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Samuel Gompers becomes leader of American Federation Labor
As the leader of the American Federation Labor, he restricted union's membership based on wage earners and organized members into different groups according to their trade -
William Kelly and Henry Bessemer discover a way to process iron ore into steel
It was the first inexpensive industrial process for the mass production of steel. It consisted of removing impurities from the iron by oxidation -
Edwing Drake strikes oil in Pennsylvania
His invention, the drive pipe, revolutionized the way oil was drilled in the US, allowing companies to drill oil marketable quantities of oil. -
John D. Rockefeller creates Standard Oil in Ohio
The company was born from an investment Rockefeller made on refinery in Cleveland, Ohio. Later on the company would control 90% of the country's refineries and pipelines. -
National Labor Union is organized
It paved the way for other work labors such as the Knights of Labor and AFL -
The Statue of Liberty is unveiled
The statue was a gift of friendship from France to the U.S. and later became known as a symbol for freedom and democracy -
Christopher Sholes invents the typewriter
His invention was the first practical writing machine and it oppened job opportunities for women as typewriters -
Joseph McCoy established a cattle trading station in Kansas
Cattles raised in Texas were driven along the cattle trails to the West. The trading station served mainly to ship cattle to the west and the north. -
George Westinghouse invents the air brakes
His invention increased the safety of American railroads, replacing manual breaks, which sometimes didn't work properly -
Union Pacific and Central Pacific Railroads meet at Promontory Point, Utah
This was significant because travelers going west no longer would need to travel by wagon train. -
The Great Railroad Strike
Railroad workers went on strike in reponse to wage cuts, President Hayes had to send troops to put the strikers down -
Edison invents the photograph
Edison's invention revolutionized the art and film industry -
Terrence Powderly becomes the leader of the Knights of Labor
Powderly disapproved of strikes and instead had a more humanistic vision, focusing on establishing a cooperative society. He wanted to educate people through journals and magazines on what they were fighting for -
Haymarket Square Riot
This riot was led by the Knights of Labor, who were trying to fight for government regulation of business. -
Andrew Carnegie publishes The Gospel of Wealth
According to his essay, great wealth comes with great responsability and wealth among the few was the most effective form of capitalism. -
Forest Reserve Act passed
law that authorized the president to use public forests as national parks -
Rivers and Harbors Act passed
This act ordered the army to protect the navigation of waters used for commercial and intenational commerce. -
Andrew Carnegie sells U.S. Steel to J.P Morgan for $480 million
J.P´s offer to buy U.S. steel made Carnegie the world's richest man -
Standard Oil is dissolved
John D. Rockefeller' Standar Oil Company controlled almost 90% of the country's oil production. The Supreme Court ruled that the company violated the Sherman Act of 1890 that prohibited trusts.
