The Industrial Revolution Spreads Chapter 6.1

Focus Question How did science, technology, and big business promote industrial growth?

 New Industrial Powers Emerge Driven by the British textile industry. By the mid 1800’s the I.R. entered a 2nd phase Factories were now powered by electricity.

In 1807, Belgium became the first European country outside of Britain to industrialize By mid 1800’s France, Germany and the U.S. were copying Britain’s ideas, they were able to quickly industrialize. The first textile factory in the U.S. was 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 & Australia all built thriving industries. Russia was very slow to industrialize, waiting almost 100 years after Britain did.

 Technology Sparks Industrial Growth By the 1800’s, companies began hiring professional chemists and engineers to create new products and machinery. Michael Faraday -first electric motor and dynamo, (a machine that generates electricity.) Thomas Edison -light bulb (soon cities and factories were lit up and working at night.)

Alfred Nobel invented dynamite Henry Bessemer patented/invented a new steelmaking process (which helped make steel stronger and cheaper than iron.) Note: Bayer used to make Aspirin and Heroin for pain relief!

Factories improved efficiency with the design of interchangeable parts; By the early 1900’s, another new method of production was introduced- the Assembly Line, which made production faster and cheaper. !

Transportation & Communication Advances With better steelmaking, 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.

Promontory Point, Utah May 10, 1869

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. Henry Ford’s famous car: The Model T Ford

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

Samuel Morse developed the telegraph in the 1840’s

Alexander Grahm Bell- invented telephone Guglielmo Marconi invented radio.

 Business Takes a New Direction By the late 1800’s, “big business” came to dominate industry. “Big business” = entrepreneurs who finance, manufacture and distribute goods. New technologies required investment of large amounts of 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.

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 and controlling markets.