The first Industrial Revolution occurred during the early 1800s, in England. It revolutionized the making of products and its use. It was a leap from handwork to industrial factories. Then in the United States, during 1870-1914 the, “Second Industrial Revolution” took place. 1
This second revolution also brought many advancements in America and is, in fact responsible for the modern America we live in today. The South is noted to have been industrialized first with inventions like the cotton gin, by Eli Whitney in 1793.2 This changed the face of America forever. Eli’s patented cotton gin was the keystone for changes and the cause for success. It made planting and growing crops much easier. This new technology allowed for a much larger production …show more content…
In the mid-1850s, Henry Bessemer invented the Bessemer Process, “a way to manufacture steel rapidly and cheaply by blasting hot air through the melted iron to quickly remove impurities.”4 This process helped increase steel production and is responsible for the many famous skyscrapers that put America on the global map. Therefore, Steel was a very important resource for America. At this time, steel was cheaper and easier to produce. One major way steel built America, was in building America’s railroad system. The tracks were made of steel back and so were the trains. The quality makeup of the train’s interior served a great purpose for the train riders. This railroad network was advantageous for both the Northerners and the Southerners. The commute from one state to another became much more efficient. Most importantly, this infrastructure helped moved goods, quicker, throughout America. Raw materials and crops were now easily transported from coast to coast with minimum effort. Therefore, with this realization and understanding of the benefit of steel, steel production skyrocketed. This increase in steel production meant more jobs for the people in the United States and thus, resulted in a booming economy. By 1879, steel production had risen to …show more content…
Industries and railroads were much needed. In order to reach California’s burgeoning port cities like San Francisco and to expedite the extraction of gold from the mines, railroad tracks were needed to be laid across the plains to reach the Pacific and to open up trade networks. Inventions like the steam power and the cotton gin, by Eli Whitney in 1793, allowed cotton to be shipped from the South via New England ships to the vast textile factories of Great Britain. This created a reverse triangle trade around a single global commodity. Regardless of the many great inventions that resulted in great benefits for the country’s commerce; citizens still had to suffer for decades from all the inequality and injustices this revolution has caused in the American society.
Therefore, people blamed the second Industrial Revolution to have been the fuel for the Gilded Age, a period of great extremes: great wealth and widespread poverty, great expansion and deep depression, new opportunities and greater standardization. Economic insecurity became a basic way of life as the depressions of the 1870s and 1890s. This put millions of people out of work or reduced pay. Those who remained in the industrial line of work experienced; extremely dangerous working conditions, long hours, no compensation for injuries, no pensions, and low
This second revolution also brought many advancements in America and is, in fact responsible for the modern America we live in today. The South is noted to have been industrialized first with inventions like the cotton gin, by Eli Whitney in 1793.2 This changed the face of America forever. Eli’s patented cotton gin was the keystone for changes and the cause for success. It made planting and growing crops much easier. This new technology allowed for a much larger production …show more content…
In the mid-1850s, Henry Bessemer invented the Bessemer Process, “a way to manufacture steel rapidly and cheaply by blasting hot air through the melted iron to quickly remove impurities.”4 This process helped increase steel production and is responsible for the many famous skyscrapers that put America on the global map. Therefore, Steel was a very important resource for America. At this time, steel was cheaper and easier to produce. One major way steel built America, was in building America’s railroad system. The tracks were made of steel back and so were the trains. The quality makeup of the train’s interior served a great purpose for the train riders. This railroad network was advantageous for both the Northerners and the Southerners. The commute from one state to another became much more efficient. Most importantly, this infrastructure helped moved goods, quicker, throughout America. Raw materials and crops were now easily transported from coast to coast with minimum effort. Therefore, with this realization and understanding of the benefit of steel, steel production skyrocketed. This increase in steel production meant more jobs for the people in the United States and thus, resulted in a booming economy. By 1879, steel production had risen to …show more content…
Industries and railroads were much needed. In order to reach California’s burgeoning port cities like San Francisco and to expedite the extraction of gold from the mines, railroad tracks were needed to be laid across the plains to reach the Pacific and to open up trade networks. Inventions like the steam power and the cotton gin, by Eli Whitney in 1793, allowed cotton to be shipped from the South via New England ships to the vast textile factories of Great Britain. This created a reverse triangle trade around a single global commodity. Regardless of the many great inventions that resulted in great benefits for the country’s commerce; citizens still had to suffer for decades from all the inequality and injustices this revolution has caused in the American society.
Therefore, people blamed the second Industrial Revolution to have been the fuel for the Gilded Age, a period of great extremes: great wealth and widespread poverty, great expansion and deep depression, new opportunities and greater standardization. Economic insecurity became a basic way of life as the depressions of the 1870s and 1890s. This put millions of people out of work or reduced pay. Those who remained in the industrial line of work experienced; extremely dangerous working conditions, long hours, no compensation for injuries, no pensions, and low