The American Industrialisation

The American Industrialisation

The End Of Reconstruction Era

Around the year 1835 the first railway connections are build between the bigger cities in the east and west. These lines simplify the transport of row materials. For that reason simultaneously with the growing of the railway connections also the mining of raw materials begin to rise. So you can say, the railway and the mining of raw materials are the major reasons for the beginning of the Industrial Era

The First Telegraph Connection

In 1855 David E. Hughes invents the Hughes-Telegraph. Until 1865 there are telegraph connections all over the USA. The telegraph expands the power of US-government. E.g. it makes possible to promulgate lows at the same time to all important cities around the USA. Another aspect is that the telegraph gives American companies the possibility, faster to react for financial investing.

The First Railway Connection

The government commissions in the year 1862 the Central-Pacific and the Union Pacific to build a railway connection between the Atlantic coast and the Pacific coast.

The construction begins in January 1863 by the Central Pacific in Sacramento, California and 1865 by the Union Pacific in Omaha, Nebraska.

Both companies try to sabotage, mutually. The Central Pacific begins to employ Chinese because for most Whites the work is too hard and they wants more money as the Chinese workers. At the last dangerous and mountainous part of the distance the Union Pacific get help from the Mormons. For their help the Mormons get rails for their own railway connections. At the 9th May 1869 both connections get together in Promontory Point, Utah.

John D. Rockefeller

In the seventies of the nineteenth century the first monopolies occur. One of the first monopolists is John D. Rockefeller. In the year 1862 he founds the "Standard Oil Company of Ohio" at the age of 23. Rockefeller sells oil under the regular price and as a consequence his rivals go bankruptcy. After that takes over his rivals. For the transportation of his oil he controls the railways and pipelines. The unlimited growth of the 'Standard Oil Company' ends 1890 with the 'Sherman Act". The "Sherman Act' is the first anti-trust law in the USA. It determines e.g. that price-fixing agreements and monopolies are illegal.

Thomas Edison

In the year 1869, at the age of 22, Thomas Edison patents his first inventions. In the same year he founds the Menlo Parc', New Jersey. At Menlo Parc he works with a team of talented people at new inventions. The most important inventions are:  1876 - the gramophone

- the first working electric light bulb

in the next years - the first commercial power station

the first projector

Henry Ford

At the year 1879 Henry Ford leaves home, to start a training as a mechanic. After the training he works in different factories. 14 years later his promotion to Chief Engineer gives him enough time and money for personal technical experiments. The result of the experiments is in 1896 the "Quadricycle". 7 years later he founds the 'Ford Motor Company'. For a higher effectiveness he pays his workers for their results, not their working time. Another important innovation is the assembly line. The assembly line enables the mass production.