US becoming a Global Power
Learn about US history!!! Part 1
The Beginning
Ideas of Power for U.S.A.
People came to America from Europe to look for chances to change their life. They were looking for freedom, opportunity and democracy.
Advantages for the U.S.
The U.S. had many advantages when compared with Europe at the time. They had geographical isolation and a huge amount of resources nearby while in Europe there was barely anything for them to use. Some of the resources that the U.S. had that Europe needed were oil, gas, wood and space.
Industries Growth
The Big Four
William Vanderbilt, Andrew Carnegie, John D. Rockefeller and J. P. Morgan were, by far, the most powerful men during the 1800. They helped shape the economy into what it is now.
William Vanderbilt
Vanderbilt, owner of the railroads during the 1800, had a big business that helped the economy start to grow. The railroads helped the country to travel, move faster and more people get jobs.
Andrew Carnegie
Carnegie, an European man who came to the U.S. for better businesses options, also brought the Bessemer Process to America. It is a process of making stronger steel at a lower price. He created Carnegie Steel.
John D. Rockefeller
Rockefeller was a man who knew how to make a businesses. He didn't rush to get oil like everyone else, instead he made an oil refinery. He always tried to improve the quality of his oil, so many people preferred to buy from him. He formed Standard Oil Trust in 1882 with a bunch of other companies and had a monopoly over the oil industry.
J.P. Morgan
Morgan was an American financier, banker, philanthropist and art collector who dominated corporate finance and industrial consolidation during his time. He was one of the most powerful bankers of his era, Morgan helped organize U.S. Steel, General Electric and other major corporations.
Inventions Change the Nation
Inventions
The Patent Office had never been so busy, they licensed about 60 new patents a day. The U.S. became a land of invention, with about 500,000 inventions between the 1870's and the 1900's. The more famous a product was, the more they had to make, so that is how the moving assembly line was created. Many things started to make mass production, mostly cars, washing machines and other famous inventions.
Important Inventions
Alexander Graham Bell
He invented the first Telephone in 1876
Thomas Edison
He invented the first Light Bulb in 1879
Huber Cecil Booth
He invented the first Vacuum Cleaner in 1901.
Rise of Organized Labor
A New Workplace
Soon, after many inventions, technology was starting to take over. Many people lost their jobs to machines and were left on the street, with no other option but to work hard for a bad price at a horrible place. This place was called a sweatshop. There were nearly 2 million children under the age of 15 working at these horrible places.
The Rise of Organized Labor
Most of the time, workers found a way to fight back, like slowing down, or striking. Though most of their unions failed, but some actually worked to improve working conditions. The Knights of Labor was one of the first and most important unions in the U.S. Their goal was to shorten work days, end child labor and equal pays for men and women. After a while, they went down, but their legacy inspired many others to fight for their rights.
American Federation of Labor (AFL)
The AFL, like the Knights of Labor, fought for better work conditions, and equal pays for men and women. They worked doing collective bargains and striking. They helped many people, but only skilled workers could enter this awesome union.
Tragedy at Triangle
One thing that caused safety to raise and better during these horrible times was the tragedy at triangle shirtwaist company. In 1911, a fire went of at this factory, soon the top floors of the building were burning. The workers could not escape because the owner had locked all doors in to ensure no one would leave during work time. The firetruck ladders weren't tall enough to reach the top floors, so many people jumped to their deaths. So many people were shocked at this that the U.S. government was forced to raise safety in many places.
Depression
During the great depressions of the 1870's, many people lost their job or got cut pays. With the country in crisis, violent strikes set out all around the country. The government sent out troops to stop the strikes, but more would always come. Unions and strikes did make some gains, and even though process was slow, things got much better.
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