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What are important questions as we start the study of Industry in the late 1800's? This time period is known as the Second Industrial Revolution. But you may ask, what was the first Industrial Revolution?

During the "Second Industrial Revolution" new materials, fuels, engines, and forms of transportation began to replace those that had characterized the "first industrial revolution." Rapid expansion took place both in industry and the amount of money being made in the United States.
Steel and oil came into large scale production, the internal combustion engine and the steam turbine replaced the piston steam engine as the primary power source, while modern industrial chemistry produced dyes, plastics, and explosives. Aeronautics and radio also saw the first stages of their development.

Who were the important men and women in this time period, and how did their inventions and companies impact the growth of the United States?
How did these inventions effect the lives of the common worker?

But let's look at some background information on the United States before we move ahead. Who were the Presidents of the United States during this time period? Why is this important, and did decisions being made in Washington DC by the President and Congress influence the growth of industry?
What did the United States look like during this time period? This site is an extensive collection of pictures from this time period. To get a sense of what history looks like, browse through these pictures from our Library of Congress.

Also examine the pictures of children from the turn-of-the-century. At this site you will be challenged to look at these pictures as a historian, and deduce what may have been happening in each picture.

One element which spurred on the rapid economic development was railroad expansion. The United States was split in two - the east and the west- because it took months of dangerous travel to get from coast to coast. The building of the transcontinental railroad was seen as a way to unite the country. In 1862 Abraham Lincoln signed the Pacific Railway Act to build the transcontinental railroad. This site, The Great Race, gives you an opportunity to be a part of building this important transportation link. What year was the transcontinental railroad finished?

During the Second Industrial Revolution (1850-1910) there are two shorter time spans referred to by historians as the Gilded Age (1878-1898) and Progressive Era (1890-1913). In the 1890s, the United States was expanding it's influence in many countries all over the world. Because of its rapid economic and social growth, the U.S. had become a major world power. These sites deal
with many facets of this growth. Look at the stories about society, music, art, sports, and science and industry.
The "Robber Barons" (people who got rich through ruthless business deals) were a collection of industrialist that created monopolies with their large companies. All this industry produced a lot of wealth for a number of businessmen like John D. Rockefeller (in oil) and Andrew Carnegie (in steel), George Vanderbilt (railways) and J.P. Morgan (banking). The Gilded (as in gilded with gold) Age gets its name from the many great fortunes created during this period and the way of life this wealth supported.

Did all of this progress between 1880 - 1910 cause problems that we are now dealing with in the year 2003?

What was life like for the factory workers of this time period? How did they live, and did the growth of industry always make their lives better?

As you study history, are there always more questions than answers? How often does the answer to a question, just lead to another question? If this is happening YOU ARE LEARNING!!! Enjoy the Parade.