The Yeoman The Yeoman FarmerFarmer Ideal of the Ideal of the
Jeffersonian Jeffersonian RepublicRepublic
Independent farmer Independent farmer beholden to no beholden to no bossboss
Owned his own land Owned his own land (were some women (were some women farmers, but not farmers, but not celebrated like the celebrated like the men)men)Did not work for Did not work for wages: Wage wages: Wage Slavery seen as a Slavery seen as a type of dependency type of dependency and weaknessand weaknessTo Jefferson, only To Jefferson, only the independent the independent man could be a man could be a reliable citizen of a reliable citizen of a democracydemocracy
Pittsburgh, PA, factories c. 1850
Southern Cotton Fields c. 1850
Philadelphia Centennial Exposition, 1876
Philadelphia Centennial Exposition, 1876
Memorial Hall
Agricultural Hall, exterior and interior
Machinery Hall
U.S. made cannons on display outside the Machinery Hall
Corliss Steam Engine in the “Machinery Hall” of the Philadelphia Fair, 1876:
•1400 horsepower
•1.7 million lbs
American IndustrializationAmerican Industrialization
Antebellum period, U.S. a nation of small Antebellum period, U.S. a nation of small farmers and shopkeepers scattered over farmers and shopkeepers scattered over large arealarge area
After the war, nation becomes increasingly After the war, nation becomes increasingly centralized, urbanized, and interlinkedcentralized, urbanized, and interlinked
Lincoln president of a rural agrarian Lincoln president of a rural agrarian republic; Teddy Roosevelt will be republic; Teddy Roosevelt will be president of an urban industrial republicpresident of an urban industrial republic
American IndustrializationAmerican Industrialization
Shift from artisans and local small manufacturing to the Shift from artisans and local small manufacturing to the Factory SystemFactory System
Make more and more materials of everyday lifeMake more and more materials of everyday life Increasing numbers of Americans work for wages in factoriesIncreasing numbers of Americans work for wages in factories
Exploitation of abundant natural resources of the nationExploitation of abundant natural resources of the nation—especially the American West—especially the American West
Discover vast reserves of copper in Montana, for exampleDiscover vast reserves of copper in Montana, for example
1870: Agricultural production surpasses industrial 1870: Agricultural production surpasses industrial production by $500 millionproduction by $500 million
By 1900, industrial output has quadrupled and surpasses By 1900, industrial output has quadrupled and surpasses agriculture by $5 billionagriculture by $5 billion
Population booms, doubles between 1865-1901, approx. Population booms, doubles between 1865-1901, approx. 38 million to 77 million38 million to 77 million
Crowded dirty streets of the New York City ghettoes, c. 1900
John Gast, American Progress, 1872
Thomas Edison with early phonograph, 1878
Thomas Edison at age 14
Telegraph operators for the Northern Pacific Railway, c. 1905
New York City, c. 1880
Edison’s ticker tape invention, 1869
Edison’s Menlo Park, New Jersey, Laboratory, c. 1885
Original Edison phonograph, 1877
Edison’s 1879 Light bulb
Nikola Tesla with his massive Tesla Coil
George Westinghouse
The Edison-backed AC electric chair
Illustrations of the Edison Kinetoscope
Pennsylvania Coke Company with Railroads, c. 1880
Creation U.S. RailroadsCreation U.S. Railroads
First U.S. trains built in 1830sFirst U.S. trains built in 1830s Small, locally operated, inefficientSmall, locally operated, inefficient Prone to accidents and breakdownsProne to accidents and breakdowns Transport very inefficienct: All have different gauges Transport very inefficienct: All have different gauges
and demand repeated transfersand demand repeated transfers
Wide desire for a Transcontinental lineWide desire for a Transcontinental line Far too costly for any existing railroad company to Far too costly for any existing railroad company to
buildbuild
Federal government build?Federal government build? No, subsidize private companies with land grantsNo, subsidize private companies with land grants
•U.S. gives private companies 200-400 acres of public land for every mile of track built
•Railroads become second largest land holders in the American West
Completion of the Union-Pacific Transcontinental railroad, 1869
Union Pacific Locomotive
Rationalization of American RRsRationalization of American RRs
One option: Government ownership and controlOne option: Government ownership and controlInstead, allow and essentially encourage private Instead, allow and essentially encourage private consolidation—consolidation—decreasedecrease in competition in competitionLeads to creation of first modern corporations, heavily Leads to creation of first modern corporations, heavily capitalized by large public stock salescapitalized by large public stock salesMassive consolidation of industryMassive consolidation of industry
1870: Several hundred railroads1870: Several hundred railroads 1900: Seven railroad corporations1900: Seven railroad corporations
Demands of efficient operations increasingly Demands of efficient operations increasingly incorporates Americans in the railroad system:incorporates Americans in the railroad system:
Workers linked into a bureaucratic hierarchyWorkers linked into a bureaucratic hierarchy Distant farmers depend on for access to urban marketsDistant farmers depend on for access to urban markets All Americans become part of the Railroad time zones created in All Americans become part of the Railroad time zones created in
18831883
Industrialization and Industrialization and Corporations:Corporations:
Large corporations needed to create Large corporations needed to create industrial systems of electricity and railroadsindustrial systems of electricity and railroads
Americans increasingly “incorporated” into Americans increasingly “incorporated” into these systemsthese systems Dependent on railroad timeDependent on railroad time Farmers need for shippingFarmers need for shipping Growing number of people work for big businessGrowing number of people work for big business
Corporations becoming very powerful, Corporations becoming very powerful, perhaps as much so as the Governmentperhaps as much so as the Government The Big QuestionThe Big Question: Is this a threat to democracy?: Is this a threat to democracy?
Questions?Questions?