Chapter 18The Rise of Smokestack America.ppt

Chapter 18The Rise of Smokestack America The American People, 6th ed. The Texture of Industrial Progress Technological Innovations Advances in technology allowed production to be more efficient which in turn generated new needs and newer innovations New power sources were at the heart of America’s shift to mass production; electricity was the key to a new worldview for most Americans Railroads Railroads were the first gigantic corporations in America The government expedited the building of the railroads with generous land grants and business-friendly regulations The high cost of running a railroad necessitated cut-throat business practices The logistical tangles of the industry prompted development of professional management techniques Integration Vertical Integration: adding operations before or after the production process such as distribution; desires all stages of production Horizontal Integration: the combination of multiple similar business ventures under one “umbrella”; desires a monopoly of a particular market Urban Expansion in the Industrial Age The Cities The central cause of the phenomenal growth of cities in this era was their ability to attract newcomers from rural areas and abroad Work and increased pay rates was the prime attraction Rural life was often dull The New Immigration, 1880-1900 Over the course of the century, the sources of immigrants for the United States changed “New immigrants” came from southern and eastern Europe New agricultural techniques in these European regions removed the need for thousands of farm laborers III. The Industrial City Neighborhoods Working-class neighborhoods clustered near the city’s center Usually separated by particular ethnic groups These areas were crowded, unsanitary, and dangerous Community cohesion became the saving force for many immigrants The Suburbs The fringes of the city contained the houses of the middle class and the rich Public transportation allowed them to work in the city center and live