The Expansion of Industry and The Age of Railroads

  Post Civil War, the United States was still largely agricultural  Massive Industrial boom that leads to the US becoming a leader in industry  This happens because of: -Big amounts of natural resources -Government support for business -Large urban population that gave cheap labor and a market for products New Resources

  1859 Edwin L. Drake uses a steam engine to drill oil in Pennsylvania. This creates an oil boom that quickly spreads across the U.S.  The Bessemer Process of removing carbon from Iron which makes Steel in mass production is invented  Steel is used for things like Sky Scrappers, Railroads Oil

  Andrew Carnegie brings Bessemer Process to the U.S. Other new inventions:  Christopher Sholes – Typewriter  Thomas Edison – Electricity  Alexander Graham Bell - Telephone

  The growth of railroads changes Industry and population, towns spreading across U.S.  The rapid Railroad growth lead to high demand for Iron, Coal, Steel, Lumber  George M. Pullman - owns a company that builds train cars, builds a town to house his employees, his company owns houses and controls rent = he controls workers Railroads

  Farmer’s organization, upset about railroad corruption, railroads taking up farmland  They sponsor candidates that support their interests  Munn v. Illinois- Railroads challenge farmers in court, supreme court rules to uphold the Granger laws The Grangers

  Granger success not long  Supreme court rules that state could not set rates on interstate commerce (RR traffic that either came from or was going to another state  ICA passes in 1887, gives back the right of federal government to supervise railroad activities  Establishes a 5 member Interstate Commerce Commission  Railroad corruption and poor management ends up driving many to bankruptcy Interstate Commerce Act