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Invention of the Bessemer Process
The Bessemer Process included blowing cold air over molten iron, purifying it into steel. This was created in the 1850's and patented in 1856. -
Establishment of Transcontinental Railroad
By October of 1865 the United states had a transcontinental railroad, which cost 64 million USD to build. The railroad ran from coast to coast and connected both regions, encouraging trade and bolstering the American economy. The railroad both created existing industries, and created new ones helping America diversify its markets. -
Rise of the Robber Barons
Robber barons were powerful individuals who made a fortune by monopolizing huge industries, exploiting workers, and using unethical business practices. One such person is John Rockefeller who went from producing three percent of the country's crude oil in 1870 to ninety percent within a decade. After taking control of the market, he increased prices far above original levels. -
Women Organize
During the time of the new industrial age, women in the workplace suffered unfair working conditions and unequal pay. So, many women fought to earn equal pay and working conditions. One of the leaders of this movement was Mary Harris Jones. Jones did much for the movement, she supported the Great Strike of 1877, organized the United Mine Workers of America, and led eighty million children who had suffered from child labor, on a march to the home of President Theodore Roosevelt. -
The Invention of the Lightbulb
Thomas Edison invented the first working light bulb after a series of tests throughout the late 1800's. The practical incandescent light bulb was patented on October 14, 1878. This widely changed the expansion of industrialization by giving convenient lighting to buildings.
