Expansion of Industry

Question:
  

What were the three major factors that contributed to the immense technological boom that took place in the United States after the Civil War? Explain how two of these factors helped to bring about this technological boom.

The three major contributing factors of the technological boom that tool place in the United States after the Civil War were large quantities of natural resources (like oil), the government supporting businesses, and expanding populations in cities that would provide cheap labor and serve as a consumer market.

Natural resources that aided the technological boom were oil and iron and later other scrap metals that could be made into steal. Oil was purified into kerosene (used in lamps) and during the process, gasoline is released. With the invention of the automobile, gasolines became very important and fueled the automobiles. Iron was first transformed into steal through a process called the Bessemer process. Steel was important because it was both lightweight and durable and made it possible for architectural feats like the Brooklyn Bridge and the first skyscraper to be built.

Expanding urban populations were also very important in assisting the advancement of technology in the late 19th century. With new machines, there was a need for factory workers. The same workers were also buying the products, For example, women who would have previously been sewing clothing for their families at home were now buying the clothes made in factories where many of the workers manning the machines were women themselves.