reps negotiate with owners and managers on behalf of the workers.
What if collective
bargaining doesn’t work
StrikeA union tactic in which workers refuse to work until their demands are met by management
Strikers on a Picket Line
Why would strikes be an effective tactic to use against factory
owners and managers
What can factory owners and managers do if they don’t want to give into the workers’ demands
ScabsManagement can hire non-union workers to take the place of striking workers
How would you feel about scabs if you
were a striking union member
2 Major Labor
Unions Form
Knights of Labor• Formed in 1869 by Terrence Powderly • Joined all workers together (men,
women, all races, and all trades) • Used education and peaceful political
action to achieve their goals• Almost like a religious brotherhood
Knights of Labor
Charter
Knights of Labor
print featuring founder
Terrence Powderly
In the beginning, God ordained that man should labor, not as a curse, but as a blessing; not as a punishment, but as means of development, physically, mentally, morally, and has set thereunto his seal of approval in the rich increase and reward. By labor is brought forward the kindly fruits of the earth in rich abundance for our sustenance and comfort; by labor (not exhaustive) is promoted health of the body and strength of mind, labor garners the priceless stores of wisdom and knowledge. It is the “Philosopher’s Stone,” everything it touches turns to wealth. “Labor is noble and holy.” To glorify God in its exercise, to defend it from degradation, to divest it of the evils to body, mind, and estate, which ignorance and greed have imposed; to rescue the toiler from the grasp of the selfish is a work worthy of the noblest and best of our race.You have been selected from among your associates for that exalted purpose. Are you willing to accept the responsibility, and, trusting in the support of pledged true Knights, labor, with what ability you possess, for the triumph of these principles among men?
Knights of Labor Creed
American Federation of Labor (AFL)
Formed in 1886 by Samuel Gompers Used strikes and boycotts to achieve
their goals Only skilled workers included NO women or blacks
American Federation of Labor Emblem
Samuel Gompers
So . . . How did factory owners and managers respond when labor
unions formed in their factories
How Management RespondedForbad union meetingsFired union organizersForced employees to sign a contract
pledging not to join a union Refused to recognize unions and
collectively bargain
So . . . How did labor (the workers) respond
VIOLENCE
4 GREAT STRIKES1877 - 1894
Great Railroad Strike of 1877 Baltimore and Ohio RR announced a 10%
wage cut. Train lengths were doubled, increasing the
chance of accidents. RR workers struck. The strike turned into a violent riot. President Hayes sent in federal troops Rioters burned RR property.
Railroad Strike of 1877
Railroad Strike of 1877
Railroad Strike of 1877
Railroad Strike of 1877
Railroad Strike of 1877
Railroad Strike of 1877
Haymarket Riot (May, 1886) Chicago workers struck for an 8-hour workday. At a rally in Haymarket Square in Chicago
anarchists joined the strikers. Someone threw a bomb which killed 7 armed
policemen. Dozens were killed in the gunfight that followed. Four anarchists were found guilty and hanged. There was never any proof of their involvement.
Poster promoting the
“rally” at Haymarket
Square
Haymarket Riot (1886)
7 officers killed in Haymarket Riot
People Involved in the Haymarket Riot (1886)
Four Haymarket anarchists hung – Nov 11, 1887
Haymarket Martyrs Monument, 1887
“The day will come when our silence will be more powerful than the voices
you are throttling today.”
Haymarket Riot Postcard
Homestead Strike (1892) Wages were cut at Carnegie’s Homestead
Steel Works in PA. Union workers struck. Pinkertons were brought in and they opened
fire on the strikers. Workers attacked Pinkertons. Soldiers were called in. Dozens of workers were killed. All union workers were fired and never
employed by Carnegie again.
Pinkertons A police force for hire Founded by Samuel Pinkerton The first secret service agency that
protected Lincoln when he traveled Known for their ruthlessness in
breaking up strikes
Pinkerton’s National Detective Agency
Carnegie’s Homestead Steel Works
Pinkertons Arriving by Barge
Federal Troops Called In
Pullman Strike (1894)George Pullman built the luxury “sleeper” rail
cars for the wealthy.His Chicago workers lived in the “company
town” used “company script” as money at the “company store”
During an economic depression, Pullman cut wages and laid-off workers but did not cut rent.
When workers protested, he fired them.Workers struck.
Pullman Strike (1894)Other RR unions in 23 states joined in
More than a 1000 rail cars were destroyed13 workers killed
RR service to the western half of the country is disrupted, including mail service.
Owners banded together and sought court orders to halt any union activity that interfered with the delivery of the mail.
Leader Eugene V. Debs was imprisoned
George Pullman
Pullman Strike (1894)
Pullman Strike (1894)
Pullman Strike (1894)
Congress finally takes action to
limit “Big Business”
Interstate Commerce Act1887Federal law to regulate trade between the
states.Stopped railroads from charging unfair
rates to farmers and making secret deals with some large clients (like oil companies).
Sherman Anti-Trust Act 1890 “Every . . . combination . . . in restraint of
trade is declared to be illegal.” Was intended to stop monopolies and to
promote fair competition in the business market.
But later the courts used the law to prohibit labor union strikes (because strikes were “restraining free trade.”
A 3rd labor union forms
but . . .this one is different
The Wobblies Industrial Workers of the World (IWW) Founded in 1905 by Eugene V. Debs who
became a socialist while in prison A radical union that used violence during
strikes Goal was the world-wide destruction of
capitalism by labor forces
SocialismAn political philosophy which
proposes:Wealth should be equally
distributed to everyone;Production of goods based on
cooperation, not competitionSociety as a whole, not just a
few private individuals should have control of a nation’s wealth
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Eugene V. Debs, Socialist and Founder of the IWW
The Wobblies (IWW)