Eras In The Late 1800s

Gaining its independence from the British in 1776, the growth of the United States of America from that period to the present day has followed many paths. With a population that now exceeds 300 million, many different people have provided their insight, their input and their ideas to continue to make the United States a free country. From the late 1800s to the present day there have been technological inventions and governmental programs created to help the country remain on its path of growth, strength, and freedom.

Three different eras since the late 1800s have played a significant role as the country continues to display its ingenuity. In each era, there was an individual that either invented a new device that made life easier or established a government program that helped ease the burden of the downtrodden. The three periods of interest are from 1877-1920, 1921-1945, and 1946 to the present. The …show more content…
Instead of using the telephone to alter their life, they used the telephone to change the characteristics of their life. Telephone use improved the sociability of the citizens (Watkins, 1994). Women and the local community benefitted by the use and growth of the telephone. The ability of the women to interact with neighbors without having to go outside significantly increased the demand for the telephone. Originally thought to be of great value and interest for the business world, the telephone proved more valuable for social uses (Watkins, 1994). Several theories have been suggested that the telephone would reduce the amount of socialization and specifically face to face socialization. The opposite has occurred. Even though the number of face to face conversations was reduced, the amount of socialization, particularly between women and rural America increased. Increasing the socialization improved the overall well being and social interaction of the