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Mail Order Catalogs
In the 1800's we saw the rise of mail order catalogs. These were completely different from what was around at the time. People could order something from there house and it would show up in the mail a few weeks later. You could say this was the origin of Amazon or other online retailers that we see today. -
Telephone
In 1849 Alexander Graham Bell invented the telephone. This was a massive improvement over the current technology of the time. It enabled people to communicate over great distances without having to know a complex code such as morose. -
Railroad Workers
Many Railroad Workers where already moving west. Since they were building the Transcontinental railroad many just stayed in the west once the project was complete. -
Farmers
Many Farmers moved west because there was lots of open land to be had. This soil was great for raising cattle and growing crops. Hence, many of them moved west. -
Boomtown
In the 1800's we saw the rise of boom towns. These were towns that underwent rapid expansion. Most of the time they became a boom town because of a resource that was present. Gold was a major factor in becoming a boom town. We saw this a lot during the California Gold Rush. -
Miners
Many miners moved west during the 1800's. They did this because gold was discovered in the west. Many became very wealthy because of the their move. -
Mormons
Many Mormons thought the west would be a great place to take their church. They wanted to escape religious discrimination so they took their church to modern day Utah. -
Exoduses
An exodus is a mass departure of people from a particular region. We saw this a lot in the 1800's when masses of people began to move west. -
Cowboys
Many cowboys began to move west in the 1800's. The west contained mass open field where these cowboys could raise cattle easily and turn a major profit in the process. -
Sod Houses
On the western frontier many settlers didn't have abundant resource except sod. Basically, it was a grass / dirt house. These were very quick to "put up" and build. Later, they would upgrade to wooden log cabins and other higher end materials but for just starting to settle in the west many used sod houses. -
Elevator
In 1852 Otis came up with the idea for an elevator. This solved the safety issue with building skyscrapers. This made it possible to build cities such as NYC. -
Bessemer process
The Bessemer process was the first major industrial process that made steel quick, easy, and cheap to produce. This revolutionized the industry. Many smart businessmen took advantage of this and created steel companies. In the process they became abundantly wealthy. -
Barbwire
In the 1800's Joseph Glidden invented barbwire. This was a major improvement over anything at the time. It's still used today in many government institutions. -
Transcontinental Railroad
The Transcontinental Railroad was a railroad that significantly helped westward expansion. The goal was to create a railroad that went throughout the entire country. This railroad even caused many of the workers to move westward due to the building process. -
New Immigrants
In the 1800's many new immigrants became to come into the U.S. Many came from Europe and wanted to move here because of the better conditions that existed. -
Ellis Island
Ellis Island was an immigration port where many Europeans came into NY to try and find a better life. This port was usually better run than the Angel island port. Although, many Americans at the time did not like the idea of new people coming into their country. -
Angel Island
Angel Island was the immigration port on the West coast. Many Asians came into this port and it was usually full of discrimination.This made it very difficult for them to come into the country. -
Refrigerator car
In the 1800's we saw the invention of the refrigerator car this car kept its contents cold and preserved them longer. This was a major improvement over the technology of the time. It made it possible to transport cold goods over long distances. -
Electric Trolleys
In 1887 Frank Sprague came up with the idea for an improved trolley system. This became a major impact on how people got around in larger towns. -
Oklahoma Land Rush
The Oklahoma Land Rush was when many people wanted to rush to get to these unclaimed lands so they could start a new life and possibly turn a profit in the process. This created a mass flood of people going to Oklahoma to try and claim land.