The Steel Industry in the USA

From 1870 to 1910 was Pittsburgh's Golden Age. Steel was a main factor in making Pittsburgh what it is today. But steel was not the only industry in Pittsburgh. Wood, coal, limestone, sand, and flax were also some of the resources they had. It was the steel capital of the world due to the abundance of resources. With all of the big promising jobs many people did not want to have the small jobs that were needed (Dietrich).

Another main use of steel during the second Industrial Revolution was railroad tracks. This was especially important because railroads were the main transportation in transporting goods across country, which the mass-production of steel allowed tracks to be laid quicker. Railroads not only transported goods, but had also been a way of transportation for people to get from one side of the country to another throughout the world. Steel tracks allowed this to be done safer, quicker and more

nation. Through development of industry, the United States was able to grow as a manufacturing

The newly independent United States was the “Pioneer in developing mass-production techniques” (p. 413), which revolutionized industry throughout the modern world. The assembly line, crafted by Henry Ford, as well as advanced mechanical devices exemplified by the steel industry lead to mass production of goods that was previously unfathomable.

Before the Industrial revolution people knew very little about the world and were used to making whatever they needed with their hands. Life was quiet because there was no machinery to make any noise. No one traveled very far on a regular basis because there was no way for rapid transportation and there were no clocks, people just used the rise and setting of the sun. When the Industrial revolution started, the nine to five job life style emerged as well and life changed for everyone.

Another good example that helped the U.S to industrialize rapidly was new technologies. It was also considered the “The Age of Great Invention.” So many new things

creating new inventions such as a faster and cheaper way of producing steel and discovering

Andrew Carnegie had a steel monopoly, but even through all of his wealth and success he was a robber baron. To start Carnegie made his workers work 12 hour shifts with five minute break time. It was 6 days a week, and only had 4th of July off. (Article 1) This tired workers which gave them very little family time, or even have enough to fund them, this made him a robber baron. Next Carnegie workers work in very humid, unsafe working conditions. (Article 1) This made workers get hurt, tired which caused them to go on strike. To add Carnegie paid workers minimum pay, but if the company bought new equipment their pay would drop. (Hist. Book) This would give workers a stressful time to help their family survive, even though he had so much

This engineering feat paved the way for expansion and social changes that would make America one of the industrial giants of the world.

The last reason of American manufacturing was the produced by specialized machines. America was producing many goods in the ninetieth century which result in

The American Industrial Revolution, also known as the Gilded Age that took place from the 1870s to the very early 1900s. The Gilded Age is defined as, “A period of enormous economic growth and ostentatious displays of wealth during the last quarter of the nineteenth century” (Roark, p. 479). Over the years of the American Industrial Revolution, there have been an enormous amounts of new technology and innovation throughout this time period that have brought many exceptional advances to the revolution. But there are three particular technological advances that noticeably affected America’s Industrial Revolution. These three technological advances include, steel, automobile and electricity that substantially improved the Gilded Age.

Railroads that were once operated by horse and wagon were finally made into steel tracks for steam trains to carry goods. This was especially important to the coal industry because it made the jobs of the miners much safer than before. Small railways made of steel were formed underground to transport the coal out of the mines by the use of small railcars. The idea to use steel in the process of transportation was nothing new at the beginning of the industrial revolution. Britain was known to have vast amounts of steel and had been working since about 1800 on using steel as tracks and a train or buggy type to transport things.

Industrialization was very beneficial to American business owners. Following the civil war, industries transformed into modern powerhouses. Big business owners who seized power in these industries became even bigger. New inventions led to new thriving industries. Iron, for example, was replaced with ultra-strong steel. Andrew Carnegie built the biggest steal business in the world. One main reason why steel was in such

Even in spite of the economic recession in 1991, Nucor still appeared to be one of the fastest growing steel companies in America, even considering the spending levels regarding disposable income among Americans. This is especially true since September 11, attacks, because economic levels in America have tended to exhibit a slight disability. After the attacks on 9-11 markets, as well as the overall financial climate of the United States took on immediate hits. Yet, after President Bush’s tax cuts made in 2002, the country rebounded from a mild recession which dated back to the Clinton administration and has since sought to recover. The steel industry worldwide was mired in one of its most unprofitable periods ever when 9-11 hit. The recovery from the recession, as well as an attempt to pull through current financial hard times due to the war in Iraq have added extra strains on Americans and their ability to spend, which in turn affects the steel industry.

Until 2009, Nucor operated in an industry which experienced significant output declines during recent decades. The U.S. steel industry was operating at capacity levels of less than 50 percent and had lost more than 50,000 jobs since 2000. Growth of the Chinese steel industry posed a serious threat for domestic steel producers (Scott, 2009). Since that time, however, the U.S. steel industry has picked up momentum in response to soaring demand by the automobile and construction industries. Steel is the preferred material by the construction industry because of its performance, strength, reliability and versatility. In addition to construction, the automobile, energy and container industries have all been responsible for increasing steel consumption (Market Research.com, 2011).