1870 - 1914 2ND INDUSTRIAL REVOLUTION (2 jan 1870 ano – 19 jan 1914 ano)

Descrição:

Transition time: The Rise of Big Business
Context: After the Civil War, many companies and businesses during the 19th century were being created and the US business world was expanding. Companies were controlling everything related to production and to distribution as well. Additionally, certain companies were merging to dominate specific areas of business in the country.
Key elements that allowed company and industrial growth:
We need to keep in mind that the USA is a country with vast and extensive environmental diversity, which allowed for natural resources such as forests, rivers and minerals among other things.
The population was exponentially growing which not only provided workers but consumers as well.
During the Civil War, businesses grew as innovations, equipment and weapons were needed, which led to innovations and mass-production best practices which made industries way more efficient.
Industrial growth was heavily supported by the government and by entrepreneurs. The government showed their support not only by providing financial and military aid, but also by not establishing regulations for business, which lead to corruption and terrible working conditions.
2nd Industrial Revolution: The 2nd industrial revolution caused a huge spree of industries that were being created all throughout the nation. The industrial revolution was mainly allowed by the following elements:
Transportation and Communication Enhancements: railroads, telegraphs, steamships, and undersea cables.
Electric Power: Electricity helped improve machine functioning, including steel production, and transportation as well (subways).
Scientific Research: scientists developed new ways to improve oil refinement and steel production, which helped commercialize these globally. They also created new products for consumers, such as phones, cameras and typewriters.
Railroads: railroads became a symbol of the 2nd industrial revolution, as they were a major enhancement for the nation. Some of their consequences were the following:
Standardized time zones across the country.
Boosted the economy.
Helped settle the Great Plains and the west.
Overbuilding and poorly managed railroads contributed to the The Panic of 1893, which was a major financial crisis.
Poor and dangerous working conditions.
Transcontinental Railroads: During the Civil War railroads were being built; after the Civil War, they were expanded to the west, creating what’s known as Transcontinental Railroads. The Union Pacific Railroad and the Central Pacific Railroad were created.
Governmental Aid: to support the construction of railroads, the government offered loans, cash, and granted land for construction.
Military Aid: Military officers and soldiers were allocated in cases where Natives from the Great Plains were resistant to building railroads in their territory.
Efforts and workforce: the efforts to build railroads were almost heroic; people needed to work under extreme weather conditions, in scenarios prone to causing accidents, such as in rivers, canons, tunnel building in mountains, etc. The workforce was pretty varied, having labourers from the Union and Confederacy, German and Irish Immigrants, ex-slaves, and Chinese.
Among the major impacts of these roads were the following:
Interconnection across the nation, allowing transportation of goods and people and fueling and driving businesses.
Strengthened the federal power as it showed how intertwined politics and business were.
Positioned the US as a Global Power due to their interconnected and efficient network and innovations.

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