Bessemer steel process: Henry Bessemer, 1859 discovery of more efficient way to produce steel from iron ore-from 7 tons to less than 1 ton of iroan ore to produce a ton of steel

1867: 2,000 tons of steel produced

1890: 3.7 million tons of steel produced

Allows for growth in numerous areas: rr's, factories, consumer goods, equipment,tools, etc.

Alexander G. Bell - telephone - 1876

Thomas A. Edison - electric light and harnessing of electric current (1879) into 1880's

Mechanization: electrical equipment, typewriters, ex.)

farm machinery - mechanized plows

Use of factory system, interchangeable parts (Eli Whitney)

National Labor Union (1866) & Knights of Labor (1869) -

First large, comprehensive unions - brought workers together in different industries

K of L mobilizes workers politically, strikes used often

Haymarket Square strike (Chicago, 1886) doomed K of L via perception of anrachy, foreign influence

Organized labor achieves new strength with American Federation of Labor, 1886

Organized by Samuel Gompers, 1886

Brought together various unions of skilled workers

strikes, tough tactics : boycotts, "sympathy strikes," major conflgrations: steel strike, 1893, Pullman strike, 1894 (E.V. Debs leader)

Constant focus on political process for workers: fair pay, better conditions, child labor restrictions, unity