Summary Of The Second Industrial Revolution

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The Second Industrial Revolution took place between 1870 and 1914, beginning as Ulysses S. Grant entered the presidential office and coming to a close in Woodrow Wilson’s first term. While the (first) Industrial Revolution in America is often considered as one of the most fruitful and dense in innovations in history, the following decades brought innumerable technological advancements, improving the many recently created materials and machines. Scientists made great progress in developing steel, the use of internal combustion engines skyrocketed, networks to transmit electricity were produced for the first time, and the introduction of interchangeable parts revolutionized the system of mass production. During these years, advancements were …show more content…

One of the main reasons the market was able to grow at such an astonishing pace was because of the clauses in the Constitution pertaining to trade. The Commerce Clause of the Constitution gave the government power to create legislation on the subject of trade, this power was later exercised in the Interstate Commerce Act of 1887 which helped to regulate interstate trading. The Copyright Clause in the Constitution protects the intellectual property rights of inventors, so that they not only receive credit for their inventions, but also have rights surrounding the use of their creation. Development in agriculture was another aspect of the Second Industrial Revolution that the government had a part in. The Hatch Act of 1887 provided federal grants to create Agricultural Experiment Stations, which researched the food production industry. In 1914, the Smith-Lever Act was also passed which informed the public about new agricultural advancements. All of the technological advancements drastically impacted life in America, by improving the quality of life, the economy and certainly the financials of all the workers …show more content…

Wrought iron was a very popular material during the Industrial Revolution, but by the Second Industrial Revolution, steel had taken its place. Iron was then improved to be malleable and has been steel’s runner up ever since. Rubber and plastic were also created in this time frame, as scientists began to research macromolecular chemicals and synthetic materials. Electricity was still being explored during these years, as minor improvements were made increasing the quality and reliability while reducing the cost. One of the most important inventions to come out of the Second Industrial Revolution was the airplane. In 1903 the Wright brothers used their knowledge of mechanics and aerodynamics to create the first airplane, by 1914 the end of the Revolution the autopilot system was developed, and just thirty years after the Wright brother’s first flight, the first commercial airline business was created. Revolutionizing the system of production in agriculture had a slow start, because most of the work in agriculture was performed by human hands, such as tending to the crops or weeding. Once internal combustion engines were created they were applied to this problem. Right before WWI, tractors and combines began surfacing in the agriculture industry, changing it forever.

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