American Industrial Revolution in the

Gilded AgeCh. 6, Sec 1

Setting the Scene• By 1865, USA had telegraph, railroads,

steamships.• Every year, thousands of patents issued by

government for new products and services.– Licenses that give an inventor the exclusive right to

make, use, or sell an invention for a set period of time.

• Due to improved manufacturing methods, USA saw increased productivity.– Amount of goods and services created in a given

period of time.

Energy• In 1859, Edwin Drake became first person to

successfully drill for oil.– Pennsylvania became center of oil industry.– Refineries produced petroleum-based products

such as kerosene for lamps.• Oil exploration spread throughout America

and led to new fields in Texas, Oklahoma, and California.

• Gasoline thrown away until invention of automobile.

Edwin Drake

Spindletop, Texas

• Thomas Edison created first electric lightbulb in 1880.– To attract customers, built a power plant to provide

electricity to several buildings in New York City.• Power plant idea caught on across country and

electrification of America began.• Edison used DC (direct current).• Inventor George Westinghouse developed AC

(alternating current) that was more efficient.– Also invented transformers that boosted power at

relay stations.• Allowed electricity to travel long distances by wire.

Thomas Edison

Edison’s First Power Plant

George Westinghouse

• Electricity created many changes in manufacturing.– Ex- electric sewing machine – less labor, less time,

cheaper clothes.• Electricity also led to changes in the home.– Ex- refrgerators, electric ovens.

Communication

• In 1844, Samuel Morse sent first message by telegraph using Morse Code.– Communications technology advanced rapidly.

• In 1876, Alexander Graham Bell created first telephone.

• By 1900, 1.5 million telephones in use.

Samuel Morse

Alexander Graham Bell

Railroads and Steel

• Before the Civil War, most railroads were short lines connecting East Coast cities.

• During the Civil War, work was started on Transcontinental Railroad to connect both coasts.– Would build around 6 miles of track a day.– Irish and Chinese immigrants did most of the labor.

• May 10, 1869, it was completed.

• New technologies rapidly improved often dangerous rail travel.

• Steel rails replaced iron, signals became standardized across the country.

• Better air brakes, mobile telegraphy improved safety.

• Time zones were created across country to improve train scheduling.

• By 1900, 190,000 miles of track in USA.

1900

• Railroads provided:– Faster and more practical means of transporting

goods and people.– Lower costs of production.– Creation of national markets.– Model for big businesses.– Stimulation of other industries.

• Henry Bessemer invented way to make cheap steel called Bessemer Process.– Led to mass production of steel.

• Cheap rails, steel for buildings, ships, bridges.– Brooklyn Bridge – longest continuous span

suspension bridge in world.

Henry Bessemer