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Bessemer process patented
Henry bessemer patented his Bessemer process in 1855. It blew air through molten iron to remove its impurities. It mass produced steel for much cheaper. Steel had a big ompact on industrilization. -
Oil Discovered in Pennsylvania
In 1858, Edwin Drake, when to Pennsylvania on buisness. He had stock in Pennsylvania Rock Oil Company. He studied the techniques of salt wells. He leased land from the company for drilling in salt well, and in 1859 he struck oil. Wells were set up in 13 other states. Oil was used for lamps, machinery, and later gasoline for cars. -
13th Amendment
The 13th Amendment was the first amandment added to the constitution during reconstruction. IIt was added at the beginning of reconstruction and abolished slavery everywhere. Republicans in Congress wanted Johnson to add a requirement for the South that allowed freedmen to vote. -
Lincoln Assassination
Lincoln was assassinated by John Wilkes Booth on April 14, 1865 while attending a play at Ford's Theatre. Booth believed he was saving the Confederacy. Most Northerners were deeply upset and blamed the South. Reconstruction fell to his Vice President Andrew Johnson. -
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Reconstruction
After Lincoln's assasination, andrew took over recunstruction of the country. During this time African Americans gained freedom and voting rights. Laws were also put on the South to keep them from retreating back to their old ways. Eventually everyone grew tired of it, and the Government officially ended reconstruction. -
14th Amendment
The 14th amendment was the second amendment added to the constitution during reconstruction. It said that all state laws had to be equal between blacks and whites. It also said that everyone has equal protection of the laws. -
Black Codes
The Black codes were laws that restricted the freedom and opportunities of African Americans. The 3 purposes were to spell out the rights of African Americans. The second was to ensure workforce to farmers who lost their slaves. The final reason was to maintain social order in the South. -
Johnson's Impeachment
In 1867, Congress passed the Tenure of Office Act and the Command of the Army Act to limit Johnson's powers. He broke the Tenure of Office Act by firing an official, and Congres put him up for impeachment. He lost the 2/3 majority vote by one vote. -
Transcontinental Railroad Completed
On May 10, 1865 the two companies met in Utah. That day marked the turning point in history for the west. Now people could travel across the country in much less than half the time. People set up communities and towns along the tracks. It connected the country for the first time. -
15th Amendment
The 15th Amendment was the third and final amendment added to the constitution during reconstruction. It stated that the right to vote couldn't be denied based on race, color, or previous condition of servitude. -
Standard Oil Formed
In 1870, John D. Rockefeller formed the Company standard oil which would later become a monopoly. He used horizontal integration and controlled the refining process of oil production. He made deals with the railroads to cut prices. -
Carnegie Forms his Steel Company
Andrew Carnegie saw the Bessemer Process at work in England and brought it to the U.S. In 1873 he formed the Carnegie Steel Company. It later built the biggest most modern steel mill of its time in Pennsylvania. -
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The Gilded Age
The Gilded Age, as called by Mark Twain, was a time period between 1873-1900. Something that is gilded is covered in gold, but if you scratch away the top layer, it is anything but. This is how many people saw America during this period. -
First Telephone Call
Alexander Grahm Bell tried for almost 12 years. The first call was said to be to his lab assistant Watson because he spilled acid. When writing to his Dad though, he ddn't mention an accident. By 1920, there were at least 13 million phones -
Lightbulb Invented
The lightbulb was created by Tomas Alva Edison in 1879. He worked for many years trying to find a filament that would glow when an electrical current passed through it, but wouldn't burn. Finally, carbonized bamboo worked. Revolutionized buisnesses, how people worked, and daily lives. -
Sherman Antitrust Act
Congress passed the Sherman Antitrust Act in 1890, which outlawed trusts monopolies, and other forms of buissness that restricted trade. Many people still favored laissez- faire.