Second Industrial Revolution
By Leslie Blake

During the last three decades of the eighteen century America was transformed by the Second Industrial Revolution. A series of innovative developments within the electric, steel, and oil industry, between others, strengthened and enhanced the technologies of the First Industrial Revolution. By 1913, the United States produced one-third of the words industrial output. The replacement of steam for electricity, iron by the steel industry, and petroleum as energy source were three of the major causes of the American Industrial Revolution.
The discovery of new sources of energy was key to the Industrial Revolution; electricity, created by the era’s greatest inventor, Thomas A. Edison, not only defeated the steam but helped stablish new industries that changed private life, public entertainment and economic activity. Among some of his inventions were the telegraph, light bulb, motion picture, and a system for generating and distributing electric power.
Another important discovery was in the steel industry, which bloomed because of the demand for railroads. For decades steel had combined the strength of raw iron and the durability of iron, but the process to obtain it was very expensive and made it a luxury. It was through the process of refining it, discovered by Henry Bessemer in 1856; when steel became affordable and easy to produce. This metal replaced iron railroad tracks and was also used for the structure of buildings and large bridges; also the effect of steel had great effects in the automotive industry, agricultural and industrial machinery,
Another origin that fueled the Second Industrial Revolution was petroleum or the oil industry. Initially is was considered a curiosity and did not have many uses, but it was after it was discovered that it can be refined into Gasoline, Kerosene and Distillate that the demand increased. It was eventually called Black Gold, and it was used as another source of energy and fuel. A vertical integrated monopoly ruled this industry, John. D Rockefeller controlled the drilling, refining, storage and distribution of oil.
Electricity, steel and petroleum were some factors that led to Second Industrial Revolution and helped to stablish new forms of freedom and urban modernization. It took America to a period of great extremes; great wealth but also widespread poverty. The industrial development created a mass production process, and many of the inventions were interconnected, the new technologies increased the pace of life and the way people lived and worked.

References:
Engelman, Ryan. "The Second Industrial Revolution, 1870-1914." US History Scene. 10 Apr. 2015. Web. 12 Sept. 2015. <http://ushistoryscene.com/article/second-industrial-revolution/>.

Joel Moykr.” The Second Industrial Revolution, 1870 – 1914. Northwestern University. August 1998. http://faculty.wcas.northwestern.edu/~jmokyr/castronovo.pdf

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