late 19th century america
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How did the U.S. become such a wealthy country?
The United States in the The United States in the Late 19Late 19thth Century Century
Because of four factors:Abundance of natural resources
Development of transportation and communication
Hard work of its peopleThe political system
Abundance of Natural ResourcesFarm Land
Some of the richest soils in the worldForests
Housing, furniture, paper, charcoal, maple sugar, etc…
Renewable resourceMinerals
Coal (1/5 of the world’s supply)Oil, natural gas (non renewable)Copper, gold, lead, titanium, uranium, zinc,
etc…
TransportationTravel Over Water
Extensive river, canal and reservoir systemTravel Over Land
Railroad technology
CommunicationTelegraph and Morse Code
Revolutionized economic growthAllowed businesses to communicate quicklyAllowed railroads to have schedulesPredecessor to the telephone
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Turn of the Century Inventions
Bell and the TelephoneIn 1874, Alexander Graham Bell had the
idea of making a telephoneBell worked daily for two yearsIn 1876, he successfully transmitted his
voice from one room to anotherIn 1877, Bell organized the American
Telephone and Telegraph Company (AT&T)
The telephone revolutionized communication
Edison and ElectricityThomas Alva Edison created a research
laboratory in Menlo Park, New JerseyIn 1877, Edison invented the phonographIn 1879, he perfected the light bulb and
the electrical generatorIn 1882, he began supplying electrical
energy to New York CityHe also invented or perfected the
battery, dictaphone, phonograph and motion picture
Other InventorsThaddeus Lowe: Ice Machine in 1870
Lead to refrigerated railroad cars and home refrigerators
Northrop: automatic loom in the mid 1800’sLead to sewing machines and textile mills
Cyrus Field: Transatlantic telegraphTransistor Radio
Innovations in Transportation
Post Civil-War TransportationIn 1850, steam ships provided most of
transportation needsRailway lines extended all over the east
and up and down the west coastTracks were not universalMost lines were short and required unloading
and reloading goodsThere were no lines from the Midwest to
the west coastPrivate companies didn’t want to spend the
money
Transcontinental RailroadFunded by the government
Project began in 1862Gave huge loans and land grants to two major
companiesUnion-Pacific built a line west out of Omaha,
NECentral-Pacific built a line east out of
Sacramento, CAOn May 10, 1869, the two met in Promontory
Summit, UtahA golden spike was pounded in by Central-
Pacific president
Dignitaries and railworkers gather to drive the "golden spike" and join the tracks of the transcontinental railroad at Promontory Point, Utah, on May 10, 1869. The Central Pacific's wood-burning locomotive, Jupiter, stands to the left, the Union Pacific's coal-burning No. 119 to the right.
Transcontinental RailroadRevolutionized business and industry
Faster and more practical way to transport goods
Lower costs of productionCreation of national marketsA model for big businessStimulation of other industries
The Railroad Network, 1880
Investments in Rails by RR companies 1850 $300 million 1870 $2.5 billion
1865 = 35,000 miles of rail 1880 = 93,000 “ “ 1890 = 166,000 “ “