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Bessemer Process Patented
The Bessemer process was named after Sir Henry Bessemer of England, even though many people made contributions to it. In 1856, Bessemer worked in Shffield and patented the process. The Besssemer process was used to mass-produce steel. -
Edwin Drake is born
Edwin Drake was born on March 29, 1819 in Greenville NY. He was the first successful driller of an oil well. He did this by putting sections of pipe until they found bedrock. Then they drilled until an oil deposit was reached. Drake later died in Bethleham, PN on November 8, 1880. -
Credit Mobilier Scandal
This scandal involved manipulation of contracts by a construction and finance company. This made the Credit Mobilier of America a sign of post-Civil War corruption. This scandal was with the building of the Union Pacific Railroad. Veteren railroad organizers knew that more money could be made from construction contracts than from operating the railroad. In the Union Pacific case, the railroad was supported by loans and land grants. -
Christopher Sholes Invents the Typewriter
In 1864 Sholes and his friend, Samuel W. Soule, were granted a patent for a machine that prints page numbers. With some improvements, Sholes was granted a patent for a typewriter. He eventually sold the patent rights to a company with machinery and skill to develop the machine. -
Transcontinental Railroad Completed
During the Civil War, two railroads started to be built. The first was the Union Pacific, going west fron Omaha, Nebraska. The second was the Central Pacific, going eastward from Sacramento, California. They were built to help promote unity. They were joind together on May 10, 1869. -
John D. Rockefeller Made a Deal with the Standard Oil Company
In 1859, John D. Rockefeller started a buisness dealing hay, grain, meats and other goods, and in the early 1860s he built his first oil refinary. The refinary became the largest in the area. In 1870, Rockefeller and a few associates made a buisness deal with the Standard Oil Company. The company then bought out its competitors. By 1882, it controlled almost all the oil refineries in Cleveland, Ohio. -
Alexander Graham Bell Invents the Telephone
On March 10, 1876, Alexander Graham Bell spoke the first sentence through a telephone to his assistant, Thomas Watson. His telephone was loved by the general public. Bell eventually recieved the government's prize of 50,000 francswhich he used to found the Volta Laboratory and the American Association to Promote the Teaching of Speech to the Deaf. -
Munn vs. Illinois Case Appeared in Court
This case developed as a result of the Illinois legislature responding to pressure from the National Grange by setting the maximum rates that companies could charge for storage and transport. The Chicago Grain Warehouse Firn of Munn and Scott was found guilty of violating the law. They appealed the conviction. The appeal was heard in 1877 also. -
Thomas Edison Invents the Lightbulb
Thomas Edison was an inventor who tried to produce electric light instead of gas lighting. In October, 1879, Edison put platinum filiments together and pumped air out to create a vacuum. He then used carbonized bamboo to make the bulb glow. -
Haymarket Riot
This riot was a violent arguement between labor protestors and police. Labor organizers were ammepting to have the hours in a workday reduced to eight hours. Workers went on strike, and the police got involved. One persn was killed and several others injured. This riot became a symbol of the struggle for workers' rights. -
Interstate Commerce Act Established
The Interstate Commerce Act was established in 1887. It started as a way to regulate the railroad industry. It eventually expanded to include trucks, ships, freight forwarders and other interstate carrriers. The regulations addressed rates, routes, services, mergers, bills of lading, and securities that carriers encountered. -
Mother Jones Becomes a Leader in the American Labour Movement
Mother Jones was a widow who lost all her possessions in the Great Chicago Fire. She asked the Knights of Labor for assistance. In 1890, she became a well-known figure in the American Labour Movement. She would make speeches, support strikes, and popularize her slogan "Join the union, boys." -
Homestead Strike
The Homestead Strike occured in Homestead, Pennslvania. This strike was against the Carnegie Steel Company' and workers. Numerous workers and their families stormed the plant. The Pinkerton's and the workers exchanged gunfire. The workers took control of the steel mill, but only for a short time. The factory was surrendered to the militiamen after the government stepped in. -
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Pullman Strike
The Pullman Strike started because the Pullman Company was forced to cut wages 25 percent because of economic depression. To protest this, members of the American Railway Union began a strike. Strikes occured from Ohio to California in 27 states. On July 4, President Grover Cleveland ordered 2,500 troops to Chicago, where violence had broken out. The strike ended within a week. -
Henry Ford Invents the Car
In 1896, Henry Ford drove down the streets of Detroit for the first time, catching everyone's attention. Ford built the first car in his shed at his home. It had a single seat, an electric bell for a horn and a steering lever instead of a wheel. Ford's main idea was mass production. He assigned everyone a single task that they would repeat over and over again to create the crs. -
J.P. Morgan forms the Federal Steel Company
J.P Morgan started out with a long career in railroad organization in 1885. In 1895, the United States Treasury was almost bankrupt, so Morgan organized a group of financiers who carried out a private bond sale to replenish it. In 1898, Morgan formed the Federal Steel Company. Shortly after, he united it with other steel companies to make the United States Steel Corporation. -
The Wright Brothers Fly an Airplane
Wilbur and Orville Wright were brothers and inventors. In 1903, the brothers designed a plane with a lighter gasoline engine and an efficient propeller. They tested the plane at Kitty Hawk. The plane flew 120 feet in 90 seconds. -
Lochner vs. New York Desicion Made
This law case was about the New York Bakeshop Act. During this time bakeshops were dirty and bakers woprked long hours. This act created cleanliness standards for bakeries. John Lochner was brought to court for violating the Bakeshop Act. He was found guilty for letting a baker work 60 hours in one week. Lochner appealed, and the Supreme Court ruled for him. -
Sherman Antitrust Act
In 1914, the government passed two legislative measures to support the Sherman Antitrust Act. It was named after John Sherman, a U.S. senator. The act was created to stop concentrations of power that interfered with trade and reduced economic competition. -
Eugene Debs Earns Votes while in Prison
Eugene Debs was sent to prison for violating the 1917 Espionage Act. While he was in prison, he ran for Socialist Party President. In 1920, he recieved about 915,000 votes. He was released from prison in 1921. He won the election through personal warmth, integrity and sincerity.
