RESULTS OF IMPROVED TECHNOLOGY DURING THE INDUSTRIAL AGE
The Bessemer Process,
and use of the internal
combustion engine
Invention of the
telephone and
telegraph
Commercial use of
electricity and use of
electric appliances
Expansion and growth
of railroads
Using photographs in historical investigations – “An Urban Tenement”
•
Identify the picture:
– 1. Who took the photograph and when? _________________________________________________
– 2. Who was the intended audience?____________________________________________________
– 3. Why was it taken?_______________________________________________________________
•
Examine the picture:
–
–
•
1. Divide the photo into several parts and make a list of objects pictured. Examine the background,
individuals, groups, or objects. _______________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________________
2. Describe the action or the subject of the photo. _______________________________________
________________________________________________________________________________
Evaluate the picture:
–
–
–
1. Based on what you see in the photo, what facts are likely to be true?______________________
_________________________________________________________________________________
2. What questions do you have about this photo?________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________
3. In what ways might this photograph be misleading? _____________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________
Two successful entrepreneurs
•
•
Andrew Carnegie – worked his way up from a penniless Scottish immigrant to one of America’s
riches and most powerful men. As a boy, he worked in a cotton mill and later became a telegraph
operator for the railroad. He became friends with the president of the railroad, who promoted him
and advised him on investments.
– After the Civil War, Carnegie invested in ironworks and build a steel mill in Pittsburgh. With
profits made from selling iron to the railroad, he bought other mills and founded the Carnegie
Steel Corporation in 1892. He undercut the competition, bought ore fields, mines, and ships so
he could mine his own ore and ship it to his mills. He paid workers low wages and required
them to work long hours, while crushing their attempts to for labor unions.
– He spent his later life in acts of philanthropy, giving away $350 million to build libraries and
endow universities
John D. Rockefeller – made his fortune in the oil industry. He started a successful company selling
produce and used his profits to build an early oil refinery in Cleveland, OH. Oil in his day was mainly
used to make kerosene to burn in lamps in place of whale oil. Rockefeller formed the Standard Oil
Company in 1870, and by 1779 controlled 90% of the oil refining in the U.S. By 1882, his company
became a “trust” in which he controlled the largest proportion of shares.
– His company continued to grow and became a virtual monopoly. He forced railroads to give
him special, secret rates for shipping
– In 1892, the government forced Rockefeller to dissolve Standard Oil, which was divided into 20
smaller companies. Despite the breakup, the leaders of Standard Oil remained the main
shareholders of the new companies. Rockefeller also gave millions of his fortune away to
education and science, such as the University of Chicago and Rockefeller Foundation.
ASSIGNMENT
•
After reading the excerpts about Carnegie and Rockefeller on the front of this
page, discuss with your group rather you would call each a “Captain of Industry” or
“robber baron”. Jot down your reasons for each in the space below and be
prepared to defend your choice in class.
•
Place this completed page in your interactive notebook.
ACTING AS AN AMATEUR HISTORIAN
The Sherman Anti-Trust Act, Section 1:
“Every contract, combination in the form of trust or otherwise, or
conspiracy, in restraint of trade or commerce among the states is declared to
be illegal. Every person who shall engage in any combination or conspiracy
declared to be illegal shall be deemed guilty of a felony [a serious crime].”
Do you think this legislation helped or hindered the American economy? Explain your
answer with logical reasoning and historical evidence. You may discuss it with your
group, but each person must have his or her own answer. Be prepared to share your
answer with the class, and place this completed page in your interactive notebook.
The Pros and Cons of Big Business
• PROS
– Large business are more
efficient, leading to
lower prices
– They can hire large
numbers of workers
– They can produce goods
in large quantities
– They have the resources
to support expensive
research and invent new
items
• CONS
– They have an unfair
competitive advantage
against smaller businesses
– They sometimes exploit
workers.
– They are less concerned
with where they do business
and pollute the area
– They have an unfair
influence over gov’t. policies
affecting them
Assignment
• Create a concept map for the rise of Big
Business