After the Civil War and Reconstruction, the Gilded Age began. It took place from the late1860s to late1890s. The Gilded Age was a time when the United States population and economy grew rapidly. It was a time when many exploited workers came along and the wealthy grew to be more prosperous. Political corruption was also an issue. The positives are easily seen if you turn off the negativity. These inventions were one of most significant outcomes of Gilded Age. 1869 saw the completion one of the greatest inventions. Promontory Summit in Utah saw the completion of First Transcontinental Railroad, which was completed on May 10, 1869. This railroad was made up of the Union Pacific Railroad and Central Pacific Lines. The Union Pacific Railroad started in Omaha, Nebraska. The Central Pacific Railroad began at Sacramento, California. The Transcontinental Railroad enabled rapid growth of westward settlement. It also granted companies/individuals an easier method of transporting supplies/goods across the United States.The next major invention came along in August of 1872. Aaron Montgomery Ward, who wanted to use the nation’s railroad to help his product catalog spread, invented the Montgomery Ward. His catalogs were a success and the Montgomery Ward earned one million dollars per year by 1888. It was the first company to sell catalogs by mail. Ward would order merchandise bulk and then pass it on to customers. His customers were mostly rural residents who couldn’t get merchandise as easily as people living in cities. Alexander Graham Bell was the first to invent telephones. This was in 1876. Antonio Meucci (1849) and Charles Bourseul (1854) had already invented the telephone. Bell was granted the patent for the first telephone. The invention of telephones was extremely important in many ways. The telephone had a significant impact on how quickly messages could be sent far away. It would be easier to notify another city in the country if one city needed to do so. My opinion is that the lightbulb was the most important invention in the Gilded Age. Before the invention of light bulbs, the only way to obtain light was through candles, sunlight, and gas-powered lanterns. Candles could lead to fires igniting. A household with candles is more likely to burn down. The light bulb extended work hours and made it possible to continue working well into the evening. The light bulb allowed for longer work hours and improved the economy. The positive side effect of using more lightbulbs was that you used fewer candles. This resulted in fewer fires. It is important to note that the Cigarette-Rolling Machine, invented in 1881, was vital for the economy. James Albert Bonsack invented this machine. Smoking cigarettes was a popular pastime during the Gilded Age. It was very affordable to buy, especially for workers in factories and mines. The rolling machine was able to produce seventy thousand cigarettes in ten hour. This machine allowed for the production of cigarettes to meet demand. Bonsack invented the rolling machine because of an incentive. The reward was seventy thousand dollars. Machines were built as the demand grew. I could go on and on about the many inventions, but there are so many that we would never be done. The Gilded Age in American History was very significant. Although there were many other significant inventions, the light bulb and telephone are my top picks. It is important to look beyond the positives to see the negatives. Workers were forced to work longer hours and continue to be underpaid after the introduction of light bulbs. The Transcontinental enabled people to smuggle illegal products. It’s clear how the cigarette machine has impacted society today. American smokers are responsible for one fifth of all deaths. In fact, cigarettes have killed Americans in mass production since their introduction. This continues to be true thirty-eight year later. Without their inventions, society wouldn’t be as developed today. We have been able to innovate on these inventions since their initial introduction. People don’t often recognize the Gilded Age. I was not able to understand it until class. This is why it is so important to pay more attention. People are not able to appreciate the history of the products they use today. It is important to appreciate the history of simple products in our society.
School is the path, not the point.
