THE INDUSTRIAL REVOLUTION “Life in the Industrial Age” Chapter 6

The first phase of industrialization revolved around iron, powered by steam engines and driven by the British textile industry. By the mid 1800’s the Industrial Revolution entered a second phase as new industrial powers emerged. Factories were now powered by electricity and used innovative processes to turn out new products. NEW INDUSTRIAL POWERS EMERGE

In 1807, Belgium became the first European country outside of Britain to industrialize by opening factories to manufacture spinning and weaving machines. By the mid 1800’s, several countries were challenging Britains’ industrial supremacy. Countries like France, Germany and the U.S. had even more coal and iron than Britain did, and by copying Britain’s ideas, they were able to quickly industrialize. The first textile factory in the U.S. was built in Rhode Island with plans smuggled out of Britain.

Germany and the U.S. grew to be the new industrialized leaders of the world. After the Civil War in 1865, the U.S. advanced to become the worlds leader and by 1900 was producing 30% of the worlds goods. Japan, Canada and Australia all built thriving industries, whereas Russia was very slow to industrialize, waiting almost 100 years (until the late 1800’s) after Britain started.

New industrial nations underwent social changes and rapid urbanization. The factory system produced huge quantities of new goods at lower prices, making them more affordable for everyone. Politics changed around the world as leaders had to meet demands of industrial society. Because of their technological and economic advantage, Western powers dominated the world.

By the 1800’s, companies began hiring professional chemists and engineers to create new products and machinery. In the late 1800’s, electricity replaced steam as the source of power. Michael Faraday created the first electric motor and the first dynamo, a machine that generates electricity. Thomas Edison invented the light bulb and soon cities and factories were lit up and working at night. TECHNOLOGY SPARKS INDUSTRIAL GROWTH

Other famous inventions included aspirin, soaps, perfumes and fertilizers. Alfred Nobel invented dynamite and Henry Bessemer patented/invented a new steelmaking process which helped make steel stronger and cheaper than iron.

Factories improved efficiency with the design of interchangeable parts; identical components that could be used in place of one another. This simplified the assembly and repair of machines and products. By the early 1900’s, another new method of production was introduced- the Assembly Line, which made production faster and cheaper.

With a better steelmaking process, railroads were built to connect cities, towns, mines and seaports all over the world. Russia built the Trans-Siberian RR and the U.S. built the Trans-Continental RR, connecting the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific. TRANSPORTATION & COMMUNICATION ADVANCES

Two new types of transportation developed around 1900 were the automobile and the airplane. Although Germany invented the first cars, American Henry Ford made the U.S. the leader in auto production when he invented a car that could go 25 mph and by using the Assembly Line for mass production.

American bicycle makers Orville & Wilbur Wright designed and flew the first airplane in 1903.

American Samuel Morse developed the telegraph in the 1840’s, which could send coded messages over wires with electricity.

In the 1870’s, Alexander Grahm Bell invented the telephone and in the 1890’s Italian pioneer Guglielmo Marconi invented the radio.

By the late 1800’s, “big business” came to dominate industry. “Big business” refers to establishments run by entrepreneurs who finance, manufacture and distribute goods. New technologies required investment of large amounts of money or capital. To get money, owners sold stock or shares in their companies to investors. Each stockholder became part owner in a tiny part of the company. BUSINESS TAKES A NEW DIRECTION

Large-scale companies needed so much capital that they sold hundreds of thousands of shares to raise money. They formed giant corporations or businesses that are owned by many investors who buy shares of stock.

Some powerful business leaders created monopolies that controlled entire industries. American John Rockefeller built “Standard Oil Company” into an empire by gaining control of oil wells and pipelines. He totally dominated the petroleum industry! $$$ Other ruthless leaders formed cartels to destroy competing companies by fixing prices.

CHANGING ATTITUDES AND VALUES Chapter 6.3

The Industrial Revolution slowly changed the social order in the Western world. For centuries, the two main classes were the peasants and the nobles. By the 1800’s, there were three social classes: 1. The new Upper Class 2. Middle Class 3. Workers and Peasants A NEW SOCIAL ORDER ARISES

The modern middle class developed its own way of life. A strict code of etiquette governed social behavior. Rules dictated how to give a social or dinner party, how to dress, when to write letters, thank-you notes, etc. Parents strictly supervised kids who were expected to be “seen and not heard.”

By the 1800’s, most middle class women didn’t work. They stayed at home to raise children, support their husbands and to do charitable work in the community and at church. Books, magazines and songs supported a “cult of domesticity” that idealized women and the home.

Some women’s groups protested restrictions on women and campaigned for fairness in marriage, divorce and property laws. Women’s groups also supported the temperance movement. WOMEN WORK FOR RIGHTS

The Seneca Falls Convention of 1848 demanded that U.S. women be granted the right to vote. Women’s groups also fought for suffrage in Europe. Most people supported women’s suffrage but some critics claimed women were too emotional to vote. Sojourner Truth, a famous African American suffragist helped fight for women’s rights.Sojourner Truth, a famous African American suffragist helped fight for women’s rights.

John Dalton was an English scientist and teacher who developed the modern atomic theory, a huge breakthrough in chemistry. Also, Russian Dmitri Mendeleyev drew up the periodic table of elements. SCIENCE TAKES NEW DIRECTION

Charles Darwin had the most controversial new idea when he wrote “On the Origin of Species.” In it, he argued that all forms of life evolved, and to explain this slow process of evolution, he put forth his theory on “natural selection,” also known as “survival of the fittest.”

Some people used Darwin’s idea of “Survival of the Fittest” to explain or support theories on war and economic competition. This was known as “Social Darwinism” and unfortunately, encouraged racism, or the belief that one race is superior to another.Some people used Darwin’s idea of “Survival of the Fittest” to explain or support theories on war and economic competition. This was known as “Social Darwinism” and unfortunately, encouraged racism, or the belief that one race is superior to another.