industry and railroads - lhs social studies- mr. riddlebarger

Industry and Railroads

Chapter 14Section 1

The Second Industrial Revolution

Riddlebarger

Daily Life- 1865/19001865■ No indoor electric

lighting■ No refrigeration■ Mail:East Coast Midwest:10 days; 3 weeks to

reach West Coast

■ By 1900, there is lots of growth in new ideas & inventions

■ Typewriter, phonograph, sewing machine

■ U.S. standard of living becomes one of world’s best

The Start of the Oil Industry

Oil becomes a key commodity in the late 1800’s? Why?

- Fuel source and lubricant for factory machinery

Edwin Drake will drill the 1st commercial oil well in Pennsylvania in 1859

“Wildcatters” (oil prospectors) flock to region

The Bessemer Process

■ Through mid-1800’s, the U.S. depends on iron for railroads & building

■ 1856- Englishman Henry Bessemer receives patent for Bessemer Process

■ Steel-making process is now easier & cheaper■ Advantages of steel: lighter, stronger & more

flexible

Bessemer Process* allows for mass production of steel

By 1880: 1 million tons of steel produced

By 1910: 25 million tons

** Before Bessemer:

Iron to steel: 3-5 tons/day

** After: 3-5 tons in 15 minutes

The Brooklyn Bridge

The Brooklyn Bridge■ New York City grows

rapidly after Civil War■ To help Manhatten

workers get to work in Brooklyn easier, a suspension bridge will be built

■ Longest in world (then); symbol of American success

Railroads Improve Transportation

■ Until 1850’s, steamships provided most of transportation

■ Before Civil War, most trains are short lines

■ Many safety issues with trains

Transcontinental Railroad

■ Railroad business will improve greatly after the Civil War■ The key was the building of the Transcontinental

Railroad■ This will allow people to travel from coast to coast

Transcontinental RR■ Built with blood, sweat, politics and thievery■ Government subsidies fund much of project- huge loans

and land grants were given to 2 companies■ Mostly immigrant labor used

Transcontinental RRCentral Pacific RR■ Built east from

Sacramento, CA over Sierra Nevada mountains

■ Chinese labor used-paid less than other workers

Union Pacific RR■ Built west from

Omaha, NE over Rocky Mountains

■ 20,000 workers laid 5 miles of track a day and die by the hundreds

■ Irish & war veterans

Transcontinental RRTranscontinental Railroad

After 7 years, the two crews meet at Promontory Point, UT

Play-by-play is delivered to the nation via telegraph

The owner of Central Pacific RR, Leland Stanford drives the “golden spike”