-
Period: to
The Industrial Revolution
-
The Bessemer Process
The Bessemer Process is the process by which molten iron is oxidized and made into steel. -
Edwin Drake
Edwin Drake is finally able to drill up some oil (black gold), and becomes the first person to start the oil rush. -
Christopher Sholes
Christopher Sholes invented and patented the first typewriter for printing and cleared a path to the modern keyboard we know and use today. -
Transcontinental Railroad Completed
In 1862 congress passed the Pacific Railroad Bill which built a railroad across the country from the Missouri River to California. This made transportation much faster. A trip from New York to San Francisco that would normally take about 6 months now took just a few days. -
Credit Mobilier Scandal
Stockholders of Union Pacific Railroad formed a construction company called Credit Mobilier. Union Pacific sold jobs to Credit Mobilier at 3 times the cost and kept the profit. Congressmen were given shares in return for more government contracts and at the end, 72 million dollars was given to Credit Mobilier to build a railroad that cost just 53 million. It wasn't exposed to the public until September 11, 1872 and no one was put in jail. -
Alexander Graham Bell
Alexander Graham Bell was one of many scientists working with sound during this time, however he is given the primary credit on the invention of the telephone. -
Munn v. Illinois
The Munn v. Illinois Supreme Court decision (7-2) allowed state legislature to regulate certain businesses within their borders, including railroads. This decision helped further the growth of federal government regulation in businesses. -
Thomas Edison
On this day, Thomas Edison conducted the first successful test using electric light which lasted for 13.5 hours. -
John D. Rockefeller
John D. Rockefeller was the creator of Standard Oil Company, which is the first great American trust. He made so much money through this business. He was the first American to be worth more than a billion dollars, and through inflation, is considered by some to be the richest man ever. He also spent the last 40 years of his life in retirement. -
Haymarket Riot
On May 3rd, protestors from the McCormick Harvesting Machine Co. in Chicago wanted a shorter work day. After alleged police brutality, the next day another protest started and when police came, a bomb was set off killing seven and injuring 60 more. Police fired into the crowd killing another four. -
Interstate Commerce Act
This was passed by congress, making the railroad industry the first to be regulated by the government. Gave the right to regulate prices to be fair towards farners. -
Sherman Antitrust Act
The Sherman Antitrust Act was passed to prevent any businesses from performing any activities that reduce competition from the marketplace. This includes monopolies and trusts. It was written by John Sherman and passed by Senate 51-1, the House of Representatives 242-0, and signed by the President. -
Homestead Strike
Steel workers in Homestead, Pennsylvania went on strike over the unfair working conditions from Carnegie Steel Company. The result was the setback of workers' rights until the 1930s. -
J.P. Morgan
John Pierpont Morgan was a great U.S. financier and philanthropist. He is responsible for two of the greatest mergers in industrial history. He merged Edison General Electric and Thomson-Houston Electric Company to form Generl Electric (1892). He also merged many different steel companies, including the Carnegie Steel Company, into the United States Steel Corporation (1902). -
Eugene Debs
Eugene Debs is one of the best known socialists in U.S. history. He played a major role in the founding of the American Railway Union. He was imprisoned after the Pullman strike. -
Pullman Strike
George Pullman forced all his facvtory workers to live in Pullman City. He charged them housing, library use, and church use, as well as cut wages. More than 3,000 Pullman workers conducted a protest. -
Mother Jones
Mary Harris "Mohther" Jones is known for being a union supporter who helped form the Industrial Workers of the World Union and also organized a children march from philadelphia to Theodore Roosevelt's house supporting child labor laws (1903), all after her entire family died. -
The Wright Brothers
The Wright Brothers (Orville and Wilbur) are known for the first ever successful, powered, piloted flight in history. It lasted 12 seconds and was the third attempt with the plane: The Flyer. -
Lochner v. New York Decision
Joseph Lochner was jailed twice for working his bakers more than the limited hours. By law, bakers could not work more than 60 hours a week or 10 hours a day. Lochner's case went all the way to the Supreme Court and by a 5-4 vote, Lochner won. The reasoning was that the 14th amendment allowed workers to make contracts with their employers. -
Henry Ford
On this date, Henry Ford introduced his first Model-T Ford car to the public. It was the first car to have the steering wheel on the left and the engine and transmission were enclosed under the hood. It was also very afordable at just $825.
