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Atlantic Cable
A cable laid across the floor of the Atlantic Ocean that allowed for telegraphs to be sent between the Unites States and Europe. Where messages used to take at least 10 days to travel the ocean, they could now cross it in minutes. -
Southern Railroads
After the Civil War, the South’s economy declined. New railroads into the South, helped alleviate this problem, allowing goods to be transported straight to the North. -
Railroads
Railroad companies settled on a standardized width between the tracks, and railroads could now travel almost anywhere in the country. This resulted in new nationwide chains, and the creation of four different time zones -
Telephone
Alexander Graham Bell invents the telephone, which eventually revolutionizing transcontinental communication. -
Industrial Society
There was a significant increase in the number of factories, mines, and railroads everywhere except the south. America’s economy shifted away from agriculture, and more towards industry. More people than ever lived in cities and worked for wages. -
Electricity
Thomas Edison opens the first electric generator in New York City. It provides power to streetcars, factories, and homes, and leads to the creation of General Electric (GE). -
Oil
John D. Rockefeller establishes Standard Oil, the largest oil refiner, and one of the greatest monopolies, in the world. -
Steel
Andrew Carnegie establishes one of the biggest steel corporations in the world, creating a monopoly in the steel industry.