Industrial Revolution

SE.US.04.06.01 Uses events and documents from history to develop and support a point of view regarding American identity and culture.

SE.US.04.07.01 Summarizes the eras, epochs, and turning points in United States History, the American Revolution, Civil War, reconstruction period, twentieth century wars, the Great Depression, the New Deal, etc.

A Change in the Culture

• The first half of the 19th Century most Americans were farmers or shopkeepers.

• In the second half of the 19th Century as new industries grew, more people began to work in factories.

Working Conditions

• Factories were hot, sweaty, unpleasant locations.

• Children worked in many factories.

• Working conditions were often unsafe.

• The conditions brought about the rise of labor unions.

Andrew Carnegie

• Began a business that built iron bridges.

• Found an inexpensive method of converting iron into steel.

Carnegie Castle

What wealth will buy you

Monopolies Began

• Carnegie bought mining and railroad companies and combined them into one large corporation.

• He tried to eliminate competition by purchasing other oil refining companies.

• Became known as monopolies since they had little or no competition.

Edwin Drake

• Drilled the first oil well near Titusville, Pennsylvania.

• Oil became known as “Black Gold”

• People flocked to Titusville to try and strike it rich.

John D. Rockefeller

• Founded the Standard Oil Company of Ohio.

• Purpose was to refine crude petroleum into usable oil

• Standard Oil became the most powerful company in the oil business

Rockefeller’s Legacy

Rockefeller Center

New York City

Rockefeller Center

Skating Rink

Early Oil Companies

• Refined kerosene for lamps

• Later produced gasoline to be used in cars.

Corporations

• Following the Civil War, companies were growing.

• These large companies became corporations.

• They were owned by many investors.

• Investors would buy stock in the corporation and earn money from their investments.

Fortune Makers

• Cornelius Vanderbilt and James J. Hill made fortunes by building and running railroads.

• Railroads were important for many industries, especially the meat-packing industry.

Cornelius Vanderbilt James J. Hill

Inventions

• Many inventions changed people’s lives during this period.

Thomas Edison

• Electric light bulb

• Phonograph

Alexander Graham Bell

• Telephone

George Eastman

• Kodak Camera

Henry Ford

• Gasoline-powered engines

• Ford Cars.