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Technological Innovation
In the late 19th century, manufacturing increased due to greater access to natural resources, technological innovations, and the ability to automate processes, allowing for increasingly rapid and efficient production of goods.
The Bessemer Process allowed steel to be made quickly and easily, using crude iron made in a blast furnace. This led to the production of larger quantities of steel, causing its price to drop and its usage to soar. This steel was used to produce stronger machines, bridges, skyscrapers, railroads, and a nearly infinite number of other useful items.
Electricity came into widespread usage in part due to Thomas Edison’s perfection of the Tungsten filament light bulb. Both Thomas Edison and entrepreneur/inventor George Westinghouse created plans for the distribution of electricity to towns and cities using a grid. Large power plants were then built to furnish electricity to entire cities. This increased manufacturing because now factories could be lit at night, and workers could work longer shifts.
Advances in communications technology facilitated the flow of information both nationally and internationally. Transatlantic telegraph cable lines allowed for faster communication between the United States and Europe. Then, Alexander Graham Bell patented the telephone in 1876. By 1880, there were around 50,000 telephones in the United States, which had increased to 1.35 million in 1900.
Demands for oil also increased significantly in this time period. As factories in the steel and other industries grew, there was a growing demand for oil to be used to lubricate machines. George Bissell figured out how to refine petroleum into kerosene, which was used in lighting, heating, and cooking. In 1859, Edwin L. Drake established the first oil well, which led to the development of oil fields.
