The American Industrial Revolution was a huge turning point in American history. Upon completion, of the the transcontinental railroads being built the country was connected like never before. The railroads made for an entire new world of possibilities; trade and transportation was faster and more efficient than ever, and the economic effect was unbelievable.
Soon after, the steel and oil industry erupted. Between 1870 and 1900 the annual manufacturing of steel grew from 77,000 tons to 11.4 million. Andrew Carnegie had a major impact on this feat, he was known as the king of steel and also for surrounding himself with people much smarter than he was. His company was later bought out by J.P. Morgan, who renamed it, U.
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S. steel. Upon discovery of the three main oil products the oil industry took off. John D. Rockefeller, who controlled 90 percent of the oil trade, became the first oil billionaire.
Inventions were also a huge part of the industrial revolution. Thomas Edison was known as the world’s best inventor and had 1,093 patents total in his lifetime. Other essentials; Bell’s telephone, typewriters and sewing machines, the Edison Electric Illuminating company, later renamed (GE), are just a few of the many inventions that changed America.
Agriculture remained America’s basic occupation throughout the era and while it grew exceedingly with the Homestead Act of 1862, farmers faced many hardships; scarce water supply, harsh winters and intense summer heat to name a few. By 1890, overproduction occurred which caused prices of crops to decline. 80 percent of Homestead farms failed by 1900. Between 1860 and 1910 the urban population grew from 6 million to 44 million. By 1882, 800,000 new immigrants came to America annually.
This caused many social problems and created overcrowding. Jobs were limited and this allowed businesses to provide horrible working conditions with extremely low wages. The other effect the ever growing population had was the never before seen issue of pollution.
Many acts were placed between the 1880’s and 1900 that set out to preserve natural resources and outlaw water pollution. The America Industrial Revolution laid the foundation for the twentieth century.
