Industrialization Gallery Walk

Industrialization marked a time of poor pay, poor working conditions, and child labor

The rise of factories and cities during this time led to overcrowding, crime, disease, and pollution.

Immigration to the United States peaked in the early 20th century, around the 1900s to 1910s.

From 1850-1910, US Patent Applications grew drastically

Environment & Urbanization

Patents

Workers

Immigration

Factories grew rapidly during the late 18th and early 19th centuries.

Factories

Causes and Effects of

American Industrialization

Inventions

Political Cartoon

Child Labor Photos

Workers/Labor

Source: Mulberry Street, New York City, c. 1900, Library of Congress

Source: Textile mills billowing smoke into the atmosphere in Lowell, Massachusetts, 1910, via National Park Service

Factories relied heavily on coal, which filled the air with smoke and polluted nearby rivers with waste. This pollution affected both the health of people and wildlife. As cities expanded, forests were cleared to make room for factories, railroads, and homes, leading to a loss of natural habitats. People didn’t yet realize the long-term effects, but the rapid industrial growth left a lasting mark on the environment, including air and water pollution, deforestation, and habitat destruction.

With the growing demand for labor in the cities, and the elimination of common land in the rural areas, many families moved into the new growing urban areas. The quick increase in population led to rapid growth of cities with poor quality housing (tenements). There was an increase in unsafe living conditions, rising crime rates, extreme overcrowding, and poor sanitation.

Environment

Urbanization

Document F2 Assembly Line: Ford Model T Assembly Line (1910) (from National Archives)

Document F Rise of the Factory System: Solvay Processes Works Company - Chemical factory - Syracuse, NY 1890 - 1901 (from - Library of Congress)

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Factories

Factories during the American Industrial Revolution were large buildings where machines and workers produced goods on a large scale. They played a key role in increasing production and efficiency, transforming the economy from agricultural to industrial.

Voices of Factory Life

Telephone (1876) – Invented by Alexander Graham Bell, it revolutionized communication by allowing people to speak directly over long distances. Light Bulb (1879) – Thomas Edison’s invention brought electric lighting to homes, businesses, and streets, making life safer and extending productive hours. Electric Power (1880s) – The development of electrical systems, including power grids, powered factories, homes, and cities, enabling new levels of industrial and social development. Automobile (late 1800s) – Pioneers like Henry Ford made cars affordable, changing transportation forever and improving personal mobility and industry. Airplane (1903) – The Wright Brothers’ invention opened the skies to travel and trade, eventually revolutionizing global transportation. Bessemer Steel Process (1856-1870s) – This improved steel-making technique allowed for stronger, cheaper steel, which was crucial for building railroads, bridges, and skyscrapers. Refrigeration (1860s) – Enabled food to be preserved longer, improving health, nutrition, and food distribution, especially in urban areas. Elevators (1850s-1880s) – With the development of the safety elevator by Elisha Otis, taller buildings became practical, allowing for modern city skylines and the rise of skyscrapers. Electric Streetcars (1880s) – Helped urban transportation become faster and more efficient, allowing people to live farther from their workplaces and leading to the growth of suburbs.

Inventions that changed society

Gilded Age: 1870-early 1900s, period of economic wealth for rich, extreme poverty for the poor.

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Document B1 Immigration: Immigration during the Gilded Age

Immigration

As cities developed and grew across Europe and America, large populations from less urban areas moved into big cities. The United States saw incredible immigration with foreigners looking for new opportunities. Some believed the streets of America were lined with gold. What they actually found as they moved to new locations was a hard life with great competition for the factory jobs and a new way of life far different from what they knew before.

Immigrants departing the ship on Ellis Island (Circa 1900)

Document A1 Inventions and Innovation: American Inventions (NYS K-12 Toolkit, Binghamton University 2015)

Document A2 Inventions and Innovations - Utility Patent Applications (Inventions) graph (from: US Patent Office)

What is a patent?

Patents