Industrial Revolution During the 19th Century

During the 19th century, the untied Sates went under a dramatic transformation. The industrial revolution began. Machines determined everything. The most important machine that was invented in the 19th century was the railroad. It was the first Big Business that started this century. Even though it took a lot of money to run, the railroads made up for it because business’s, factories, tourism, etc. Were all in need of it. These railroads broke down local markets into large regional markets. Carnegie even relied very much on the railroads to send his steel; to other parts of the country.

Carnegie’s idea of mass production by the use of machines was brilliant and is still a major part in today’s society. Big machines took over people’s jobs and that people right into poverty, child labor and poor working conditions also put many people into poverty. Rockefeller also put people out of work by eliminating all the competition. He basically had pure domination over the competition. He did this by, for example all different products (tissues, cereal, crayons, etc.) are made and owned by one company (Proctor and Gamble). Well, Rockefeller was that one company. No one wanted to compete with him. It was hard for the entire small or family owned business’s to make any money anymore. Rockefeller’s standard oil company took over all or most of all the other/local oil companies around.

This was smart tactic by Rockefeller that is still used today. Putting your money in stocks and investments was also a smart tactic used by Rockefeller. So you see all the money that Carnegie and Rockefeller made and then putting their money into investments and stocks to make more money, the idea of mass production by use of machines, and pure domination of the competition is what helped make such a dramatic transformation in the United States during the 19th century.