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Industrialization Timespan
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The First Transcontinental Railroad
On May 10, 1869, the famous Golden Spike was driven into the ground to complete The First Transcontinental Railroad at Promontory Summit in Utah. The project was authorized by President Abraham Lincoln under the Pacific Railway Act of 1862. The construction of the railroad would ultimately link the eastern railways with the Pacific Ocean. -
Expansion of the States
Between 1875 and 1912, eleven new states were admitted into the Union as the nation's population exploded. The western land was being aggressively marketed as the railroad was being built and as people continued to look for gold. The states that were added to the union included:
North Dakota
South Dakota
Montana
Washington
Idaho
Wyoming
Utah
Oklahoma
New Mexico
Arizona -
Invention of the Telephone
On March 10, 1876, Alexander Graham Bell invented the telephone. The telephone was developed while Bell was trying to improve the telegraph. At the time, the telegraph was only able to send out one message at a time. Alexander Graham Bell discovered how to send multiple messages at once. -
Invention of the Lightbulb
In 1879, Thomas Edison developed the world’s first practical incandescent electric light bulb. While Edison did not technically invent the light bulb, he did improve upon the invention to make it practical, safe, and economical for home use. -
Discovery of the Rabies Vaccine
Before 1885, almost every case of rabies resulted in death. Fortunately, Louis Pasteur worked extensively to develop the first rabies vaccination. Pasteur first tested his vaccine on dogs, but the first human test was on a nine year old boy named Joseph Meister on July 6, 1885. Meister had been badly mauled by a rabid dog, however, the vaccine prevented him from contracting rabies. -
The Automobile
On January 29, 1886, Karl Benz was granted a patent for an automobile powered by a gasoline engine. While he is credited with the invention of the modern automobile, several other engineers worked on building automobiles at the same time, including Henry Ford who introduce the Model T soon after. The quick advancement in the auto field created great innovations for transportation. -
Sherman Antitrust Act
The Sherman Antitrust Act was signed into law in 1890, and was intended to prevent businesses from increasing the cost of goods to the consumer. Many feel that it was aimed to break up John D. Rockefeller’s Standard Oil trust, however, it was not specifically intended to break up any one company. -
Homestead Strike
The Homestead Strike began on June 30, 1892 in Homestead, Pennsylvania. It was a labor lockout and strike which resulted in a day-long battle between the Amalgamated Association of Iron and Steel Workers and the Carnegie Steel Company. This strike was different from previous strikes in American history because it was well organized and purposeful. This was to set an example for future strikes in the modern age of labor relations in the United States. -
Invention of the X-Ray
Wilhelm Conrad Rontgen produced and detected electromagnetic radiation in a wavelength on November 8, 1895. This achievement earned him the first Nobel Prize in Physics. He created an experiment which generated an electrostatic charge and which created a shimmering image on a bench a meter away. While this had been produced previous to this point, the implications had not been realized until several years later. -
The Airplane's First Flight
On December 17, 1903, Orville and Wilbur Wright had their first successful flight. The craft soared to an altitude of 10 feet and traveled 120 feet. It was in the air for 12 seconds.After studying how propellers work, the Wright Brothers designed a motor and a new aircraft that is sturdy enough to accommodate the motor’s weight and vibrations. It was with this aircraft, they were successful with the first powered, piloted flight in history. -
Titanic Tragedy
The Titanic became the epitome and the climax of industrialization after sailing on it's maiden voyage from England to New York. It was the largest moving object ever built by mankind, but when it struck an iceburg on April 14th, 1912 and sank a few hours later, proving it's "unsinkable" status wrong, it taught the entire world that man truly will never be able to outbuild nature.
