Essay Sample on US Technological Innovations: Fueling Growth and Economic Expansion

Introduction

Technological innovations had a significant impact on the growth of the United States between 1865 and 1900. The invention of technologies such as the internal combustion engine, petroleum, electricity, railroads, and the chemical industries gave the US a competitive age over other countries. According to Husband and O'Loughlin (2019), the United States had one of the fastest-growing economies in the world during the last three decades to the twentieth century (1870-1900). During this period, the United States had the most dynamic economy globally because of technological inventions that hastened the pace of economic growth. Its economy was even more potent than that of European countries like France and Britain that had experienced industrialization during the early nineteenth century (Husband & O'Loughlin, 2019). Technology, therefore, had a profound impact on the socio-economic growth of the US because it improved communication, transportation, and the volume of regional trade.

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Technological Innovations and Its Impacts on the US

Rail Road

The United States improved British railroad technology during the Second Industrial Revolution. Before 1865, the country relied on wagonways or wooden railroads to facilitate the transportation of the goods and the movement of people (Husband & O'Loughlin, 2019. The availability of cheap steel led to significant growth of the railway industry since it contributed to the introduction of railroads that were faster, more comfortable, and safer to Americans.

By 1870, the US had built more than 17,700 km of railroads from 14,000 km in 1850 (Mohajan, 2019). In 1880, the country had adopted essential railroad technologies, leading to the expansion of the railway line to 120,675 km (Mohajan, 2019). The locomotives in the country in the period 1865 to 1900 were safer after George Westinghouse invented brakes that worked through the principle of air compression (Mokyr, 2018).With the existence of advanced steel technologies, experts were able to make rails that lasted for over a decade longer than iron rails that were in the US before the start of the Second Industrial Revolution in 1870 (Mohajan, 2019).

The introduction of this technology was beneficial to the economy of the US. In this perspective, railroads connected different parts of the country, thus facilitating the transportation of industrial and agricultural products. In 1869, for instance, the Central Pacific and the Union Pacific built the first transcontinental railway that runs from the Pacific Ocean to Nebraska (Mohajan, 2019). In this view, the technology improved the level of trade as businesspeople could move from one region to another with their freights. Mohajan (2019) said that the US had about 22,200 and 17,800 passenger and freight locomotives, respectively, at the end of 1870.

Of great importance is that railroads opened the remote areas of the country that were once inaccessible (Mokyr, 2018). Again, it enhanced the rate of urbanization since it created economic opportunities in strategic areas around the railway line (Lamoreaux et al., 2004). From the analysis of the developments on this technology from 1865, it is apparent that railroads developed from wagonways or wooden railroads to iron rails and, eventually, the steel rails.

Electricity

The beginning of electricity had a profound impact on the economic development of the country. In 1879, the US recorded an essential technological breakthrough when its scientist Thomas Edison invented the first-ever electric lamp (Husband & O'Loughlin, 2019). This invention saw the introduction of the first indoor electric lighting that shaped economic growth and the quality of life at the household level. Edison's invention paved the way for the improvement of electricity technology to enhance heat and power supply to industries and households. In 1890, for example, other American scientists introduced electric trolley, which in turn, revolutionized public transportation (Husband & O'Loughlin, 2019). Electric carts improved the efficiency of transport since it could travel at about ten miles per hour. With this invention, many Americans in urban settings shifted from the use of horses to electric trolleys.

The invention of electricity had both positive and negative effects on various groups of people. The primary benefit is that it enhanced the supply of electricity to industries and households in cities. Consequently, Americans saw an increase in employment opportunities as the availability of power necessitated employers to increase working hours to enhance their level of production (Husband & O'Loughlin, 2019). Also, the standards of living improved among the middle-class people who secured jobs in industries (Lamoreaux et al., 2004). Such people lived better lives as they could afford decent houses, food, and education (Lamoreaux et al., 2004).

Nonetheless, the beginning of electricity had adverse effects on Americans since it contributed to an increase in rural-urban migration. Congestion in towns led to a rise in social problems as more people scrambled for scarce resources. In 1870, only 25.7% of Americans were in urban settings, but by 1900, it had grown to 40% (Husband & O'Loughlin, 2019). During this era, also, about 11.3 million foreign immigrants entered the US (Husband & O'Loughlin, 2019). This trend escalated transportation problems in urban areas that had access to electricity. Other social issues include a surge in the rate of prostitution and the growth of informal settlements that increased the spread of contagious diseases (Husband & O'Loughlin, 2019).

While the invention of electricity provided opportunities for industrialists to establish more factories and acquire wealth, employees worked for long hours. The demand for more employees in factories before the enactment of the labor laws led to the exploitation of children for meager wages (Husband & O'Loughlin, 2019). The industrialists accumulated immense wealth because of the role of electricity in spurring production. However, casual laborers that moved to urban settings searching for better jobs suffered working in factories as casual laborers.

Telephone

In 1876, a US citizen called Alexander Graham invented the telephone that revolutionized human communication. Nine years later, in 1885, Graham established American Telephone and Telegraph Company (AT&T) that offered telecommunication services. This communication technology, together with the telegraph that Peterson JM had invented in 1840, further improved the efficiency and reliability of telecommunication services in the country.

The invention had positive impacts on American society as it provided a medium to receive and transmit sounds in the form of a human voice. Through the use of this device, Americans had meaningful conversations at a distance. Telecommunication companies boosted economic growth as it provided employment opportunities. Also, the fact that this technology connected people at a greater distance means it increased regional trade. However, the invention of the telephone negatively impacted the growth telegraph as it led to a decline in its revenue.

Conclusion

The technology was an essential factor that shaped the economy of the US from 1865 to 1900. The major technological inventions of this period were the telephone, railroads, and electricity. These aspects provided opportunities to expand businesses, besides creating jobs for American people. These inventions also enhanced the transport and the communication industry as more people could transport their commodities from one state to another. However, these inventions contributed to growth in the rate of migration to urban settings as people moved to areas with better access to electricity and railroads. This trend contributed to various social problems such as prostitution and crime besides the spread of infectious diseases.

References

Husband, J., & O'Loughlin, J. (2019). Daily life in the industrial United States, 1870-1900. Greenwood Publishing Group. https://b-ok.cc/book/1182688/e1294c

Lamoreaux, N., Levenstein, M., & Sokoloff, K. (2004). Financing invention during the Second Industrial Revolution. National Bureau of Economic Research. https://doi.org/10.3386/w10923

Mohajan, H. (2019). The Second Industrial Revolution has brought modern social and economic developments. Journal of Social Sciences and Humanities, 6(1), 1-14

Mokyr, J. (2018). The economics of the Industrial Revolution. Routledge Revivals. https://doi.org/10.4324/9780203808405