
Spotlight Video: Rise of Industry

Vocab:
› Gross National Product
› Laissez-Faire
› Entrepreneur
People/Events
› Alexander Graham Bell
› Thomas Alva Edison
› Morrill Tariff

American business & industry grew fast after
the Civil War.
 Industrialization changed the way people
lived and worked. How?
 By the late 1800’s, America was leading
industrial country.
 By 1914, nations Gross National Product—
total value of all goods and services that a
country produces—was 8 times more than it
was in 1865.

NATURAL
RESOURCES
United
States
Becomes
an
Industrial
Nation
The United States had a lot of raw materials &
lots of natural resources.
› i.e. tin, coal, lumber, copper, etc.
 American companies could get these
resources very cheap, making their business
succeed.
 People began using new resources
(petroleum)
 Edwin Drake drilled first oil well in Titusville, PA.

› Natural resources map
NATURAL
RESOURCES
United
States
Becomes
an
Industrial
Nation
Human resources were as important as
natural resources.
 From 1860-1910, the population of the
nation tripled.

› Providing industry with lots of workers
› Created a greater demand for the
consumer goods made by factories

Why did population grow so much?
› Large families: more children survived
› Flood of immigrants: better living conditions
& freedom.
NATURAL
RESOURCES
LARGE
WORKFORCE
NEW
INVENTIONS
United
States
Becomes
an
Industrial
Nation

Bell & the Telephone
› 1874: suggested idea of telephone to his
assistant
› 1876: succeeded placed a call to the next
room
 “Come here, Watson. I want you.”
› Revolutionized business & personal
communication
› 1877: organized Bell Telephone Company
which later became American Telephone &
Telegraph Company (AT & T).

Edison, Westinghouse, & Electricity
› Thomas Alva Edison: leading pioneer in new
technology.
 Created almost monthly & by the time he
died, held more than 1,000 patents!
 First success was with the phonograph
› 1878: Edison perfected the electric
generator and & the light bulb.
› 1882: Edison company began to supply
electric power & formed Edison General
Electric in 1889 (today: GE)

Westinghouse invented air brake system
for trains.
› Later applied to continuous braking system
of cars& trains
› Also developed alternating current (AC)
system to distribute electricity.

First to use hydroelectric power on
Niagara Falls to power streetcars in
Buffalo, NY.
NATURAL
RESOURCES
LARGE
WORKFORCE
United
States
Becomes
an
Industrial
Nation




Technology effected the way people
lived in big and small ways.
Ice Machine=refrigerator=ability to ship &
keep meat longer=reduced risk of food
poisoning.
Textile Industry=automatic loom=cloth
made faster & cheaper=standard
sizes=large factories
Communications=telegraph cable laid
across Atlantic ocean=instant contact
between USA & Europe.

Laissez-faire economics promoted
industrialization, but tariffs protected
American companies from competition.
› Laissez-faire: “let the people do as they
chose”
 Relies on supply and demand


Entrepreneurs: people who risk their $ to build
& run businesses.
Morrill Tariff: passed by congress and tripled
current tariffs.
› Went against the idea of Laissez-faire.
› Raise tariff on foreign goods, countries did
the dame to America.
NATURAL
RESOURCES
LARGE
WORKFORCE
NEW
INVENTIONS
FREE
ENTERPRISE
United
States
Becomes
an
Industrial
Nation
Completed graphic organizer over 4
causes of industrialization.
 How did oil production affect the
American economy?
 Did government policies help or hurt
Industrialization at this time? Why? (2
points)
 How did electric power affect economic
development?
