American History Chapter 6: The Expansion of American Industry I. A Technological Revolution

Objectives of Lesson: Key Concepts Learn how daily lives changed in the decades following the Civil War. Find out how advances in electric power and communication affected people and businesses in this era. Discover the effects the development of railroads had on industrial growth. Think about the impact of the Bessemer process on American culture.

Attention Getter Typewriter Phonograph telegraph Telephone What is the most important invention? Why?

Recall Prior Knowledge How many times do you use the telephone per day? If you lived before the telephone was invented – how would you communicate? How would your life be different without telephones? Lets find out about early forms of communication!

A) Setting the Scene Samuel Morse in 1844 sends the first successful telegram from Washington DC to Baltimore. US on the verge of a second industrial revolution New inventions will change our lives Picture: early form of telegraph

B) Changes in Daily Life No internal electricity in house – went to bed at dark and up at first light – unless had money for candles and lamps Ice cost too much – saved it in ice houses Took over a month for mail to go coast to coast Patent and Trademark Office issued patents on new inventions patents: licenses that give an inventor the exclusive right to make, use or sell an invention Productivity: amount of goods and services created in a given period of time’ Productivity in US growing fast. By 1900, US standard of living was one of the highest in the world.

C) New Forms of Energy In 1858, Edwin L Drake strikes oil in Titusville, Pennsylvania. Drilling for oil cheaper then digging Oil companies made kerosene, gasoline was the byproduct and was thrown away until the automobile invented. Thomas A. Edison – invented the light bulb in 1880 – by 1882 had set up the first electric power plant (CLICK ON HYPERLINK FOR MOVIE ON EDISON) Lewis Latimer improved light bulbs – son of a slave George Westinghouse – used alternating current – traveled farther with the help of transformers to boost power Edison created General Electric – Westinghouse created Westinghouse Electric

Electric sewing machine in 1889 led to ready made clothing growth With electricity the Refrigerator was possible

D) Advances in Communications Samuel F.B. Morse perfected the telegraph – 1844 Western Union formed Alexander Graham Bell invented the “talking telegraph” in 1876 at the age of 29. Set up the American Telephone and Telegraph Company 1879 first telephone in White House – by 1900 1.5 million telephones Picture: Alexander Graham Bell

E) Railroads Create a National Network Transcontinental railroad: railway extending from coast to coast Government paid for it – not as efficient if private industry paid for it Construction began on the Pacific Coast and at the Mississippi – meet in the middle Irish immigrants worked for the Union Pacific and Chinese immigrants worked on the Central Pacific Met at Promontory Summit Utah in 1869 (Picture) Time Zones created to help scheduling Railroads were good because they were faster, cheaper, created national markets, model for big business, stimulated other industries.

F) The Bessemer Process Bessemer Process: easier and cheaper way to make steel Mass production: production in great amounts Steal is lighter and stronger than iron Because of the Bessemer Process, companies could now mass produce steal Brooklyn Bridge built – Chicago Reliance Building built These became symbols of American inventiveness and hard work Picture: Chicago Reliance building then and now

Review Why did people’s daily lives change in the decades following the Civil War? How did advances in electric power and communication affect life for people and businesses? What effects did the development of railroads have on industrial growth? What was the impact of the Bessemer process on American culture?

Process Information What are some of the ways in which new technology revolutionized American life in the years following the Civil War?

Finished Section 6.1 Once you finish, go back to the web-page and download and print quiz 6.1. After completing the quiz, send an e-mail to me with your answers. In the subject line put (your first and last name – quiz 6.1) When you finish with that – check with the syllabus to find out when section 6.2 needs to be completed Good Luck!