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William Kelly and Henry Bessemer find a way to process iron into steel
William Kelly learned that Henry Bessemer, working in England, had patented a similar process and that a patent was being applied for in the U.S. he experimented and perfected a patent for his process. -
Edwin Drake Strikes Oil in Pennsylvania
Edwin Drake was the first person to strike oil in America. His world-famous well was drilled in Titusville, PA, a small town in Crawford County. -
National Labor Union is Organized
The NLU began in 1866 with a convention in Baltimore, Md., called to organize skilled and unskilled labourers, farmers, and reformers into a coalition that would pressure Congress to pass a law limiting the workday to eight hours. -
Joseph McCoy established a cattle trading station in Kansas
Founder of the cattle trade in Kansas, and the originator of the Abilene Cattle Trail Joesph McCoy greatly profitted from his work with cattle trading. -
Christopher Sholes Invents the Typewriter
The first modern typewriter was designed by Christopher Sholes in 1868. He was a printer by trade, and familiar with the tedious, time-consuming process of typesetting. -
George Westinghouse Invents the Air Brakes
Engineer George Westinghouse realized the importance of safety in the relatively new railroad industry and invented the first triple-valve air-brake system for railcar use. -
Union Pacific and Central Pacific Railroads meet at Promontory Point, UT
On this day in 1869, the presidents of the Union Pacific and Central Pacific railroads meet in Promontory, Utah, and drive a ceremonial last spike into a rail line that connects their railroads. -
John D. Rockefeller Creates Standard Oil in Ohio
In 1870, he established Standard Oil, which by the early 1880s controlled some 90 percent of U.S. refineries and pipelines. -
The Great Railroad Strike
The Great Railroad Strike of 1877, sometimes referred to as the Great Upheaval, began on July 14 in Martinsburg, West Virginia, United States and ended 45 days later, after it was put down by local and state militias, and federal troops. -
Edison Invents the Phonograph
Thomas Edison invented the first machine that could capture sound and play it back. The phonograph was his favorite invention. The first phonograph was invented in 1877 at the Menlo Park lab. -
Terrence Powderly Becomes Leader of the Knights of Labor
Terence V. Powderly led the Knights of Labor, a powerful advocate for the eight-hour day in the 1870s and early 1880s. -
Samuel Gompers Becomes Leader of American Federation of Labor
Samuel Gompers was an early labor leader, first in his own union and later as president of the American Federation of Labor. As its president nearly continuously between 1886 and 1924, Gompers led the labor movement in achieving solid gains for workers. -
Haymarket Square Riot
A labor protest rally near Chicago's Haymarket Square turned south after someone threw a bomb at police. At least eight people died as a result of the violence that day. -
The Statue of Liberty is Unveiled
The Statue of Liberty, a gift to the United States from the people of France, was officially unveiled to the public by President Grover Cleveland. -
Andrew Carnegie Publishes The Gospel of Wealth
The Gospel of Wealth is an article written by Andrew Carnegie in June of 1889 that describes the responsibility of philanthropy by the new upper class of self-made rich. -
Forest Reserve Act Passed
The Forest Reserve Act of 1891 is a law that allowed the President of the United States to set aside forest reserves from the land in the public domain. This act passed by the United States Congress under Benjamin Harrison's administration. -
Rivers and Harbors Act Passed
The Rivers and Harbors Act, enacted by Congress in 1899 and signed into law by President William McKinley, was the first federal water pollution act in the United States. -
Andrew Carnegie sells U.S. steel to J.P. Morgan for $480 Million
Carnegie allows J.P. Morgan to buy him out for $480 million, a move which allows Morgan to create US Steel, and makes Carnegie the richest man in the world. -
Standard Oil is Dissolved
The Supreme Court ordered the dissolution of Standard Oil Company, ruling it was in violation of the Sherman Antitrust Act.
