Unit 3: Industrialization, Immigration, Problems, and Progressives I. WHat was the Second Industrial Revolution? A. The First Industrial Revolution in America began in the the early 1800s. It changed the products were made, from by hand to machine-made. 1. Work moved from homes to factories. 2. It included advances in transportation, such as railroads 3. Communication advances included the telegraph. B. The Second Industrial Revolution in the late 1800s, was a period of rapid in U.S. manufacturing, and introduced new technology and sources of power. C. By the mid-1890s, the U.S. had become the world’s industrial leader. 1. Causes of the Second Industrial Revolution: a. Greater ability to use natural resources b. A growing population c. Transportation advances, ex: railroads d. Rising immigration e. Inventions and innovations f. Increasing business investment g. Government policies assisting the growth of business D. Steel: 1. In the mid-1850s, Henry Bessemer invented the Bessemer Process, a way to manufacture steel quickly and cheaply by blasting hot air through molten iron to quickly remove impurities. 2. The Bessemer Process helped to increase steel production. 3. As steel prices dropped, so did the cost of building railroads. a. Steel track and steel boilers allowed for faster travel and heavier loads. b. Passenger cars became more luxurious c. Products could be sent to market faster than ever before d. Western population increased e. More people were employed in the railroad industry New Energy Sources: 1. Oil as an energy source a. Oil could be refined into kerosene for heating and cooking. b. It could be refined into gasoline for engines. 2. Electricity for light and power.