TheMenWhoBuiltAmerica
OilStrike
JohnD.RockefellergrewupinapoorhouseholdinCleveland,Ohio.Whywas
henotabletorelyuponhisfathertosupportthefamily?
Hisfatherwasaconmanandconstantlyeftthefamilywithoutmoney.
WhatproductdoesJohnD.Rockefellerdecidewillmakehimrich?
Oil
Rockefellerfeltthatdrillingforthisproductwastoorisky.Whatdoeshedecide
todoinstead?
Refiningcrudeoilintokerosene
America:TheStoryofUs– Cities
Steel
Withpopulationsgrowinginthecitieswebegantorunoutofrealestateand
space,socityplannersdecidedtobuildtallerbuildings.Todothatthey
neededsteel.Whywasthisaproblem?
Itwasrareandtooexpensive
WhatironmillionairewenttoEnglandtofindanewtechniquetomakesteel?
AndrewCarnegie
WhydidtheU.S.needsteeltobuildtheskyscrapers?
Itwastheonlymaterialstrongenoughtoholdthebuildingup.
WhatsimpleprocessdidCarnegielearnaboutinEnglandinwhichyoublow
hotairthroughmolteniron(toremoveimpurities)toproducesteel?
BessemerProcess
WhenCarnegieisabletomassproducesteelwiththisnewprocessthepriceof
steelgoesdown.Approximatelywhatpercentagedoesthepriceofsteeldrop?
80%
HowmanyskyscraperswerebeingbuiltinNewYorkCityby1902?
65
Becausebuildingskyscraperswassodangeroustheworkersgotpaidtwice
therateofothermanuallaborers-whatwastheirsalary?
4dollarsaday
Howmanyroughnecks(skyscraperbuilders)werekilledorseverelymaimed
onthejob?
2outof5
Whatinventionallowedskyscraperstobebuilteventaller?
Theelevator
America:TheStoryofUs– Cities
LetThereBeLight
Whatisthenameofthemanwhoisknownfortheinventionofthelight
bulb?
ThomasEdison
Approximately,howmanypatentsdidhisresearchanddevelopmentlab
have?
Over1000
Approximately,howmanymaterials(intheplantworldalone)didhego
throughtryingtofindtheperfectfilamentforthelightbulb?
6000
Howlongdidthepieceofcarbonizedcardboardburnforwhenheputitin
thevacuumofaglassbulb?
300hours
WithintwoyearsofinventingthelightbulbwhatdoesThomasEdisondueto
powerhisnewinvention?
Builds5000powerplants
TheMenWhoBuiltAmerica
TheNewMachine
WhodidFordwanttosellhisautomobilesto?
Ordinarypeople– Commonman
WhatwaswrongwithFord’sfirstcardesign,thequadricycle?
Expensiveandbrokedown
WhatdoesForddothatmakeshimandheroandallowshimtoget
investorstobuildhisfirstfactory?
Hebeatthe“fastestman”inAmericainacarrace.
America:TheStoryofUs– Cities
DangerousWork
By1900,howmanywomenwereworkinginU.S.cities?
4million
WhathappenedattheTriangleShirtwaistFactory?
Therewasafire
Howmanypeoplediedinthetragedy?
146
Whatwasthepositivethatcameoutofthetragedy?
Unionsforcedthemanagementtolookoutforitsworkers
andthelifesafetycodewasestablished.
America:TheStoryofUs– Cities
Crime,Poverty,andFilth
WhattechniquedidNewYorkPoliceChiefThomasByrnesandhisdetectives
useoncriminalstogetconfessionsandinformation?
Thethirddegree
Whywastrackingcriminalssodifficultatthattime?
AmericansdidnothaveSocialSecuritynumbers,identification,or
driver’slicenses.Nowaytoofficiallyidentifypeople.
WhatdoesByrnesdotohelpwiththisissue?
HestartstheRogue’sGallery– beginstakingmugshotsofcriminals.
Thisisthestartofmoderndaymugshots.
Besidescrime,whatelseplaguedcitystreets?
Slums
WhydidJacobReesetakepicturesofthetenementbuildings
intheslumsofNewYork?
ToshowwealthyAmericanshowmanyotherpeoplelive
intheUnitedStates.
WhatdoesJacobReese’scampaignforcelandlordstodoinapartment
buildings?
Installtoiletsinsidebuildingsinsteadofoutside.
Whatledtonearly40,000peopledyingperyearfromdiseaseinNewYork
City?
Filth
HowmanypoundsofhorsemanurewasdroppedonthestreetsofNewYork
perdayin1895?
500,000pounds(Halfamillion)
WhatnicknamewasgiventothesanitationworkersofNewYorkCity?
Whiteducks