Age of Invention Steel, oil, railroads, horseless carriages, airplanes, telegraphs, telephones, typewriters, phonographs, light bulbs!

Thomas Edison Made discoveries and advances in the telegraph, electricity, light bulbs, phonographs, and early motion picture cameras.

Edison even improved Alexander Graham Bell’s desing for the telephone transmitter, improving the sound

In 1882, Edison opened one of the world’s first electric power plants, supplying electric light to a small area of New York City.

How is this picture representative of some of the changes America is experiencing at this time?

Capitalism An economic system where private businesses run most of the industries.

Competition determines the price of goods and labor

In the late 1800’s, many entrepreneurs, or businesspeople, built up industries that would make them very rich. George Pullman Marshall Field The McCormick Reaper Many entrepreneurs saw great opportunities in Chicago.

Laissez-faire - Free Market Capitalism Many of them supported the idea of “laissez-faire” capitalism, meaning “let the people do as they choose”. This represented their belief in the free market - where businesses were allowed to grow without the government getting in the way.

Social Darwinism This idea was adapted from Darwin’s Theory of Evolution. It said that society progressed through natural competition

Only the strong survived and those “unfit” to compete in business and life would fail. Social Darwinsim was a misinterpretation of Darwin’s ideas. It inspired “eugenics” which was the idea of breeding humans to phase out “undesirable” traits”. It would be used to support racist ideas.

Struggle over Labor Companies wanted to pay their workers as little as possible. During this period, workers will be mistreated and organize into unions to demand their rights.

Working Conditions Children worked 12 hour shifts (day or night) for pennies a day.

White unskilled male workers worked 10 hours a day, 6 days a week for less that $10 a week. Employers felt no responsibility for work related injuries and deaths. They made no effort to improve safety for workers.

Company Towns Some employers built company towns. –The company would own workers’ homes and the stores nearby. –Residents would receive their paychecks in credit for rent and company-owned businesses. Coal mining town in Virginia

George Pullman created the company town of Pullman, IL, where his employees lived. Workers paid rent to Pullman, drinking was prohibited and residents had to buy food and other goods from Pullman-owned stores in the town. The Town of Pullman, IL

The Knights of Labor Early national labor union Fought for early labor rights: –8 hour work day –Equal pay for equal work –Ending child labor

Women delegates of the Knights of Labor.

The Great Upheaval A period of labor strikes and violent confrontations in During this year, there were 1,600 strikes.

The economic depression of the early 1880s led to wage cuts. This forced workers to demand relief. The Haymarket Riot, May 4th, 1886