After the Rise Of Big Business
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Urbanization
Post-Civil War America brought forth a shift in the concept of an agricultural based society. America was modernizing in every aspect of life from agriculture and country life to education, labor, and leisure in the city. Big business’s and their leaders such as captains of industry John Rockefeller of Standard Oil and Andrew Carnegie of Carnegie Steel had a much greater impact on lives of American citizens than they ever imagined. (1)
The Civil War brought companies of all sort to contribute to the war effort that modernized the country in a way where there was no returning to the way it was before. (2)The size of families were even modernizing as families before the Second Industrial Revolution were ranging anywhere from six to ten children to four to six children once factories were operated by the thousands. (3)
Contributions from Inventors and Innovators
Many inventions came about after the Civil War to the First World War during the eras known as Reconstruction, the Gilded Age, and the Progressive Era. These inventions not only changed the country, they also changed the American way of life.
War Inventions
In 1861 Richard Gatling invented the Gatling gun which was the first ever machine gun that had to be hand cranked. This invention forever changed warfare.
In 1863 the double barreled cannon was invented by John Gilleland.
Tool Inventions
Useful everyday inventions were invented during this time period as well.
In 1863 J.J. Richardson of Vermont invents the socket wrench which is able to fit different sizes of fittings and fasteners.
In 1868 Alvin J. Fellows of Connecticut invents the tape measure allowing an easy and flexible way of measuring a distance.
In 1877 Thomas Edison invents the phonograph, a device used for recording and playing sound.
In 1877, hydraulic engineer Birdsill Holly invents district heating for residential and commercial buildings.
In 1881, Henry W. Sweely of New York invents the first electric iron.
In 1876, Alexander Graham Bell makes long distance communication possible with his invention of the telephone. (4)
Transportation inventions
The greatest invention in transportation in 19th Century America was the railroad and the construction of the transcontinental railroad linking the east to the new territory in the west. However the start of the 20th Century brought forth the airplane. In 1903, Orville and Wilbur Wright invent the first airplane which was the product of trial and error of many attempts to perfect it. After the Europeans invented the first automobile, American Henry Ford invents the assembly line which was the first way to mass produce the automobile. (5)
Education
With the Second Industrial Revolution during the Gilded Age flourishing, smart young minds were needed to keep innovation alive. Traditional education prior to the Civil War only required a few years of formal education which was usually only offered to the privileged in private schools. The traditional one room schoolhouse with several teachers was the way of life. Only several dozen to about a hundred children received an education for rural areas and schools never received more than a few hundred kids in the city.
John Dewey, a progressive was a leader in the “Progressive Education” movement and he called for higher education and that education would be able to unlock a students’ potential.
During the Second Industrial Revolution children started school from kindergarten and received a full education until they received a high school diploma at age eighteen.
Colleges were the sources of higher learning and the Morill Acts made sure that white and black colleges received the full funding they needed to flourish. Technical schools and colleges of engineering were becoming more alive during this time when scientists, engineers, and innovators were in demand to keep the nation advancing.
Andrew Carnegie even contributed to the funding of Carnegie Mellon’s University’s college of Engineering because he knew the importance of young minds being educated in technology. The University even named it the Carnegie Institute of Technology.
Leisure and Sports
The Second Industrial Revolution brought forth many technological advances that improved the American way of life and the individual lives of Americans, but with shorter work days and more free time, Americans found ways to pass time.
Sports were one of the biggest things Americans participated in to pass time. This era saw the creation of modern American football, baseball, and basketball. Pass times like these kept the nation occupied in fun physical activity.
Football was invented by Walter Camp during the years of 1873 and 1880. Camp took aspects of soccer and rugby and invented the eleven man sport. Football is a sport with an organized team playing from down to down where one player hands the ball to another player. Football was a way for young men to play a rough contact sport and compete against other teams.
Modern American baseball has been around since the 1800s but after the Civil War and during the Gilded Age, baseball grew to the top American pass time. The national baseball league started in the latter half of the 19th Century as professional baseball became a source of entertainment. Baseball is played with nine players playing defense on the field and one player from the other team playing offense. The one player has a bat and tries to hit a pitched ball as far as possible and runs around a diamond field for a score.
Basketball was invented in 1891 by James Naismith and he created the game by using a soccer ball and two baskets. The game is played by having two teams compete with five players on the court at one time. Each team’s goal is to throw the basketball into the opposing team’s hoop. (6)
Post-Civil War America brought forth a shift in the concept of an agricultural based society. America was modernizing in every aspect of life from agriculture and country life to education, labor, and leisure in the city. Big business’s and their leaders such as captains of industry John Rockefeller of Standard Oil and Andrew Carnegie of Carnegie Steel had a much greater impact on lives of American citizens than they ever imagined. (1)
The Civil War brought companies of all sort to contribute to the war effort that modernized the country in a way where there was no returning to the way it was before. (2)The size of families were even modernizing as families before the Second Industrial Revolution were ranging anywhere from six to ten children to four to six children once factories were operated by the thousands. (3)
Contributions from Inventors and Innovators
Many inventions came about after the Civil War to the First World War during the eras known as Reconstruction, the Gilded Age, and the Progressive Era. These inventions not only changed the country, they also changed the American way of life.
War Inventions
In 1861 Richard Gatling invented the Gatling gun which was the first ever machine gun that had to be hand cranked. This invention forever changed warfare.
In 1863 the double barreled cannon was invented by John Gilleland.
Tool Inventions
Useful everyday inventions were invented during this time period as well.
In 1863 J.J. Richardson of Vermont invents the socket wrench which is able to fit different sizes of fittings and fasteners.
In 1868 Alvin J. Fellows of Connecticut invents the tape measure allowing an easy and flexible way of measuring a distance.
In 1877 Thomas Edison invents the phonograph, a device used for recording and playing sound.
In 1877, hydraulic engineer Birdsill Holly invents district heating for residential and commercial buildings.
In 1881, Henry W. Sweely of New York invents the first electric iron.
In 1876, Alexander Graham Bell makes long distance communication possible with his invention of the telephone. (4)
Transportation inventions
The greatest invention in transportation in 19th Century America was the railroad and the construction of the transcontinental railroad linking the east to the new territory in the west. However the start of the 20th Century brought forth the airplane. In 1903, Orville and Wilbur Wright invent the first airplane which was the product of trial and error of many attempts to perfect it. After the Europeans invented the first automobile, American Henry Ford invents the assembly line which was the first way to mass produce the automobile. (5)
Education
With the Second Industrial Revolution during the Gilded Age flourishing, smart young minds were needed to keep innovation alive. Traditional education prior to the Civil War only required a few years of formal education which was usually only offered to the privileged in private schools. The traditional one room schoolhouse with several teachers was the way of life. Only several dozen to about a hundred children received an education for rural areas and schools never received more than a few hundred kids in the city.
John Dewey, a progressive was a leader in the “Progressive Education” movement and he called for higher education and that education would be able to unlock a students’ potential.
During the Second Industrial Revolution children started school from kindergarten and received a full education until they received a high school diploma at age eighteen.
Colleges were the sources of higher learning and the Morill Acts made sure that white and black colleges received the full funding they needed to flourish. Technical schools and colleges of engineering were becoming more alive during this time when scientists, engineers, and innovators were in demand to keep the nation advancing.
Andrew Carnegie even contributed to the funding of Carnegie Mellon’s University’s college of Engineering because he knew the importance of young minds being educated in technology. The University even named it the Carnegie Institute of Technology.
Leisure and Sports
The Second Industrial Revolution brought forth many technological advances that improved the American way of life and the individual lives of Americans, but with shorter work days and more free time, Americans found ways to pass time.
Sports were one of the biggest things Americans participated in to pass time. This era saw the creation of modern American football, baseball, and basketball. Pass times like these kept the nation occupied in fun physical activity.
Football was invented by Walter Camp during the years of 1873 and 1880. Camp took aspects of soccer and rugby and invented the eleven man sport. Football is a sport with an organized team playing from down to down where one player hands the ball to another player. Football was a way for young men to play a rough contact sport and compete against other teams.
Modern American baseball has been around since the 1800s but after the Civil War and during the Gilded Age, baseball grew to the top American pass time. The national baseball league started in the latter half of the 19th Century as professional baseball became a source of entertainment. Baseball is played with nine players playing defense on the field and one player from the other team playing offense. The one player has a bat and tries to hit a pitched ball as far as possible and runs around a diamond field for a score.
Basketball was invented in 1891 by James Naismith and he created the game by using a soccer ball and two baskets. The game is played by having two teams compete with five players on the court at one time. Each team’s goal is to throw the basketball into the opposing team’s hoop. (6)
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