Other Major U.S. Industries

Mr. LeasureAmerican History

Buckeye Local High School

Impact of Railroads

• As railroads were built across the nation, they helped provide the key to the success of cattle ranching.

• The ranchers shipped their cattle to large Midwestern cities such as Chicago.

Impact of Railroads

• In these cities, the meat-packing industry began to do well in the late 1890s.

• The leading meat-packing industry leaders included Philip Armour, Gustavus Swift, and Nelson Morris.

Impact of Railroads

• Cattle and hogs were slaughtered for meats and meat by-products.

• These products were transported to all parts of the country in refrigerated railroad cars.

Impact of Railroads

• The leaders in the construction of new railroad lines in the late 1800s included Cornelius Vanderbilt and James J. Hill.

• Vanderbilt linked a number of short railroads in the Northeast, creating America’s first great railroad system – the New York Central.

Impact of Railroads

• Hill developed the Great Northern Railway System to the Northwest.

• Hill encouraged immigrants to settle in that region by teaching them the newest farming methods.

Impact of Railroads

• Hill founded schools and helped to start businesses that could provided different types of employment and services.

Inventions change America

• Americans have always been proud of their ability to invent new machines and tools.

• The period after the Civil War was an exciting time for U.S. inventors.

Inventions change America

• Some of the most important inventions used in the U.S. today were invented at this time.

• Many of these inventions were made by Thomas Edison.

Inventions change America

• Edison was known as “The Wizard of Menlo Park.”

• Many believed him to be a wizard because it seemed he had magical powers with his many inventions.

Inventions change America

• In 1876, Edison started a research laboratory in Menlo Park, New Jersey.

• Edison brought scientist, engineers, machinists, and even clock makers together into this one laboratory.

Inventions change America

• He organized these many individuals into a team to produce things the public and businesses would need.

• Edison boasted he could create a minor invention every 10 days and create a major invention every 6 months.

Inventions change America

• The indoor light bulb was one of Edison’s finest inventions.

• At the time, few cities used outdoor electric lighting to light the streets at night but the methods was not safe indoors.

Inventions change America

• Most people continued to use oil and gas lamps to provided light inside the home.

• After 2 years of working on a solution, Edison and his team found the solution for safe indoor electric lighting.

Inventions change America

• Edison also invented the first Phonograph in 1877. A phonograph is like a record player.

• The first words were spoken in a phonograph were “Mary had a little lamb.”

Inventions change America

• Edison improved Alexander G. Bell’s early telephone too.

• When using Bell’s telephone, people had to yell into the phone to make certain the person on the other end could hear them.

Inventions change America

• Edison’s improvements to his phone allowed people to talk at a natural level instead.

• Edison invented a successful motion picture machine and gave his picture sound by joining the motion picture with his phonograph.

Other Important Inventions

• Bell invented the telephone in 1876.

• George Eastman simplified the Kodak camera in 1880 so that more people could take photographs.

Other Important Inventions

• Lewis Waterman perfected the fountain pen in 1884.

• Ottmar Mergenthaler invited an improved typesetting machine that would make typesetting much easier for newspapers and book publishers.

Other Important Inventions

• Elisha Otis invented the elevator, which made the construction of skyscrapers more appealing.

Other Important Inventions

• Henry Ford experimented with gasoline-powered automobile engines.

• Ford also developed an assembly line method for building cars cheaply.

Other Important Inventions

• The many inventions during this time period did more than create new industries.

• These inventions created new jobs for the American worker and a brighter future for the United States.