Big Industry Booms

Big Industry Booms

By Walter Harper

The Rise of Industry 

By the middle of the 1800’s, a full fledged revolution was taking place in factories and mills around the world. While Britain led the way initially, by the 1850’s other nations had entered the fold and were challenging Britain’s industrial might. Several major industries made advancements during this time period that paved the way for nations to become industrial powerhouses.

The Bessemer Process

In 1856 William Kelly, an American inventor, British engineer Henry Bessemer developed the Bessemer Process to begin making steel from iron. Steel was a lighter,harder and more durable metal than iron. Soon steel mills in places like Britain, Germany and the United States were seeing exponential growth in the amount of steel they could produce. In the United States, Andrew Carnegie, a Scottish immigrant, became a major leader in the steel industry. By 1901, he sold his steel company to the United States Steel Corporation. At its inception, U.S. Steel was worth $1.5 billion which made it the richest corporation in the world.

Multiple Choice

What was the significance of the Bessemer Process during the Industrial Revolution?

• It introduced a new method of making steel from iron, making steel lighter, harder, and more durable.

• It was a new agricultural technique that increased crop yields.

• It was a transportation system that connected factories with major cities.

• It was a communication system that allowed factories to operate remotely

Multiple Choice

Which of the following statements about Andrew Carnegie is true?

• He invented the Bessemer Process.

• He was a British engineer who introduced steel manufacturing to Germany.

• He became a major leader in the U.S. steel industry and sold his company to the U.S. Steel Corporation in 1901.

• He founded the first textile mill in the United States.

Electricity Lights Factories, Homes and Cities
In the 1870’s, John D. Rockefeller sought to light American homes and factories using lamps that ran on oil. Over a period of almost 40 years, Rockefeller ran the Standard Oil Company. Using shrewd tactics to acquire his oil empire, Rockefeller sold his oil at extremely low prices. The dramatic drop in prices meant that smaller companies could not compete with Standard Oil and it left them no choice but to go out of business. Once rival companies closed their doors, Rockefeller then raised his prices dramatically. Without any competition in the market, businesses were forced to pay the higher prices he was charging. Using these tactics Rockefeller amassed a billion dollar oil industry fortune. 

The 1870’s saw another industry aimed at eliminating the darkness that ended factory work days. The American inventor Thomas Edison developed the first electric lightbulb. The development of electric light meant that factories and homes could stay lit even after sundown. Previously, this was when the work day had to end. Now, factories would be done in the incandescent glow of electric bulbs. The result was a massive increase in the amount of goods that could be produced.

Multiple Choice

How did John D. Rockefeller dominate the oil industry in the 1870s?

• By creating a new method for refining oil that lowered production costs.

• By partnering with Thomas Edison to power oil lamps with electricity.

• By selling oil at extremely low prices, forcing smaller companies out of business, then raising prices.

• By inventing the first oil-powered generator for factories.

Multiple Choice

What was the impact of Thomas Edison’s invention of the electric lightbulb?

• It allowed factories and homes to remain lit after sundown, increasing productivity.

• It reduced the need for oil lamps, causing the oil industry to collapse.

• It created the first system of public transportation powered by electricity.

• It replaced the use of steam engines in factories.

New Processes Increase Output 

Although profitable, factory life was grueling. Factories required many laborers and a commitment of thousands of hours each year. Workers spent long days running specialized machines and looms that mass-produced goods. In the 1900’s, new methods to mass produce goods were being implemented in factories. The automaker, Henry Ford, introduced the assembly line in his car factories. Using this method, workers added parts to a product that moved along a belt in a straight line. A different person would produce each separate task necessary to finish the product. 
Using the assembly line, Ford was able to produce a Model-T automobile every 24 seconds. The result was not only an increasing supply of cards, but also a dramatic drop in the price that Ford charged for cars. Prior to the assembly line, the cost to produce a car was so high that only the rich could afford them. Ford’s assembly line helped put the automobile within reach of the average consumer. Cars quickly became less of a luxury item and more of an item that people used in everyday life. Cars allowed people to work greater distances from work and people began to live on the outskirts of massive cities. Today, these neighborhoods that exist outside of major city centers are known as suburbs. 

Multiple Choice

How did Henry Ford’s introduction of the assembly line impact car production?

• It reduced the need for factory workers by automating the entire car-building process.

• It allowed cars to be produced faster and at a lower cost, making them affordable for the average consumer.

• It eliminated the use of specialized machines in car factories.

• It increased the price of automobiles due to the complexity of the new production method.

Multiple Choice

What social change was influenced by the increased availability of cars in the early 1900s?

• The rise of public transportation systems in major cities.

• The growth of suburbs as people began to live farther from city centers.

• A decline in factory work as more people became farmers.

• The introduction of electric-powered vehicles as the standard.

​Industrialization Leads to Urbanization
New technologies being used in industries like steel, textiles, oil and electricity created enormous wealth for those who headed these industries. Factory life, though grueling, paid a living wage that many people found as a better alternative to the uncertainty of farm life. The hope of finding factory work and earning a well paying wage led many people to flood into major cities. Cities like Manchester, England and New York City in the United States, experienced a massive influx of city dwellers. But cities also had a darker side. As you will see in the next section, city life presented a host of new challenges for those that moved there.

Multiple Choice

What was one major reason people moved to cities during the Industrial Revolution?

• To escape the poor working conditions of factories.

• To find factory jobs that offered a more stable income than farm life.

• To take advantage of free housing offered by industrial companies.

• To become part of the growing entertainment industry in major cities.

Multiple Choice

Which of the following was a consequence of industrialization on cities like Manchester and New York City?

• A decrease in population as people moved back to rural areas.

• A significant rise in agricultural production.

• A massive influx of people, leading to rapid urban growth.

• The elimination of poverty due to the wealth created by industry leaders.