Which of the following was a new development of the second industrial revolution?

           The second industrial revolution was said to be between 1870 and 1914, after the civil war[1]. During this time, many advances in technology and factories made it easier and quicker for framers and manufactures to produce more goods and products to be sold. This industrial revolution brought out mass advancements in agriculture, manufacturing and transportation that started in Britain, made its way to Europe and North America, and then quickly to the rest of the world. Because of all of the inventions and inventors that created and contributed to this revolution, it made an overall beneficial experience for Americans and people all around the world and was truly a blessing to almost everyone in one way or another.

            The main causes of the second industrial revolution were due to: natural resources, abundant labor supply, strong government policy, new sources of power, railroads and American inventors and inventions. This caused a greater standard of living, but also caused a major incline in unemployment due to machines taking the jobs of actual humans. Production costs and prices fell dramatically and there was a rapid growth in productivity. The cause of natural resources consisted of coal, oil, iron and ore[2]. Immigration was also a major cause of the second industrial revolution because as more and more new people were coming over seas, they were bringing new ideas and inventions that spread quickly. American inventors and inventions also made a huge contribution to this cause because they were supplying the world with new ways of doing things that made almost everything easier and more accessible for people to create and make new products.

        Transportation was a major break through during this time. It linked communities together and for the first time, gods from the American interior could be shipped directly to and from the Atlantic. Railroads were the initial spark for the second industrial revolution and when people found out they could charge other people to ride the train, local cities began to connect their railroads. Before the development of elaborate transportation systems, economies were often localized and based off the barter system[3]. This did not allow cities to grow very large and forced them to stay within a certain range of each other. The new transportation system also opened up a new market for farmers, allowing them to sell their produce to not only neighbors and people in their own city, but also to people across seas and around the world[4]. When loads became too big to transport, railroads were invented. These made it easier for mass amounts to be transported at the same time to a far away destination.

            Many new inventions contributed to the benefit of this revolution. One major contribution was the telephone, invented by Alexander Graham Bell in 1876. This made it possible for people to communicate all over the world instead of having to travel days to see them or wait for a letter to reach them. Then in 1879, Thomas Edison invented the light bulb. This made it possible to do almost anything at night[5]. This allowed people to not only work all day, but continue working at night to finish what they have started. Everything that could be done during the day could now also be done at night after the sun has already set. Another amazing invention was in 1903 when the Wright brothers had their first powered piloted plane flight. Now that it was possible to fly, it seemed as though everything was possible. There were now so many things people could do. Although the main purpose was to use the planes for quicker transportation and to transport products, it was later used for leisure as well. Each new invention made life easier and more interesting during this era.

               Because of all of these inventions and new ideas, the second industrial revolution would definitely have to be summed up as a positive, beneficial time for Americans. Each new thing led to another and therefore created a new age of discoveries and inventions.

 

[1] "The Second Industrial Revolution, 1870-1914." US History Scene. http://www.ushistoryscene.com/uncategorized/secondindustrialrevolution.

[2] "Second Industrial Revolution." Education.com. http://www.education.com/study-help/article/us-history-glided-age-technological-revolution.

[3] Foner, Eric. Give me liberty!: an American history. Seagull third ed. New York: W.W. Norton, 2012.

[4] "Library of Congress." The Industrial Revolution in the United States. http://www.loc.gov/teachers/classroommaterials/primarysourcesets/industrial-revolution/pdf/teacher_guide.pdf.

[5] "The Open Door Web Site : History : The Second Industrial Revolution : Electricity and Electric Power." The Open Door Web Site : History : The Second Industrial Revolution : Electricity and Electric Power. http://www.saburchill.com/history/chapters/IR/054.html.

 By: Courtney Pacheco

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

What was a new development of the Second Industrial Revolution?

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