The Second Industrial Revolution

1123 Words5 Pages
In Britain, during the time period from 1750-1900, the offering of new services and products greatly promoted trade among the nations. The reconfiguration of the steam engine design coupled with the availability of inexpensive steel meant that sailing ships which were slow and obsolete could now be replaced with faster steamship. The ships could now handle more trade and utilize smaller crews. Also moving to the forefront were chemical industries. A man by the name of Michael Faraday is responsible for forming the foundation of electric motor technology during this time, as he discovered electromagnetic induction and invented electromagnetic rotary devices. In 1880, Sir Joseph Swan began to install light bulbs in both the landmarks and homes…show more content…
After the time period of 1830, when Belgium broke away from the Netherlands and became its own nation, it planned to stimulate industry. It funded and carefully planned a simple system that would connect ports, major cities, mining areas, and neighboring countries. The profits from this system were low, yet put in place an infrastructure needed for very rapid industrial growth. Belgium became known as the railway center of the region. The United States also boasted many effects from this Second Industrial Revolution. During the last two decades of this Revolution, the United States had its highest growth economically. Heavy industry such as factories, railroads, and coal mining provided the basis for the Gilded Age in America. The opening of the First Transcontinental Railroad in 1869 was a momentous event, which provided transportation from the East Coast to San Francisco in a mere six…show more content…
Machine shops began to quickly spring up and the need for engineers and skilled workers to oversee factory operation grew. The wage rates also grew for both skilled and unskilled workers. In turn, engineering colleges began to be established to fill this enormous demand for more expertise. The bureaucracy of the railroad system also became more complex and began to use middle managers, setting up specific careers paths. Young men would be hired at the ages of 18-21 and be promoted until about the age of 40 or so, where they would reach the status of a locomotive engineer, station agent, or conductor. These career paths would be established for white collar managers as well as skilled blue collar jobs, where they would start in railroads and then branch out into manufacturing, trade, and finance. This combined with small businesses starting to grow provided for a rapid growth in the middle
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