How did the U.S. become such a wealthy country?

The United States in the The United States in the Late 19Late 19thth Century Century

Because of four factors:Abundance of natural resources

Development of transportation and communication

Hard work of its peopleThe political system

Abundance of Natural ResourcesFarm Land

Some of the richest soils in the worldForests

Housing, furniture, paper, charcoal, maple sugar, etc…

Renewable resourceMinerals

Coal (1/5 of the world’s supply)Oil, natural gas (non renewable)Copper, gold, lead, titanium, uranium, zinc,

etc…

TransportationTravel Over Water

Extensive river, canal and reservoir systemTravel Over Land

Railroad technology

CommunicationTelegraph and Morse Code

Revolutionized economic growthAllowed businesses to communicate quicklyAllowed railroads to have schedulesPredecessor to the telephone

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Turn of the Century Inventions

Bell and the TelephoneIn 1874, Alexander Graham Bell had the

idea of making a telephoneBell worked daily for two yearsIn 1876, he successfully transmitted his

voice from one room to anotherIn 1877, Bell organized the American

Telephone and Telegraph Company (AT&T)

The telephone revolutionized communication

Edison and ElectricityThomas Alva Edison created a research

laboratory in Menlo Park, New JerseyIn 1877, Edison invented the phonographIn 1879, he perfected the light bulb and

the electrical generatorIn 1882, he began supplying electrical

energy to New York CityHe also invented or perfected the

battery, dictaphone, phonograph and motion picture

Other InventorsThaddeus Lowe: Ice Machine in 1870

Lead to refrigerated railroad cars and home refrigerators

Northrop: automatic loom in the mid 1800’sLead to sewing machines and textile mills

Cyrus Field: Transatlantic telegraphTransistor Radio

Innovations in Transportation

Post Civil-War TransportationIn 1850, steam ships provided most of

transportation needsRailway lines extended all over the east

and up and down the west coastTracks were not universalMost lines were short and required unloading

and reloading goodsThere were no lines from the Midwest to

the west coastPrivate companies didn’t want to spend the

money

Transcontinental RailroadFunded by the government

Project began in 1862Gave huge loans and land grants to two major

companiesUnion-Pacific built a line west out of Omaha,

NECentral-Pacific built a line east out of

Sacramento, CAOn May 10, 1869, the two met in Promontory

Summit, UtahA golden spike was pounded in by Central-

Pacific president

Dignitaries and railworkers gather to drive the "golden spike" and join the tracks of the transcontinental railroad at Promontory Point, Utah, on May 10, 1869. The Central Pacific's wood-burning locomotive, Jupiter, stands to the left, the Union Pacific's coal-burning No. 119 to the right.

Transcontinental RailroadRevolutionized business and industry

Faster and more practical way to transport goods

Lower costs of productionCreation of national marketsA model for big businessStimulation of other industries

The Railroad Network, 1880

Investments in Rails by RR companies 1850 $300 million 1870 $2.5 billion

1865 = 35,000 miles of rail 1880 = 93,000 “ “ 1890 = 166,000 “ “