Four effects on Industry in America, 1865-1914

FOUR EFFECTS of Industry, 1865-1914: 

1 FOUR EFFECTS of Industry, 1865-1914 US History since 1865 Unit 3:

SOAR: America became the world’s leader in industry: 

2 SOAR: America became the world’s leader in industry S TEEL: In 1890, the US passed Britain as world’s largest producer of steel (see graph) O IL: Standard Oil (Rockefeller’s company) controlled the production and sale of oil in the US A UTOS: More than 5 million cars were produced per year in late 1920s. This lead to growth of highways and other industries. Autos required steel and oil! R AILROADS: In such a big country railroads were required to move people and goods quickly and cheaply over long distances. Railroads required steel! Production of steel, 1875-1900

Industry changed American life in FOUR important ways: 

Industry changed American life in FOUR important ways The number & size of cities increased People went West to grow food for people back east in cities People came from other countries to work in industry: immigration Factory workers increased in number and joined together to improve their life 3

1. The number & size of cities increased: 

1. The number & size of cities increased Called urbanization Factories and mines were close to natural resources As factories and mines got bigger, more people came to work there …so cities grew Most cities were in the North and East: New York, Pittsburgh, Detroit, Cleveland, and more Life was often difficult. 4

1. The number & size of cities increased: 

1. The number & size of cities increased Cities were unsafe and filthy. There were no laws protecting children from dangerous work. There was no school system yet. Trains used steam engines, which created pollution in all cities. Cities were unsafe. 5

2. People went West: 

2. People went West The Homestead Act of 1862 gave people land in the West to create farms 6

2. People went West: 

2. People went West New inventions like the McCormick Reaper make it possible for one family to take care of large farms. 7

2. People went West: 

2. People went West Railroads made it easier to Get supplies from the east Sell crops like wheat to people in the East 8

2. People went West: 

2. People went West People from China came to help build the railroads The Transcontinental Railroad crossed was the first to cross America (1869) 9

2. People went West: 

2. People went West As people moved West… Buffalo were killed off Native Americans lost food and hunting land Native Americans were killed or forced to live in reservations 10

3. People came to America from other countries to work in factories (immigration): 

3. People came to America from other countries to work in factories (immigration) More than 25 million immigrants came to America from 1865 to 1915 At first, most came from Northern Europe (countries like Germany and Ireland) 11 In the 1850s, many Irish came to America because of the Potato Famine, when many starved.

3. People came to America from other countries to work in factories (immigration): 

3. People came to America from other countries to work in factories (immigration) After 1890, most migrants from Europe came from Southern and Eastern Europe Most were Catholic or Jewish They worked in industry. Many Americans looked down on them. 12

3. People came to America from other countries to work in factories (immigration): 

3. People came to America from other countries to work in factories (immigration) To build the railways, many people came from China to live in California and work in the western states. To grow sugar, many people came from Japan to live and work in Hawaii. Americans developed prejudices against… Chinese people Japanese people Jewish people Irish people Russians Italians 13

PowerPoint Presentation: 

14 Cartoon (1880) showing all of Uncle Sam’s “lodgers” and an Irish troublemaker (Puck magazine, London)

3. People came to America from other countries to work in factories (immigration): 

3. People came to America from other countries to work in factories (immigration) After 1892, more than 10 million people immigrated to America through Ellis Island. Ellis Island was the US government’s official station for processing new citizens. Each immigration was given careful medical examinations. “Unfit” immigrants were sent home. 100 millions Americans today have an ancestor who passed through Ellis Island. 15

4. Factory workers joined together to improve their life: 

4. Factory workers joined together to improve their life The growth of industry led to the creation of a brand-new social group: the industrial working class (or “workers”) Most lived in cities Conditions were poor: they worked long hours, at low pay, in dangerous conditions. To improve their conditions, many joined unions and went on strike. 16

4. Factory workers joined together to improve their life: 

4. Factory workers joined together to improve their life Unions were first organized… Only among skilled workers Among “trades” (textile workers or metal workers) Without negros Along ethnic lines (for Irish or Jewish workers, for example) By 1890, big national unions were formed: Knights of Columbus AFL: American Federation of Labor Western Federation of Miners 17

4. Factory workers joined together to improve their life: 

4. Factory workers joined together to improve their life Large, violent strikes broken out in… Great Railroad Strike of 1877 McCormick Strikes of 1885-6 and the Haymarket sympathy strike of 1886 Homestead Strike of 1892 Bituminous Strike (western PA) of 1894 Anthracite Strike (eastern PA) of 1897 and 1902 Shirtwaist Strike (New York City) of 1909 These strikes helped establish the right of unions to negotiate with factory/mine owners Over time, conditions have improved for workers, thanks to unions 18