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Steam Engine Invention
The first Steam Engine is invented. This will help transport goods from one point to another much, much quicker. It isn't too effective at first, but it does get improved later on. The idea of using steam to power machines catches on in many different countries. It was a way of energy no one had ever considered before. -
Steam Engine Upgrade
Years after the Steam Engine was invented someone took notice of all the steam being wasted in the process of powering the machine. After a few modifications were made the Steam Engine was much more powerful than ever before. The effectiveness of the Steam Engine made it so transporting goods became quicker and easier than ever. Things were starting to move around. -
Cotton Mill Invention
Things began moving along quickly in the world with the arrival of new inventions, such as the Cotton Mill. The entire process of making cotton could now be preformed by one, simple machine. As newer and newer inventions sprung up, more and more people were needed to operate them. This responsibility often fell upon the shoulders of the lower class. -
Opposition Against Progress
Since machines are much, much more effective at work than humans are, many people saw their jobs taken away by these heartless inventions. This led to a general opposition of industrialization in the early 1800's. The movement did not last long, bu the general feeling towards industrialization lasted. This would later spark strikes and unions amongst the working class. -
More and More Inventions
As time went on more and more inventions sprang forth. People were figuring out new ways to be efficient. This lead to more and more people using them in factories to produce more and more goods. The overall wealth of the middle class began to skyrocket due to these newer inventions. -
Telephone Invention
New technology is groundbreaking when it first comes out, and the invention of the telephone is no different. Now people had the ability to communicate with someone who was miles and miles away! Unlike most inventions, the telephone was not one that made the rich richer and the poor poorer. Rather, it was a revolutionary invention shared by everyone for everyone's own convenience. -
Light Bulb Invention
We take one step closer to the modern age when the light bulb was invented. Places could now be lit up for hours on end in contrast to near minutes with candlelight. Similar to the telephone, this invention did not create more divide between the richer and poorer people. It was once again a simple accommodation that soon became a staple of any household. -
The Homestead Strike
In 1892 a group of workers unionized together to demand fair pay from their higher-ups. They were met with "detectives" that put an end to their charade over a few days.Many other strikes like this had occurred in several other factories around the world. While some were successful in their lobbying for better conditions, others met a similar fate to that of the Homestead Strike. -
Power to the Unions
President Franklin D. Roosevelt signed the Wagner Labor Relations Act into law. This allowed for the forming of unions legally and more power generally to unions.This gave unions a fighting chance against their oppressors. Soon reforms were brought about to all workplaces around the world. -
The End of the Industrial Age
As great as it was, the Industrial Age came to a close sometime during the late 1800s-early 1900s. Workers continued to fight for equal rights and new ideas and inventions kept presenting themselves. -
Sources Cited
https://www.britannica.com/summary/Industrial-Revolution-Timeline
https://www.khanacademy.org/humanities/us-history/the-gilded-age/gilded-age/a/labor-battles-in-the-gilded-age#:~:text=As%20the%20United%20States'%20industrial,Homestead%20Steel%20Works%20in%201892.&text=The%20steelworkers%20ultimately%20lost%20the%20strike.
