1. Industrial Revolution Notes

2. Immigration
Industry
Urbanization

4. Key Factors in Industrial Growth
Vast amounts of coal, iron, oil (Black Gold) and ore are discovered throughout the U.S.
Improved transportation methods expanded trade from coast to coast
Labor Supply – immigrants and people who moved to cities from rural areas

5. Great Texas Oil Boom

7. Impact of Railroads
Connected all parts of the United States – increased trade
Standardized Time Zones –
Problem – before standardized time – a passenger riding from Maine to California might reset their watches as many as 20 times.
Solution: – time zones were established thus synchronizing time throughout the U.S.
Fostered the growth of towns – linked previously isolated cities

9. The Spirit of Innovation
Between 1860 – 1900 the U.S. Patent Office granted over 676,000 patents.
Bessemer Process – cold air pressure method – made the production of steel both easy and cost-effective
Electricity is introduced for both commercial an domestic use
Introduction of machines led to increased production and the use of the assembly line.
New inventions impacted the way people lived and worked.

10. The Power of Electricity
Thomas Alva Edison

11. Alexander Graham Bell

12. Christopher Sholes
Typewriter

14. Government Support for Industry
The U.S. government offered loans and minimal regulation to industries.
Government maintained a “laissez-faire” or “hands off” approach to industry.

15. Social Darwinism
Herbert Spencer – English philosopher used Charles Darwin’s theories to explain the evolution of human society.
Riches=sign of God’s favor; the poor must be lazy/inferior people who deserved what they have
Survival of the fittest

16. Vertical Integration
A company’s taking over its suppliers and distributors to gain total control over the quality and cost of its product.
Example:
Orange Juice Industry
Oranges
Juicing Equip.
Packaging
Trucks

17. Horizontal Consolidation
The purchasing of competing companies that sell the same product.
Example: Nike Athletic Shoes
Reebok
Puma
New Balance
Sketchers
Result = MONOPOLY

18. Trusts
Industrial giants consolidated smaller companies and reshaped U.S. businesses into massive corporations.
As they became rich and powerful, owners of trusts manipulated the government at all levels.

19. John D. Rockefeller J.D. Rockefeller
Rockefeller and the Standard Oil Company came to control 90% of the oil industry in the U.S.
He attempted to monopolize the oil industry, arguing that monopolies and trusts ensured economic stability and high quality goods.
J.D. Rockefeller

20. Taking Control of the Market
Industrialists like Rockefeller reaped huge profits by paying their employees extremely low wages.
They drove their competitors out of business by selling their products for less that it cost to produce them.
Once they controlled the market, they hiked up the prices.

22. Wealthy Americans Face Criticism
At the turn of the century Americans began to disapprove of the fact that so few individuals controlled the vast majority of America’s natural resources, industries and utilities.
In 1900 the material wealth of 1% of the population was greater than that of the other 99% combined.

23. Robber Barons
Because of their cut-throat tactics, industrialists were called Robber Barons.
Despite this title many were also great philanthropists.
Rockefeller gave away $500 million +
Carnegie donated 90% of his wealth

25. Industrialists Defend Big Business
Andrew Carnegie wrote the “Gospel of Wealth” which argued that wealth was a sign of divine (God’s) approval.
Wealthy industrialists have the responsibility to give back to their community.

26. Sherman Anti-Trust Act
Made it illegal to form a trust that interfered with free trade between states or with other countries.
Problem: it was very difficult to prosecute companies because the act was not clearly defined.
Supreme Court threw out most of the cases and the government stopped trying to enforce the act.

27. Impact of Industrialization
Brought many middle-class Americans greater comforts and conveniences to their daily lives.

29. The Gilded Age
Mark Twain labeled this period in history “The Gilded Age”, because the open displays of wealth among American elite society seemed like a…
Cheap picture frame; golden on the outside but rotten on the inside.
When new-money titans lived lavishly while the poor suffered.

33. QUESTION IN WHAT WAYS DOES THE METAPHOR FIT?
How was American Society like a gilded picture frame with rotting wood underneath?