The Second Industrial Revolution
- in the first Industrial Revolution, textiles, coal, iron, and railroads were major elements
- in the second Industrial Revolution, steel, chemicals, electricity, and petroleum were the key products to making the economy more productive
- in the second Industrial Revolution, steel, chemicals, electricity, and petroleum were the key products to making the economy more productive
New Products
- electricity was a major new form of energy which could be converted into heat, light, and motion
- Thomas Edison created the light bulb
- Alexander Graham Bell invented the telephone in 1876 and Guglielmo Marconi sent the first radio waves across the Atlantic in 1901
- by 1900, cars and subways were powered by electricity in major European cities
- factories could be operated 24 hours a day because conveyor belts, cranes, and manufacturing machines were all powered by electricity
- the development of the internal-combustion engine, provided an alternative form of transportation because it gave rise to ocean liners and warships
- in 1903, the Wright brothers made the first powered flight in a fixed-wing plane and in 1908, Henry Ford produced his first Model T
- Thomas Edison created the light bulb
- Alexander Graham Bell invented the telephone in 1876 and Guglielmo Marconi sent the first radio waves across the Atlantic in 1901
- by 1900, cars and subways were powered by electricity in major European cities
- factories could be operated 24 hours a day because conveyor belts, cranes, and manufacturing machines were all powered by electricity
- the development of the internal-combustion engine, provided an alternative form of transportation because it gave rise to ocean liners and warships
- in 1903, the Wright brothers made the first powered flight in a fixed-wing plane and in 1908, Henry Ford produced his first Model T
New Patterns
- the Second Industrial Revolution increased both the availability and demand for goods
- the cost to produce goods dropped: both production and transportation were more efficient
- through the use of the assembly line, manufacturing also became more proficient at mass production of goods
- in the cities, department stores began to sell a wide range of goods
- Western Germany, Great Britain, Belgium and France rapidly industrialized
- the remainder of Europe stayed agricultural but provided raw materials and food to the other nations
- the cost to produce goods dropped: both production and transportation were more efficient
- through the use of the assembly line, manufacturing also became more proficient at mass production of goods
- in the cities, department stores began to sell a wide range of goods
- Western Germany, Great Britain, Belgium and France rapidly industrialized
- the remainder of Europe stayed agricultural but provided raw materials and food to the other nations
Organizing the Working Class
Working Class
- as society became more industrialized, treatment of workers dropped
- they were forced to move to crowded slums and worked longer hours
- living conditions were poor and even though attempts were made to improve their lives, it would most likely take decades
- some people wanted to reform the system within while others wanted to abolish capitalism completely and create a socialist system
- they achieved this goal by supporting socialist parties
- they were forced to move to crowded slums and worked longer hours
- living conditions were poor and even though attempts were made to improve their lives, it would most likely take decades
- some people wanted to reform the system within while others wanted to abolish capitalism completely and create a socialist system
- they achieved this goal by supporting socialist parties
Karl Marx
Karl Marx
- was one of the most important theorists of the century
- wrote the Communist Manifesto in 1848 which outlined the theory of class struggle and how a worker's revolution would destroy the capital and material wealth would be equally distributed among the workers
- popularized the terms: bourgeoisie meaning middle class & proletariat meaning working class
- criticized capitalism and was an advocate of socialism
- people who were inspired by him set up socialist political parties; the most important one being the German Social Democratic party, which advocated a Marxist revolution
- so-called pure Marxists believed that war would end capitalism
- wrote the Communist Manifesto in 1848 which outlined the theory of class struggle and how a worker's revolution would destroy the capital and material wealth would be equally distributed among the workers
- popularized the terms: bourgeoisie meaning middle class & proletariat meaning working class
- criticized capitalism and was an advocate of socialism
- people who were inspired by him set up socialist political parties; the most important one being the German Social Democratic party, which advocated a Marxist revolution
- so-called pure Marxists believed that war would end capitalism
Unions
- one of the reasons why socialism didn't grow in certain industrialized nations was because of the rise of unions
- unions were formed to improve working conditions and increase wages for workers
- workers had a right to bargain collectively or to strike if their needs weren't met
- unions were formed to improve working conditions and increase wages for workers
- workers had a right to bargain collectively or to strike if their needs weren't met