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Period: to
Industrial Revolution
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Henry Bessemer Creates the Bessemer Process
On this day, Henry Bessemer publicly announces his invention, the new way to create steel without fuel, called the Bessemer process. This invention revolutionizes the steel industry because it caused the price of steel to go down and created a cheep reliable metal.
Link For Info:
http://www.tc.umn.edu/~tmisa/NOS/1.2_invent.html
Link For Image: http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_vrlb5vm7MQE/TOz4VZzjx3I/AAAAAAAAADk/HV-bxkBYWLs/s1600/bessemer-converter.jpeg -
Edwin Drake Strikes Oil
On this day, after attempting at striking oil for almost a year, Edwin Drake finds the oil he has been looking for making him the first person to encounter oil through drilling. This revolutionizes the oil industry and allows the American people to harness the power of this oil.
Link For Info:www.virtualvermont.com/history/edrake.html
Link For Image: http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/theymadeamerica/whomade/images/who_drake_image.jpg -
Christopher Sholes
Christopher Sholes was born on Feburary 14, 1819 and died on Feburary 19, 1890. Over Christopher's life he did many important things, but before this he started as a printer. After many hours of tedious type-setting he decided he would created something to allow people to type easier and more efficently. In 1868, he created the first type writer, which revolutionized the way people would write things from there after. Overall, this invention was very important during the Industrial Revolution. -
Completion of Transcontinental Railroad
On this day in Promontory, Utah the railroads build by the Pacific Railroad company and the Central Pacific Railroad company were connected creating the first railroad across the United States, central U.S. to West coast. This was a revolutionary moment for transportation because now things could be transported around the country quickly and efficently. From this point on railroads would be built all around the U.S. thus proving how crucial this railroad was to the United States at the time. -
Credit Mobilier Scandal
The Credit Mobilier Scandal began in 1872 and lasted into 1873. This scandal began because the Union Pacific Railroad company created the Credit Mobilier Company and allowed this company to sell stock to politians in order for influencal political decisions to help improve the profits for the railroad company. This scandal was first shown to the public the days before the 1872 election and this severly hurt the running vice president, Henry Wilson, because he was involved in this scandal. -
Alexander Graham Bell
Alexander Graham Bell was born on March 3, 1847 and died on August 2, 1922. During the course of his life Alexander did many important things including the creation of a school for the deaf in Boston, starting the first telephone company, and the creation of the fastest boat of the time, the hydrodrome. Even though he did all this, Bell's most important invention came in 1868 as the creation of the telephone, which revolutionized how people would communicated for years to come. -
Interstate Commerce Act
On this day, the government passed the Interstate Commerce Act and this allowed the government to regulate the railroad industry. The railroad industry needed this act because there was a monopoly. This was a very important act because this was the first act passed that allowed the government to be involved in any industry within the United States. This was a big step in American history because for the first time the capitalistic market in the United States was becoming more restricted. -
Munn vs. Illinios
During the 1870's Illinios created laws that limited the maximum a grain storage facility could charge. After these laws had been passed a storge facility Munn & Scott were found guilty and took this issue to the Supreme Court. In the Supreme court they ruled this as a constitutional law and Munn lost this case in a 7 to 2 decision. This case again shows how the United States government was getting invovled in people's personal businesses, which demonstrates them as not allowing capitalism. -
Thomas Edison
Thomas Edison was born on Feburary 11, 1847 and died on October 18, 1931. His legacy includes being a profesional telegraph worker, creating the first phonograph, creating the first incandescent light bulb in 1879, and the creation of the first system of generating and distrbuting light, electricity, heat, and power. Overall, Thomas Edison was one of the most influencial men of his time period and will go down in history as one of the best American inventors. -
John D. Rockefeller
John D. Rockefeller was born July 8, 1839 and died on May 23, 1937. Over his life John did many important things including the creation of Standard Oil Refinery and he donated almost 530 million dollars at the time. In 1882 John D. Rockefeller created the Standard Oil trust which allowed him to operate as a monopoly, but not actually qualify as one. This trust allowed John to make a lot of money and showed how people could get around the restrictions of being a monopoly. -
Haymarket Riot
On this day in Chicago workers, about 20,000, stood protest in Haymarket Square to the lack of proper working conditions and long work hours in factories at the time. At this time workers had almost no rights and had to work 10 to 12 hour days in factories and recieved no benefits. Unions were formed at this time to protect these workers and to stop the factories unfair and unrealistic treatment. This was an important protest because it was one of the first times workers stood up for themselves. -
Sherman Antitrust Act
This act was passed to eliminate trusts within the United States because these trust were finding loop holes within the constitution which allowed them to act like a monopoly without being classified as a monopoly. Trust were agreements between companies within the same industry to not compete against eachother, but rather work together to both make a big profit. Overall, this act again shows how the United States government was affecting the industries and not allowing a capitalistic market. -
Homestead Strike
On this date, workers of Andrew Carnegie's steel factory in Pittsburg were locked out after a dispute over wages. When special agents aarrived to see what was happenign the workers shot at them and threw stones leaving 4 agents injured. This again, was another strike in which workers were standing up for their rights after realizing that the company was taking adavange of them, which was a common theme during this time period. -
Pullman Strike
On May 11, 1894 after not having proper negotiations the worker on the Pullman Palace Car Company began their strike because they were having declining wages. This strike caused so much trafic of the railroads around the U.S. that the government was forced to get involved and sent soliders to moniter the situation in Chicago where this was at its worst. -
Eugene Debs
Eguene Debs was born on November 5, 1855 and died on October 20, 1926. Debs lived a very interesting life which began with him leaving home at the age of 14 to work on the railroads. After working for years Debs became involved in the union activity. Debs saw the unfair treatment of workers around him and tried to make everyone equal. Debs most significant achievement was his creation of the Socialist Party in 1901. Debs played a major role in society at this time and ran for presidency. -
J.P. Morgan
J.P. Morgan was born on April 17,1837 and died on March 31, 1913. During his life J.P. did many important things including the creation of Rockefeller & Co. banking in 1895 and this was the major financing that allowed for the expansion of the United States railroads. Rockefeller's most important business though was his creation of the U.S. Steel Company which in 1901 became the first-billion dollar business. Overall, J.P. was a very sucessful business man and created many important businesses. -
Henry Ford
Henry Ford was born on July 30, 1863 and died April 7, 1947. Henry ford grew up with an interest in machines which was very different during his time period because farming was supposed to be the most important thing. Henry did many important things during his life but none was more important than the creation of the Ford Model A car which was the first manufactured, cheep, efficently built car of its time. This was so important that by 1918 more than half the cars on the roads were Model A's. -
Mother Jones
Mother Jones was a women actually named Mary Jones who was born on August 1, 1837 and died on November 30, 1930. Over Mary's life she encountered many things in the work force that she did not agreed with. Mary participated in many strikes and was even arested a few times. Mary's most significant protest occurred in ,1903 when she protested against child labor. Overall, Mary had a very significant impact on the working force of her time. -
Wright Brothers
The Wright Brothers were two brothers who lived during the Industrial Revolution. They worked as bicycle repair men in a repair shop , but there real dream was to build the first controlled flying machine. This dream was completed on December 17th, 1903 when the brothers were the first humans to create an airplane. This invention would later change how people were transported and how things were transported all around the world. -
Lochner vs. NY Decision
The Lochner vs. NY court case was brought to the Supreme Court in 1905 and it stated that bakers could work no longer than 10 hours per day or 60 hours per week because it raised health concerns. After this case was debated the Supreme Court ruled in a 5 to 4 decision that this act was not constituional because it was protected under the 14th Amendment. This case was important at the time because this was another case in which the government trided to intervene which goes against capitalism.
