Chapter 18Industry & Urban Growth
Section 1A New Industrial Revolution
Why Industry Boomed
Expansion of U.S. led to discovers of deposits of coal, iron, lead, & copper› Along with vast forests that could furnish
lumber Land grants given by gov’t to railroads
& other businessesses Tariffs were kept on imports
› Helped American industry grow by making foreign goods more expensive
Steel & Oil
Technology spurred industrial growth as well› 1850s: Bessemer process was developed
Method of making steel stronger at lower costs
Steel quickly replaced iron as basic building material
Pittsburgh became nation’s steel making capital Due to close coal mines & good transportation
1859› Titusvill, PA
New source of energy found 1st oil strike Methods to refine crude oil were developed
Made into lubricants for machines & later into gasoline
Oil became known as black gold
A Railroad Boom
Railroads fueled industrial growth› Carried people & goods to the west & raw
materials to the east› New services added (sleeping cars) & more
tracks were laid down› Big lines soon consolidated & bought up
smaller lines Limited competition & kept prices high
Higher prices angered small farmers who relied on railroads to get their goods to market
Inventors & Inventions
Late 1800s› More patents issued than 10 years before
Civil War› U.S. became known as a land of invention› Inventions made business & life easier
Edison’s Invention Factory
1876› Thomas Edison created research lab in Menlo
Park, NJ Here they created the light bulb, the phonograph,
the motion picture camera, & other useful devices 1882
› Edison opened 1st electrical power plant in New York City; other soon followed all over the country Supplied electricity that lit homes, powered
streetcars, & replaced steam engines & electric ones in factories
Communication Revolution
1866 telegraph speed increased› Cyrus Field laid an underwater telegraph cable from
Europe› Made communication faster
1876› Alexander Graham Bell sent the 1st telephone
message to his assistant in another room› Patent for the telephone became the most valuable
ever issued› By 1885 300,000 phones were sold› He later organized over 100 local companies into the
giant American Telephone & Telegraphy Company
Devices for Home & Office
1868› Christopher Sholes invented the type writer› Made writing letters much faster
1888› George Eastman introduced a lightweight camera› Replaced heavy chemicals & equipment› Sold for a low price, ordinary people could purchase it
Jan Matzeliger› African American; invented shoe sewing machine
Granville Woods› African American; invented telegraph between moving
trains
Transportation Revolution
Late 1800s› European engineers developed automobile
Only 8,000 Americans had one› Era of freer & faster transportation followed
Henry Ford› American manufacturer made automobile available to millions› Created a system to mass produce cars & made them
available at a lower price› 1913 Ford introduced the assembly line
Production time was cut in half Lower costs to build = lower prices for consumers 1917 4.5 million owned cars
Cars changed the nation’s landscape› Roads spread across country & new cities were developed
The Wright Brothers
1903› Wilbur & Orville Wright tested a gas powered
airplane @ Kitty Hawk, NC› Stayed in the air for 12 seconds & flew 120
feet› 1st flights attracted little interest
No use for a flying machine Military did not starting using airplane until WWI
1920s› Airplane started to alter the world by making
travel quicker & trade easier
Big Business & organized Labor
Section 2
New Ways of Doing Business
Expansion led by entrepreneurs› Someone who sets up new businesses to
make a profit› To raise more money, entrepreneurs
adopted new ways of organizing business
The Corporation
Corporations› Businesses owned by many investors› Raise money by selling stock or shares› Stockholders get some of the profits & pick
who runs the company Limited risk of investors, only lost money
they invested
Banking
Huge loans were given to corporations› Helped industry grow quickly› Made huge profits for bankers
J. Pierpont Morgan› Became powerful force in American
economy› Gained control of key industries (railroads &
steel) Bought stock in troubled corporations Ran companies by eliminating competition &
increasing profits
Growth of Big Business
Congress did little to regulate business practices› Led to growth of “Big Business”› Entrepreneurs formed monopolies or
companies that control most or all business in a particular industry
Andrew Carnegie
Poor Scottish immigrant that worked his way up in the railroad business
Entered the steel industry› Soon controlled every step of making
steel (owned iron mines, steel mills, railroads, & shipping lines) 1892 formed Carnegie Steel Company;
produced more steel than all mills in England
Carnegie believed the rich had a duty to improve society› Called Gospel of Wealth› Donated millions to build libraries &
charities› Set up a foundation that funded worthy
causes after his death
John D. Rockefeller
Son of a New York peddler At 23 he invested in an oil refinery
› Used profits to buy other oil companies› Didn’t hesitate to crush competitors
1882 Rockefeller formed the Standard Oil Trust› Trust: group of corporations run by a single
board of directors 1900
› Trusts dominated many of nation’s key industries
Debate Over Trusts
Big Business good or bad? Critics
› Trusts threatened free enterprise (system in which privately owned businesses compete freely)
› Business leaders were “robber barons” & used their money to influence politicians
Others› Bold “captains of industry”› Built up economy & created jobs› Made goods & services affordable for American
consumers
Social Darwinism
Supported trend toward trusts Survival of the fittest applied to human
affairs Business leaders used to justify efforts
to limit competition & harsh working conditions
Changes in the Workplace
Close relationships between owners & workers ended as industries grew
Most new workers were immigrants, others were African Americans who left southern farms
Women & Children
Outnumbered men in most industries Many work in sweatshops (workshops
with long hours & poor working conditions with low pay)
Children had hazardous jobs as well Most children did not go to school &
could not improve their lives
Dangerous Conditions
Lung diseases by textile workers & miners› From breathing fibers & dusts
Burns & death by steelworkers Employers were not required to
pay compensation for injuries› Social Darwinists: harsh conditions
necessary to cut costs, increase production, & ensure survival of business
March 25, 1911
Triangle Shirtwaist Factory› Fire broke out› Within 15 minutes, upper stories were
ablaze› Workers raced to exits to find them locked
Doors locked to keep workers at their jobs› Fire truck ladders were too short to reach
the fire Workers leaped to their deaths 150 people, mostly young women, died
New York & other states approved safety
Workers Organize
Factory workers made attempts to organize in early days of Industrial Revolution› Security guards were hired by companies
to attack strikers or union organizers› Laws made it illegal to strike› Workers formed unions in secret
Sought safer working conditions, higher wages, & shorter hours
Knights of Labor
Philadelphia clothing workers› 1st was small & secret
1879› Terence Powderly elected president of
KOL Held public rallies Women, African Americans, immigrants,
& unskilled workers were admitted Became biggest union in the country
Violent labor disputes soon took place
May 4th, 1886› Strike took place in Haymarket Square
in Chicago› Bomb exploded killing seven
policemen› Police opened fire on the crowd› KOL lost their influence as a result of
protest
Rise of the AFL
1886› Samuel Gompers formed new union in Columbus,
OH American Federation of Labor Replaced KOL as leading union in the country
AFL only admitted skilled workers› Costly & more difficult to train replacements› Believed in collective bargaining (unions negotiate
with management for workers as a group)› Used strikes only when all else failed
1904› AFL had more than a million members› Only included a fraction of American workers
Women in the Labor Movement
Played leading roles in building unions Mary Harris Jones
› Traveled the country campaigning for unions
› Called attention to hard lives of children Called Mother Jones by many people
Bitter Strikes 1893
› Severe economic depression› Owners cut production, fired workers, & slashed wages
Violent strikes swept the country George Pullman
› Cut workers pay by 25% & did not lower rent on company housing
› Workers walked off their jobs› By July rail lines were shut down from coast to coast› President Grover Cleveland sent federal troops to Chicago
to end the strike Shots were fired into the crowd, killing 2
Public generally sided with owners in violent labor disputes› Striking unions were seen as radical or violent› By 1900 only 3% of American workers belonged to a union
Chapter 18 Section 3Cities Grow & Change
Rapid Growth of Cities
Urbanization› Rapid growth of city populations
1890› 1 in 3 Americans lived in a city› U.S. had cities the sizes of London & Paris
Reasons for urbanization› Cities attracted industry & industry attracted
people Moved in search of jobs & excitement Many were near waterways, provided easier
transport of goods
Growing Out and Up
Technology› Aided in growth of cities
Elevated trains, electric streetcar, & electric subway
Public Transportation› Help create suburbs
Didn’t have to live in the cities to work there› Steel bridges also allowed suburbs to grow
Cities expanded upward› 1885 1st 10 story building constructed› 1900 skyscrapers reached 30 stories
Electric elevators allowed people to move up & down the building
Cities grew outward from old downtown sections› Poor families crowded into these
areas
Problems of Urban Life
Fire› Constant threat to tightly
packed neighborhoods› 1871
Chicago fire leveled 3 square miles of downtown killing 300 people & leaving 18,000 homeless
Tenement Life
Downtown slums› Poor living conditions› Tenements: buildings divided into many tiny
apartments No windows (usually), heat, or indoor plumbing 10 people lived in a single room & several families
shared a single bathroom› Streets were littered w/ garbage› Diseases were common› Babies ran the greatest risk of death
In one Chicago slum, half of all babies died by one
Improving City Life
1880s› Streetlights, fire stations, police
departments, & sanitation stations were set up
› Public health officials waged war on disease
› Religious groups served the poor Hospitals & clinics were set up for those who
could not afford a doctor› Salvation Army was founded & gave food,
clothing & shelter to the homeless
Settlement Houses
Jane Addams› 1889 opened Hull House (settlement house)
in Chicago A center offering help to the urban poor
At settlement houses› Taught English to immigrants, sponsored
music & sports for young people, & provided nurseries for children of working women
Addams & other house leaders fought to outlaw child labor
The Excitement of City Life
Attractions available in the city› Electric lights, elevated railroads, & tall
buildings Department stores
› Developed to meet the needs of shoppers Could buy everything they needed in one
store (use to buy shirts in one, shoes in one, pants in one)
Goods were separated on different floors
Leisure Activities
Entertainment provided to people in cities› Museums, orchestras, art galleries, & theaters› Circuses drew large audiences
1850s› Frederick Law Olmsted planned Central Park in NY
Others cities built parks, zoos, & gardens Sports
› Pro teams developed in cities after the Civil War› Baseball was the most popular
Cincinnati Red Stockings 1st pro team in 1869 7 years later 8 cities had teams & formed the National
League of Professional Baseball Clubs w/ crowds of 5,000 people
1891› James Naismith nailed two peach baskets
to the walls of a gym in Springfield, MA› Basketball was the new game he created
Used a soccer ball Football also became popular
› Very dangerous, no equipment› 1 season 44 college players died of injuries
Section 4The New Immigrants
A Fresh Start
1865-1915› 25 million immigrants entered U.S.
Reasons for Migration› Farmland in Europe was shrinking w/ increasing
population & machines were replacing farmhands› Religious freedom› Political unrest› Job opportunities
Steamships & railroads (profited from immigration) sent agents to Asia & Europe advertising cheap land & plentiful jobs
› Promise of freedom drew people from lands w/o democracy & liberty
The new Immigrants
Came from southern & eastern Europe (Italy, Poland, Russia, & Greece), Asia, & the Pacific
Most were Catholic or Jewish
Few understood English or experience living in a democracy or a city
Starting a new life
Difficult decision to emigrate› Leave home, family, & friends to start
a strange new life Coming to America
› Miserable journey› Crammed below decks in steerage
(large compartments that usually held cattle)
› Diseases & rough seas sickened travelers
› Europeans landed at Ellis Island in NY & Asians landed at Angel Island in San Francisco Faced rigorous physical exam; could be
sent home if disabled or seriously ill
Immigrant Neighborhoods
Most settled into cities after being admitted to U.S.› Near people from the same country
Helped people feel less isolated Celebrated familiar holidays & cooked foods
from homeland Social groups were started (Sons of Italy) Storefronts became places of worship
Becoming American
Immigrant Aid Societies› Helped cloth, house, & teach immigrants
Assimilation› Immigrants kept traditional modes of
worship, family life, & community› Worked hard to also assimilate (process of
becoming part of another culture) Children assimilated faster than parents;
learned English faster, played baseball & dressed like native-born Americans
Pained parents to see children change, but dreamed of the next generations would be better off
Contributions of Immigrants
Labor of immigrants was essential to new American economy› Took whatever job they could find (steel mills,
meatpacking plants, mines, garment sweatshops, built subways, skyscrapers, & bridges)
› Chinese, Irish, & Mexican workers laid hundreds of miles of railroad track
Hard work & saving allowed many to advance economically› Sometimes opened small businesses to serve their
community Customers expanded beyond neighborhood over time,
spreading traditional customs like food throughout the country (spaghetti, chow mein, & bagles)
Individual Immigrants who contributed› Andrew Carnegie, Alexander Graham Bell,
Samuel Goldwyn & Louis Mayer (started motion picture industry), Arturo Toscanini (famous orchestra conductor), Leo Baekeland (invented 1st plastic)
A New Wave of Nativism
1840s› Increased immigration led to nativism
Nativists sought to preserve U.S. for native born Americans Immigrants wouldn’t assimilate because their languages, religions, &
customs were too different Took away jobs from Americans Immigrants were associated w/ violence, crime, & anarchy
› West Coast Chinese were drove from mining camps & cities & sometimes
killed by angry mobs 1882
› Congress passed Chinese Exclusion Act to exclude Chinese laborers from U.S. 1st law limiting immigration based on race; repealed in 1943
1917› Congress passed a law that denied entry to immigrant who
could not read their own languages Barred most of the world’s poor people from U.S.
Education & CultureSection 5
Educating Americans
Before 1870› ½ American children attended school› All age levels w/ one teacher
Industry Growth› Nation needed educated workforce› States improved public schools @ all levels
Education Expands
1852› Compulsory education law passed
Requirement that children attend school up to a certain point
› Most states passed minimum of 10th grade› Schools for whites & black were built in the South
More reluctant to pass compulsory education laws 1918
› Every state required children to attend school Higher education also expanded
› Colleges for men & women opened› Universities offering free or low-cost education opened
The School Day Elementary School
› 8:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m.› Learned reading, writing, & arithmetic› Moral values & the Christian religion
Education for Adults› Libraries were built
Offered not only books & magazines, but also speakers on important topics
› 1874 Methodist minister opened summer bible
school along Lake Chautauqua Camp later opened to the public Chautauqua Society later began & traveling lectures
were sent out
New American Writers
Americans began to read more› Bestsellers were dime novels› Told rags-to-riches stories
Realism› Writers who try to show life as it is› Emphasized the harsh side› Stephen Crane, Jack London, Kate Chopin,
& Paul Laurence Dunbar
Mark Twain› Pen name of Samuel Clemens› Made stories realistic by capturing the
speech patterns of southerners who lived & worked along the Mississippi River Huckleberry Finn
A Newspaper Boom Late 1800s
› Newspapers grew dramatically 1900
› Half the newspapers in the world were printed in the U.S.
Causes of newspaper boom› Spread of education
More could read, more newspapers & magazines were bought
› Urbanization News was shared face to face People needed newspapers to stay informed
A New Kind of Newspaper
Joseph Pulitzer› Created 1st modern mass circulation
newspaper› 1883
Bought New York World Cut the price so more people could afford it Added crowd pleasing features
Color comics (the Yellow Kid a sweet slum boy), crime & scandalous headlines
Critics called it yellow journalism