2nd Industrial Revolution

1860–1920

Topic 6:Technological Innovations

ObjectiveWrite:The rise technological innovations transformed the American economy from an agrarian to an increasingly urban industrial society.

During the late 1800s, what did new technology and

inventions lead to?

WRITE:growth of industry,rise of big business, and revolutions in transportation and communication.

How did Henry Ford’s use of the assembly line and the use of

interchangeable parts, called mass production, affect other industries?WRITE:

Other industries soon follow his example and used mass production

(assembly line and

interchangeable parts)

How did the innovative process of making steel (the Bessemer process)

change the way in which buildings could be constructed?

Write: Before the 2nd Industrial

Revolution, buildings could not be built any taller than 5-6 stories. Steel

made using the Bessemer

process and the Otis elevator

enabled architects to build much

taller buildings.

Write:

Cities were growing because of immigration and farm laborers moving to urban areas to find work in factories. Transportation was needed to move people from one area of the city to another.

Buffalo, New York late 1800s

What led to the development of mass transit systems?

What new types of transportation revolutionized how people traveled?

Write: streetcars, subways, automobiles, airplanes

How did most cities’ streetcars and trolleys get

their power?Write: from overhead electrical wires

How did technology change communication in the late 1800s?

Write: telegraph became the fastest way to send messages; telephone allowed people to talk to one another at great distances; typewriters could produce legible documents very quickly.

Telegraph

Why did railroads and the telegraph expand together?

Write:Railroads needed telegraph for communication; railroad tracks furnished right-of-way for telegraph wires.

How important are Edison’s inventions in American life today?

Write:Movies, electric lights, recorded sound, and other types of his inventions are still used today

How did new technologies

change cities?

New technologies made city life more pleasant and convenient; the age’s new technologies were put to use in cities.

New York City in the Late 1800s Like many cities of the late 1800s New York was a busy, crowded place.

Examine the picture. Name ways in which electricity changed cities.