Industrial Age 1865-1910
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After the Civil War the United States was mostly
an Agricultural based Society.
By 1920, the United States was the leading
industrial power of the world.
Political Machines
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During the urbanization of U.S cities, political
machines evolved and gain control of politics.
Political Machine: an organized group that
controlled the activities of a political party in a
city.
Machines were broken down into local precincts.
Precincts were controlled by ward bosses.
Political Machines
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Controlled local and states politics.
Controlled votes and elections.
Serviced Immigrants.
Used power to improve local areas
Were respected by many.
Often exposed into Graft (political corruption).
Boss Tweed: William M Tweed
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Leader of Tammy Hall. New York City's powerful
political Machine.
Well know for corruption and scandal.
William M. Tweed
Practice of Patronage
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Consumed Politics since the Mid- 1800s
Give important Government positions to people
that helped get elected candidates into office.
Led to major corruption and greed for power.
Causes of Industrial Growth
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Expanding Natural Resources
New Innovations and Inventions
Growth of the Railroads
Growing Labor Force
Policy of Laissez-Faire
Increasing Natural Resources
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Western Expansion “Manifest Destiny” cause an
availability of new natural Resources
Oil
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Edwin Drake first drilled oil in 1859 in Pennsylvania
First used for illumination
Gasoline would not become important until the turn of
the century. It was thrown away as a waste product.
Edwin Drake
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First to strike oil the United States
Innovations: Steel
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Steel became one of the most important resources
of the Industrial age.
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Replaced Iron
Stronger, durable, lighter, cheaper.
Made huge impacts on city growth
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Skyscrapers
Bridges
Railroads
Bessemer Process
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Developed by Henry Bessemer.
Allowed to mass produce steel.
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Affordable
High Quantities
Revolutionized manufacturing
Brooklyn Bridge
Construction began January 3, 1870. The
Brooklyn Bridge was completed thirteen
years later and was opened for use on May
24, 1883. On that first day, a total of 1,800
vehicles and 150,300 people crossed what
was then the only land passage between
Manhattan and Brooklyn. The bridge's
main span over the East River is 1,595 feet
6 inches (486.3 m). The bridge cost $15.5
million to build and approximately 27
people died during its construction. [6]
One week after the opening, on May 30, a
rumor that the Bridge was going to collapse
caused a stampede which crushed and
killed twelve people.[7].
At the time it opened, it was the longest
suspension bridge in the world — 50%
longer than any previously built — and it
has become a treasured landmark.
Skylines begin to change
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Flatiron Building New
York City
1902
Innovations: Electricity
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1876 Thomas Edison introduce the incandescent
light bulb.
Later would found General Electric
George Westinghouse introduce AC current to
world.
Revolutionized American industry
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Cheap source of power
Electric machines
Replaces kerosene
Street cars and transportation
Impact of Railroads
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In the post Civil-War era, no industry probably
impacted the grow of American manufacturing
more than the Railroads.
At the start of the Civil War the United States had
about 30,000 miles of Railroads. By 1890, there
was more than 180,000 miles.
Would become one of the United States first Big
Businesses with tremendous political and
economic power.
Impact of Railroads
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Reliable transportation.
Opened new markets.
Access of natural resources
Allowed finished goods to travel across the
country.
Closed space and time boundaries.
Transcontinental Railroad
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President Lincoln signed the Railroad Act of 1862
Provided Land Grants and federal financing for
every mile of track laid.
Central Pacific and Union Pacific were contracted
to build a Transcontinental Railroad th would
Connected Sacramento, California and Omaha,
Nebraska.
Completed May 10th at Promontory Point, Utah
1869
Transcontinental Railroad
Transcontinental Railroad
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The Greatest industrial feat of its time!
Joined our nation as one.
Improvements to the Railroads
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Steel replaces iron rails (lighter & more durable)
Time Zones: standardized time
Couplers
Standard Gauge (4ft 8 1/2 inches)
George Pullman Cars
Air Brakes: George Westinghouse
Railroad Improvements
Immigration
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Between 1870 and 1920, approximately 20 million
Europeans arrived in the United States.
These “New” immigrants were from Eastern and
Southern Europe.
Carried different traits from earlier “old”
immigrants.
New Immigrants v. Old Immigrants
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New Immigrants
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Arrived Post Civil War
Southern / Eastern Europe
Non- English Speaking
Different Religions / Non Protestant
Unskilled / Poor
Settled in Urban areas / Cities became ethnically
divided. Beginnings of Gangs forming in U.S.
Provide Labor force for growing industries in the
United States.
New Immigrants v. Old Immigrants
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Old immigration
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Pre-Civil War
Northern and Western Europe
WASP
Settled in Rural areas
Immigration Concerns
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Difficult Journey
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One week by steamship
Conditions were extremely difficult: Crowded, Lice
infested bunks, shared toilets, no fresh air, sea
sickness, etc...
Ellis Island and Angel Island
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Immigration stations where immigrants had to pass
inspections before entering the United States.
Ellis Island
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An Atlantic charter
boat carrying
immigrants to the
U.S.
Most immigrants
came to the United
States in very crowed
conditions
Ellis Island
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View of Ellis Island
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Eye inspection at Ellis
Island
Immigrations Restrictions
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Increasing foreigners led to a rise in antiimmigration sentiment from people already living
in the United States.
NATIVISM
Nativists often persecuted new immigrants and
pressured government to take actions limiting
immigration and their rights.
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Religious persecution
Literacy test
The Chinese Exclusion Act
Immigrations
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Nativists pressures caused immigrants to find
solitude with their own social structures
Led to segregated sections to towns and urban
centers.
Gang related activity was common.
Laissez-Faire
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French Term – Laissez Faire – Meaning “Let do”
The Government should not intervene in business
No regulation, few rules. Industry should monitor
itself.
Free Market principles
This was the order of the day.
Corporations form in the U.S
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With industry growing, corporations begin to form
Corporations: Large Businesses that sell stock to
share holders and investors.
Trust form: Large Corporations intending to
control monopolies in a certain industries.
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Oil
Railroads
Steel
Financing, Banking
Sugar, etc..
Trust were unregulated and very political
powerful.
Famous Trust & Entrepreneurs
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Oil: Standard Oil
Monopolized and controlled by John Rockefeller.
Richest man ever
Net worth estimated at 800 billion.
Famous Trust & Entrepreneurs
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Steel: United States Steel
Monopolized by Andrew Carnegie
Famous Trust & Entrepreneurs
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Shipping & Railroads
Cornelius Vanderbilt
Monopolized Shipping and Railroads.
His children would continue the wealth.
New Business Practices
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Horizontal intergration
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Vertical intergration
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Merging like companies together
Merging companies together to control all of a
business process from beginning to end.
Economies of Scale
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Mass producing to lower cost of production per unit.
Can lower prices and run competing businesses out of
business.
Philosophies of Wealth
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New corporations and Monopolies creates a
tremendously wealthy class in the United States.
Wealth never seen before.
New Attitudes begin to form about wealth.
Conspicuous Consumption
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If you have wealth you should
show it off!
New Port Rhode Island
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Became a summer vacation for the Rich
The Marble House
http://www.galenfrysinger.com/newport_marble_house.htm
http://www.galenfrysinger.com/newport_marble_house.htm
The Biltmore Estates
http://www.galenfrysinger.com/biltmore_estate_nc.htm
Social Darwinism
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Philosophy that stems from Charles Darwin's
book, the origins of species.
“natural selection” has cause some people to
advance over others.
Basically, “the rich are wealthy because of better
genes and traits passed down.”
Justification of wealth.
Gospel of Wealth
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Practice of Philanthropy
Giving away wealth for improving society.
It is the obligation of the rich to give away some
of their wealth.
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Libraries
Schools
Colleges (Vanderbilt, Stanford, etc...)
Hospitals
Rise of Labor
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Unregulated corporations many times abused
workers.
Long hours: 12-16 hours a day, six days a week.
Child Labor was common.
Low wages
No health benefits / insurance
No retirement
Poor, unhealthy working conditions
Sweatshop conditions were common.
Rise of Labor
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Labor Unions began to organize fight for better
wages and improved working conditions.
NLU-national labor union
AFL- American Federation of Labor
Samuel Gompers
IWW – Industrial Workers of the World
Striking
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Many strikes turned violent in the post-Civil War
era.
The Haymarket Strike: 1877 strike at the
McCormick Harvester plant in Chicago.
Violence broke out and a bomb was tossed into a
police line.
Brought a negative shadow to unions
Homestead Strike: Homestead PA
Strike over labor wages at a Carnegie steel plant.
Pinkerton Guards were called into keep order.
Striking
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Pullman Strike: 1894 Railroad car workers went of
strike over labor wages.
Wages had been cut by 25-30%
Eugene Debs led strike that turned violent.
Most men were blacklisted
Women organizing
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Mary Harris Jones: Famous
Women Union supporter
Fought to prevent child labor.
Pauline Newman: 16yr old
organized garment workers
Triangle Shirtwaist Factory
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1911: the Triangle
Shirtwaist Factory
caught on fire.
Owners had locked fire
escapes to prevent
workers from theft.
146 women died.
Effects of Unions
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Over time improved labor and working
conditions.
Caused Government to take action against abuses
in business.
Sherman Anti-Trust Act: acted to prevent
Monopolies
Interstate commerce Act: worked to deregulate the
railroad industry.
Pressures against Unions
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Big Business fought against unions.
Blacklist
Yellow-dog contracts
Scabs
City Life and Urbanization
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With increased immigration and rising
industrialism, cities grew rapidly.
Cities faced challenges with Urbanization
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Housing – Tenements
Transportation – Mass Transit
Water / sewer
Sanitation
Crime
Fire
Tenements
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Poorly constructed apartments that multi-families
occupied.
Chicago Fire
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October 8 thru 10 1871
Fire in Chicago ripped
through Chicago
Burned 4 acres of downtown
Chicago