An Explosion Of Inventive Energy

ASU HST 200 (Historical Themes) Industrialization and the Rise of Big Business, 1870-1900 An Explosion Of Inventive Energy New technologies drove industrial expansion across the nation, from corrugated rollers that could crack hard, homestead-grown wheat into flour to refrigerator-equipped train coaches and sewing machines. Even in 1880, more than half of all Americans still worked and lived on farms, while less than one in seven were engaged in factories, generally as males (with the exception of long-standing textile mills, where women tended to predominate). However, more companies were able to cluster in cities and move away from the previously necessary water power due to the advent of commercial electricity by the end of the century, which served as a supplement to the steam engines that were already present in many bigger enterprises. New immigrants, in turn, looked for work in the newly constructed urban industries. American society underwent a major urbanization shift at the same time as immigration, urbanization, and industrialization. Between 1880 and 1920, the country's industrial workforce increased by four times, from 2.5 million to over 10 million, while the urban population doubled, accounting for half of the nation's overall population during that time. The typewriter (developed in 1867), the cash register (1879), and the adding machine (1885) all increased worker efficiency in offices. It was now simpler than ever to keep up with the quick expansion of businesses thanks to these instruments. Slowly, inventions also changed family life. This was the period that saw the introduction of the flush toilet and vacuum cleaner. Because of their near proximity to dwellings and water supply, as well as the decrease in pollution caused by outhouses, these indoor "water closets" have enhanced public health. Notwithstanding early health worries about preserved foods, tin cans and, subsequently, Clarence Birdseye's trials with frozen food gradually transformed how women shopped for and prepared food for their families. The availability of food that was easier to prepare gave women more time in their daily routines, which helped pave the way for the contemporary women's movement. If a woman could afford such things, she may utilize her time to look for work outside the house and increase her knowledge via reading and study. The culture of domesticity gradually evolved as a result of these technologies, which also raised expectations for women to stay at home and take care of household duties. Steel manufacturing was perhaps the most significant industrial development of the time. Because steel is stronger and more durable than iron, it was chosen by manufacturers and builders. Two novel techniques were developed following the Civil War that made it possible to build furnaces big enough and hot enough to melt the wrought iron required to make enormous amounts of steel at ever-lower costs. The open-hearth technique and the Bessemer process, named for the English inventor Henry Bessemer, revolutionized the way steel was manufactured in the US and ushered in a new era of industrialization. Builders were pleased to fulfill the steel mill owners' eagerness for the new material as it became more readily accessible. The nation produced thirteen thousand tons of steel in 1860. American furnaces were generating more than a million tons annually by 1879; by 1900, that number had climbed to 10 million. After just ten years, the US produced more over twenty-four million tons of steel year, making it the world's largest producer. The price of steel fell by more than 80 percent as production rose to meet the enormous demand. Other sectors, including as construction and, subsequently, the automobile industry, grew increasingly dependent on high-quality steel as it became more affordable and widely accessible. Consequently, the steel sector quickly rose to prominence as the backbone of the American economy, continuing to serve as the principal gauge of industrial expansion and stability until the conclusion of World War II.