Railroads
Katie Robins
Professor Maddock
History 313
30 June, 2013
Farms to Cities
For most American’s, lifestyles changed dramatically for those who were used to living on the farm. Farmland started changing to the urbanization of the cities from the late 1860’s to the 1920’s. Due to the mass increase of immigration, both the “Old Immigration” and the “New Immigration” gained new opportunities due to the Second Industrial Revolution. This included the introduction new technology and innovations, and the creation of factories and the assembly line and mass production, and a new urbanized lifestyle. The city became a new and worthy opportunity for those who formerly worked on a farm. By 1925 the city, and not the farm, had become the basic reality for most Americans because of the Second Industrial Revolution, the mass immigration, and the opportunity for greater wages. The Second Industrial Revolution is considered to have begun in the 1860’s. New technologies and innovations such as the Bessemer steel converter, the internal combustion engine, the production and refining of oil and gasoline, the telegraph, the radio, electricity and the American system of manufacturing were created in the mid to late 19th century. The Bessemer converter worked by blowing air through holes at the bottom of the convertor to create a reaction that oxidizes the silicon and excess carbon which converted it to pure steel or iron. This machine allowed a lowered price on steel and iron as well as speed in production. This was a major contributor to the production of railroads. The expansion of the railroads greatly increased from 1860 to 1920. Railroads tripled from 1860 to 1880 and then doubled again by 1920. The railroads lowered the cost of shipping which enabled the cheaper movement of raw materials that would be used in factories. These new tracks also connected isolated towns to larger markets which allowed them access to new materials they could not have before.
Professor Maddock
History 313
30 June, 2013
Farms to Cities
For most American’s, lifestyles changed dramatically for those who were used to living on the farm. Farmland started changing to the urbanization of the cities from the late 1860’s to the 1920’s. Due to the mass increase of immigration, both the “Old Immigration” and the “New Immigration” gained new opportunities due to the Second Industrial Revolution. This included the introduction new technology and innovations, and the creation of factories and the assembly line and mass production, and a new urbanized lifestyle. The city became a new and worthy opportunity for those who formerly worked on a farm. By 1925 the city, and not the farm, had become the basic reality for most Americans because of the Second Industrial Revolution, the mass immigration, and the opportunity for greater wages. The Second Industrial Revolution is considered to have begun in the 1860’s. New technologies and innovations such as the Bessemer steel converter, the internal combustion engine, the production and refining of oil and gasoline, the telegraph, the radio, electricity and the American system of manufacturing were created in the mid to late 19th century. The Bessemer converter worked by blowing air through holes at the bottom of the convertor to create a reaction that oxidizes the silicon and excess carbon which converted it to pure steel or iron. This machine allowed a lowered price on steel and iron as well as speed in production. This was a major contributor to the production of railroads. The expansion of the railroads greatly increased from 1860 to 1920. Railroads tripled from 1860 to 1880 and then doubled again by 1920. The railroads lowered the cost of shipping which enabled the cheaper movement of raw materials that would be used in factories. These new tracks also connected isolated towns to larger markets which allowed them access to new materials they could not have before.