1. America Post-Reconstruction
How did we change after Reconstruction?
SSUSH11

2. Imagine you are former slave or a Reconstruction supporter
Imagine you are former slave or a Reconstruction supporter. Would you want to stay in the South post-Reconstruction?
Where would you go?
How would you get there?

3. Expanding Railroads
1862 Congress authorized first railroad to run Pacific to Atlantic
Land grants and subsidies given to railroad owners to build railroads
Created by Irish and Chinese immigrants
Led to wave of new power and wealth
Ex. Cornelius Vanderbilt
Streamlined operations, lowered costs

4. Transcontinental Railroad
May 10, 1869, with a golden spike the Union Pacific RR and the Central Pacific RR met at Promontory Point, Utah to complete the first railroad that covered the US from coast-to-coast
How is this achievement good for farming and business in the US?

5. Impact from Railroads Railroads led to migration west
Sold low cost land to farmers
Railroads ship grain and cattle back east

6. Impact on other Industries
High demand for railroads meant to high demand for steel
In 1860: 13,000 tons of steel produced in US
In 1880: 1,400,000 tons of steel produced
Andrew Carnegie (major steel seller) created monopoly by buying all processes in steel production
Later gave money away to charities (philanthropy)
Led to rise of captains of Industry – business leaders who made fortunes through ruthless practices
Robber Barrons

7. John d. Rockefeller Founded Standard Oil Company
Purchased all other oil companies to create a monopoly (trust)
Controlled over 90% of the oil market
Believed in Social Darwinism, that “only the strong survive”
“Pay nobody a profit”
He believed that competition ruined business by forcing prices down

8. Electricity and Edison
Thomas Alva Edison
Prolific inventor!!
Electricity!!
Light bulb, phonograph, motion pictures, electric power generator, and many others
Led to electrification of factories, urban buildings, streetlights, streetcars, and all of the electric appliances across entire neighborhoods

9. Where is this cartoon set?
Who are the characters to the back?
Who are the characters to the front?
What is this cartoonist’s opinion?

10. What was the relationship between big business and government like?

11. Wealthiest People Ever?
$88.1 billion
$108 billion
$75 billion
$72 billion
$663.4 billion
$178 billion