Industrialism

Industrialism the 1800s started mainly around the 1850s, and progressed into the early 1900s, from there it slowed down a bit and merged into other areas. It began with the Cotton Gin (A machine that could separate cotton from it's seed), and slowed a bit after people calmed down about the excitement of Automobiles. As we all know industrialism didn't stop there and is still working it's magic through present time technology; that was however the fastest advance humans have made through time.
Industrialism is largely responsible for the big cities we see today such as New York City, Pittsburg and Lowell most in the North East of the U.S. Where the rich people moved their factories, poor factory workers were sure to fallow populating the cities and soon making the living conditions crowded and unsanitary. Entire areas were designated to the rich so they would not have to mingle with the very people that worked 14 hours a day to provide those same rich people with the comforts that gave them the upper-hand in this weird social world.




Andrew Carnegie, one of richest men in the world at that time, owned a large steel company. In his later life he donated much of his money to help fund libraries, schools, and Universities. By the 1890s his company was the largest and most profitable enterprise in the world. He was a Scottish immigrant and the son a weaver, although his family was impoverished he grew up in a cultured and political home. “A self-made man”




John D. Rockefeller was on par with the Carnegies in wealth and social status, who owned an oil company stationed in Cleveland, Ohio. When he retired he gave 10% of his money to charity. After many years Rockefeller soon owned many companies across the U.S. but mostly the North-East. Born in 1839 and died in 1937 (almost 100 years!).




Henry Ford the man who created Ford automobiles was born in1863 and died 1947 (a little out side the time frame however I feel he is a large part of Industrialism) The one who started assembly lines, the idea that one person doesn’t build the whole car, but is responsible for making or doing the same thing on or to every car so that production can be sped up.




William Jennings Bryan, 3 times presidential candidate, a democrat who fought against imperialism in 1896. (Again a little out of the time period). Born in Jacksonville and graduated with honors at the Illinois College.









These are some photos taken by Jacob Riis and Lewis Hine, both famous for their photographs in the late 1800’s of labor, poor living conditions, and poverty. On the top you see a young boy standing in a dark mine with a mining light on his head, (Lewis Hine). The next one is very famous picture of a young girl standing in a dirty looking factory in clothes that don’t fit, (Lewis Hine). The last is a good example of the living conditions in around 1880, (Jacob Riis).