Chapter 18
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Questions and Answers

What was a significant advancement introduced by George Westinghouse in the electrical industry?

  • Direct current (DC) power supply
  • Alternating current (AC) power supply (correct)
  • Compact electric motors
  • Carbonized cotton thread for light bulbs

Which factor contributed to Thomas Edison's successful development of the incandescent light bulb?

  • His exclusive focus on electric motors
  • The use of direct current (DC) throughout his experiments
  • His collaboration with Alexander Graham Bell
  • The financial backing from J.P. Morgan (correct)

What was one of the major impacts of the transcontinental railroad in the 19th century?

  • Stimulated the growth of other industries (correct)
  • Reduction in the cost of telegraph services
  • Greater isolation of rural areas
  • Decreased demand for iron and coal industries

What term was used to describe the new millionaires who were often viewed negatively for exploiting workers?

<p>Robber barons (C)</p> Signup and view all the answers

Why was the patent for the telephone considered highly profitable despite being short?

<p>It was contested by many inventors. (A)</p> Signup and view all the answers

How much did the number of industrial workers increase between 1880 and 1920?

<p>Quadrupled from 2.5 million to over 10 million (B)</p> Signup and view all the answers

What were the two major processes that transformed steel production after the Civil War?

<p>Bessemer process and open-hearth process (B)</p> Signup and view all the answers

What was one major benefit of the inventions during this industrial era for household management?

<p>Improved public health through sanitation (D)</p> Signup and view all the answers

Which company was transformed into the American Telephone and Telegraph Company after acquiring Bell's patent?

<p>National Bell Telephone Company (C)</p> Signup and view all the answers

How did advancements in communication technologies affect message delivery during the late 19th century?

<p>Information could travel in minutes rather than days. (C)</p> Signup and view all the answers

What significant change occurred in the number of patents issued by the U.S. Patent Office from 1860 to 1890?

<p>The number of patents exploded to nearly 450,000. (B)</p> Signup and view all the answers

How did the development of commercial electricity impact industries by the end of the nineteenth century?

<p>It enabled industries to concentrate in urban areas. (B)</p> Signup and view all the answers

What was one result of the explosion of inventive energy in late nineteenth-century America?

<p>A rise in the number of urban factories requiring labor. (C)</p> Signup and view all the answers

What was the primary motivation behind the surge of inventions in America during this period?

<p>The pursuit of efficiency, comfort, and abundance. (D)</p> Signup and view all the answers

In what context did most Americans still live and work on farms as late as 1880?

<p>Only a small fraction of the population had moved to cities. (B)</p> Signup and view all the answers

What practice did railroad owners use that disadvantaged local producers and farmers?

<p>Differential shipping rates (A)</p> Signup and view all the answers

Which railroad magnate was known for exploiting other investors during his management of the Erie Railroad?

<p>Jay Gould (C)</p> Signup and view all the answers

What was the primary way that railroads funded their rapid growth during the late 19th century?

<p>Government loans and grants (A)</p> Signup and view all the answers

How did Commodore Cornelius Vanderbilt's approach differ from that of Jay Gould?

<p>Vanderbilt focused on expanding rail connections for efficiency (D)</p> Signup and view all the answers

Which famous industrialist's early work included being a bobbin boy and later a telegram messenger boy?

<p>Andrew Carnegie (B)</p> Signup and view all the answers

What was Andrew Carnegie's primary industry in which he made his fortune?

<p>Steel (B)</p> Signup and view all the answers

Which of the following best describes Carnegie's approach to wealth according to his beliefs?

<p>Wealth should serve as a tool for societal benefit. (B)</p> Signup and view all the answers

How did Carnegie suggest wealthy individuals should bestow charity?

<p>By helping those who are willing to help themselves. (A)</p> Signup and view all the answers

What role did Social Darwinism play in Carnegie's view of wealth and success?

<p>It justified the impoverishment of the unfit. (B)</p> Signup and view all the answers

What was one of Carnegie's key business strategies during economic downturns?

<p>Buy out struggling steel competitors. (D)</p> Signup and view all the answers

Flashcards

Late 19th Century Inventive Boom

A period of significant invention and entrepreneurship in the United States, fueled by a desire for efficiency, comfort, and progress, driven by increasing industrialization.

Patent Office Growth

The number of patents issued by the U.S. Patent Office saw a dramatic increase between 1860 and 1890.

Industrialization Surge

The development of commercial electricity greatly expanded industrial output and led to concentration of industries in cities.

Rural to Urban Shift

Increased industrialization led to a transformation of American society from primarily rural to significantly urban, with growing populations moving to factories.

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Impact of Inventions

Inventions significantly altered everyday life and fueled the rise of big business and an industrial economy, fulfilling the desire for efficiency, comfort, and abundance.

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Quadrupled Industrial Workers

Between 1880 and 1920, the number of factory workers in the US increased fourfold, from 2.5 million to over 10 million.

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Steel Production Boom

The US's steel production skyrocketed from 13,000 to over 24 million tons between 1860 and 1910, largely due to the Bessemer and open-hearth processes. This drove industrial growth.

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Telephone Impact

Alexander Graham Bell's 1876 telephone patent revolutionized communication, connecting people across continents and countries via telegraphs and eventually the telephone.

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Improved Home Life

Inventions like the vacuum cleaner, flush toilet, and tin cans improved home life and sanitation, along with food preservation techniques, freeing up women's time during this era.

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Urban Population Growth

The US urban population doubled from 1880 to 1920, reaching half the nation's total population, as a result of industrial opportunities and growth.

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Telephone's impact (1900)

By 1900, the telephone connected many American cities, reducing rural isolation.

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Edison's inventions

Edison created numerous inventions like the phonograph, mimeograph, etc., using assembly line methods.

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Incandescent light bulb

Edison's most famous invention, using carbonized cotton thread as a filament.

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AC versus DC power

Westinghouse championed Alternating Current (AC), enabling longer power transmission distances compared to Edison's Direct Current (DC).

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Railroad's impact (1890)

By 1890, railroads were crucial to transport of goods and people, impacting various industries significantly.

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Robber Barons

Powerful railroad owners accused of exploitative business practices, often with shady tactics and differential shipping rates favoring large businesses over small farmers and producers.

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Differential Shipping Rates

A practice where larger businesses received lower shipping costs to transport goods, while local producers and farmers paid higher rates.

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Jay Gould's Business Model

A strategy of acquiring older, struggling railroads, making minimal improvements, and then capitalizing on the increased demand for shipping from factories.

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Cornelius Vanderbilt's Model

A railroad consolidation strategy focusing on efficiently connecting markets by merging several smaller railroad lines into a larger, more effective network.

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Andrew Carnegie's Success

Carnegie's rags-to-riches story, starting from a humble background in Scotland and moving to the US, then working his way up to the steel industry via investments and calculated risks.

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Carnegie's Steel Empire

Andrew Carnegie's vast steel company, including mines, furnaces, mills, and steel works, built through shrewd business decisions and investment.

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Gospel of Wealth

Carnegie's essay advocating philanthropy by wealthy industrialists, inspired by Social Darwinism and the idea of a moral obligation to society.

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Social Darwinism

A theory that society evolves like nature, with the 'fittest' enjoying success and wealth.

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Self-Made Man Myth

The widely popularized idea of achieving wealth through hard work, ingenuity, and luck, often romanticized in popular culture.

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Andrew Carnegie's Business Strategy

Carnegie's methods of acquiring steel companies to consolidate his empire and expand his business using economic recessions for investments.

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