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Early Industrialization
Early in the 19th century, America was mostly an agricultural economy with the exception of a few eastern textile mills and workshops. -
Industry Expands
WIth the development of new technologies such as the steam engine, companies, especially textile mills, can now feasably expand and have separate branches. -
The Steam Engine changes Industry
Early on these 'fire engines', as they were called then, were only used in textile mills and power looms due to their enormous size. With advances in technologies and more compact design, the steam engine made its way into factory machines and allowed for more efficient production of consumer goods. With manufacturing now being aided by engines instead of human labor, many people became de-skilled and were appointed to do a simpler tasks. -
Transportation Industrialized
As production became more efficient and out put grew, transportation became a key part in industrial growth. Investment into canals and railroads grew. This expansion in transportation connected the U.S.'s major industrial areas and allowed for faster movement of goods neccessary to keep up with the increasing pace. -
Social Darwinism
The term Darwinism refers most centrally to the theory of natural selection, according to which only the fittest species in organic nature survive, whereas the unfit become extinct. The extension of these ideas to social thought is known as Social Darwinism.In the early nineteenth century, the notion that world history and human society proceeded in evolutionary stages was purveyed in the works of Auguste Comte, G. W. F. Hegel, and Karl Marx, each of whom searched for general laws that underpinn -
industry expands to the south
After the Civil War destroyed land, crops and slaves, Southern farmers were forced to look for new ways of making income. Industry provided an outlet for some southerners. -
Connecting Industry
During this period many new inventions were taking industry by storm. Over 440,000 were granted in the US. One notable invention was the telephone which allowed an Industrial Headquarters to contact a smaller branch in a matter of seconds. This greatly increased the efficiency and profitability of a company. -
Industrial Expansion through Immigration
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Interstate Commerce Act of 1887
The Interstate Commerce Act (ICA) of 1887 (24 Stat. 379) targeted unfair practices in the railroad industry by attempting to eliminate discrimination against small markets, outlawing pools and rebates, and establishing a "reasonable and just" price standard. To ensure the overall purpose of the act and avoid favoritism in the industry, railroad companies were to publish their rates for all to see. -
The Sherman Antitrust Act of 1890
An ACT To protect trade and commerce against unlawful restraints and monopolies. The growth of trusts and corporations, and some of the more notorious malpractices of big business, led to a growing demand for the regulation of trusts by the Federal Government. -
Industry in the Twentieth Century
With industry rapidly expanding, more workers were needed to work in factories. This allowed women, blacks, and immigrants to join the work force. Companies usually payed them less however, and provided harsh working conditions. With companies mistreating their workers unions started to gain importance in the new century.
