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Transcontinental Railroad in 1869.
The completion of the transcontinental railroad allowed for transport of goods and people from the West coast to the East coast and made travel that would have taken several months take only 6 days. With travel between the coasts being quick and proficient, more people moved from rural to urban areas and traveled from coast to coast. Society was influenced as the railroad afforded a cheaper way to ship goods. http://www.history.com/topics/inventions/transcontinental-railroad -
Telephone
The telephone allowed real time voice communication across vast distances, allowing greater socialization of people and greater dissemination of current events nationwide. American culture was beginning to adopt a faster paced oriented way of life versus the slow agricultural gear existence.
http://www.history.com/topics/inventions/alexander-graham-bell -
Light bulb
The light bulb was invented by Thomas Edison in 1879 and it allowed businesses and homes to operate past dark. Furthermore, it paved the way for commercial electricity and household electric appliances which will revolutionized the way Americans conduct their affairs both in business and leisure -
The Motion Picture Camera
The invention of the motion picture camera by Thomas Edison gave rise to movie production studios, the movie star and eventually Hollywood. A treasured past time was born, impacting society’s fashion and daily activities. Movies were used not only to entertain, but to endorse products and promote agendas or trends. https://www.nps.gov/edis/learn/kidsyouth/motion-pictures.htm -
1st power plant at Niagara Falls
the first power plant was born in 1895 at Niagara Falls which allowed for businesses to become more urban and the promoted the invention of numerous household appliances. AC Power impacted American society by promoting the invention of electric machines to improve production and ease the work of household chores.
http://www.teslasociety.com/adams.htm -
Ford’s Model-T automobile
The automobile impacted Americans’ ability to visit family more often, businesses to develop contacts further away and the public to accept jobs outside their normal area of travel. As a result, American became more mobile and developed a more social existence.
http://www.history.com/topics/model-t -
First Supermarket- Piggy Wiggly
This changed the way Americans shopped as they no longer were limited by single brands and limited inventory found in the general stores. As a result of having competition of multiple brand of one item, prices for goods dropped. -
Talkies
Talkies came about in 1922 allowing Americans to experience sound for the first time with the motion picture. Feature length films would be born from this technology influencing society in the way past time was spent and the socialization of the public. People now could go experience a motion picture together rather than alone. The invention of sound in film would influence the invention of television in 1926.
