The Gilded Age: A New American Society and Economy Prof. Dani Vaughn-Tucker History 104: American History from 1865 to the Present Spring 2009

The Gilded Age 1873 Mark Twain and Charles Dudley Warner

1873

Mark Twain and Charles Dudley Warner

Six Sources of Industrial Growth Abundant raw materials Large and growing labor supply Surge in technological innovations Emergence of a talented and often ruthless group of entrepreneurs Federal government eager to assist the growth of business Expanding domestic market for the products of manufacturing

Abundant raw materials

Large and growing labor supply

Surge in technological innovations

Emergence of a talented and often ruthless group of entrepreneurs

Federal government eager to assist the growth of business

Expanding domestic market for the products of manufacturing

Transcontinental Railroad Homestead Act of 1862 Pacific Railway Act of 1862 Supported by Congress through subsidies and land grants Extension of Manifest Destiny

Homestead Act of 1862

Pacific Railway Act of 1862

Supported by Congress through subsidies and land grants

Extension of Manifest Destiny

Emergence of Entrepreneurs General Characteristics Talented Often ruthless Self-made men Key People J. Pierpont Morgan Andrew Carnegie Gustavus Swift Isaac Singer John D. Rockefeller

General Characteristics

Talented

Often ruthless

Self-made men

Key People

J. Pierpont Morgan

Andrew Carnegie

Gustavus Swift

Isaac Singer

John D. Rockefeller

Cornelius Vanderbilt Shipping and railroad magnate 1810 - Purchased first ship 1846 – Self-made millionaire 1849 – Vanderbilt Accessory Transit Company 1869 – Consolidated the Hudson River Railroad and New York Central Railroad 1873 – Was able to offer rail service between New York and Chicago Constructed Grand Central Terminal Donated money to Central University in Nashville, TN

Shipping and railroad magnate

1810 - Purchased first ship

1846 – Self-made millionaire

1849 – Vanderbilt Accessory Transit Company

1869 – Consolidated the Hudson River Railroad and New York Central Railroad

1873 – Was able to offer rail service between New York and Chicago

Constructed Grand Central Terminal

Donated money to Central University in Nashville, TN

Collis P. Huntington Railroad magnate Became wealthy as a merchant 1861 – Joined with the “Big Four” to incorporate the Central Pacific Railroad Became a financial and political lobbyist for the railroads 1865 – Constructed lines from southern California to New Orleans 1890 – President of the Southern Pacific-Central Pacific rail system

Railroad magnate

Became wealthy as a merchant

1861 – Joined with the “Big Four” to incorporate the Central Pacific Railroad

Became a financial and political lobbyist for the railroads

1865 – Constructed lines from southern California to New Orleans

1890 – President of the Southern Pacific-Central Pacific rail system

Surge in Technological Advances General Characteristics Yankee Know-How Often improved upon European designs Improved communications and safety Key People Alexander Graham Bell Thomas Edison James Ritty Guglielmo Marconi William S. Burroughs

General Characteristics

Yankee Know-How

Often improved upon European designs

Improved communications and safety

Key People

Alexander Graham Bell

Thomas Edison

James Ritty

Guglielmo Marconi

William S. Burroughs

Cyrus W. Field Financier 1854 – Founded the New York, Newfoundland and London Telegraph Company 1856 – Helped to organize the Atlantic Telegraph Company 1866 – Successfully laid the first transatlantic telegraph cable

Financier

1854 – Founded the New York, Newfoundland and London Telegraph Company

1856 – Helped to organize the Atlantic Telegraph Company

1866 – Successfully laid the first transatlantic telegraph cable

Christopher L. Sholes Inventor 1864 – Granted a patent for a page-numbering machine with friend, Samuel Soulé June 23, 1868 – Granted a patent with Soulé and Glidden for the typewriter

Inventor

1864 – Granted a patent for a page-numbering machine with friend, Samuel Soulé

June 23, 1868 – Granted a patent with Soulé and Glidden for the typewriter

Revolutions in Transportation Charles and Frank Duryea Automobile Built upon the works of European automobile designers Wilbur and Orville Wright Flight Revolutionized the field of aeronautics

Charles and Frank Duryea

Automobile

Built upon the works of European automobile designers

Wilbur and Orville Wright

Flight

Revolutionized the field of aeronautics

Technological Advances William Kelly Ironmaster Invented the pneumatic process of steelmaking General Electric Established industrial research laboratory in 1900

William Kelly

Ironmaster

Invented the pneumatic process of steelmaking

General Electric

Established industrial research laboratory in 1900

Changes in Business Organization Henry Ford Assembly-line Method Management Techniques American System Middle management Scientific Management

Henry Ford

Assembly-line Method

Management Techniques

American System

Middle management

Scientific Management

Sources America’s Story from America’s Library: The Gilded Age History of the Transcontinental Railroad Cornelius Vanderbilt Collis P. Huntington Cyrus W. Field Christopher L. Sholes Charles and Frank Duryea Wilbur and Orville Wright General Electric Henry Ford

America’s Story from America’s Library: The Gilded Age

History of the Transcontinental Railroad

Cornelius Vanderbilt

Collis P. Huntington

Cyrus W. Field

Christopher L. Sholes

Charles and Frank Duryea

Wilbur and Orville Wright

General Electric

Henry Ford