Second Industrial Revolution: Inventions and Timeline
The Second Industrial Revolution was a period of immense industrial, economic and technological advancement that took place between the end of the American Civil War and the start of World War I. The 2nd Industrial Revolution is generally dated between 1870 and 1914 because it began in the late nineteenth century and continued until World War I.
This era resulted in an unprecedented increase in industrial production and was considered to have been triggered by the invention of the Bessemer process for the cost-effective production of steel and the associated expansion of the U.S. railroad system.
During the second industrial revolution, the advancements in factory workflow, such as mass production, electrification, and automation contributed to economic growth. This era also gave rise to the first workplace safety and work hours laws, as well as a prohibition of child labor. In this article, we will discuss the 2nd industrial revolution inventions, causes, and effects.
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What was the second industrial revolution?
The First Industrial Revolution that occurred was driven by the limited use of steam engines, mass production, and a water-powered system. The 2nd industrial revolution, on the other hand, was characterized by increased use of steam power, large-scale iron and steel production, build-up of railroads, widespread use of machinery in manufacturing, use of the telegraph and petroleum, and the beginning of electrification.
2nd industrial revolution timeline
The years from 1870-1914 have been labeled by historians as the period of the Second Industrial Revolution. The second industrial revolution timeline was from the late 19th century into the early 20th century. The First Industrial Revolution ended in the middle of the 19th century and was punctuated by a slowdown in important inventions before the 2nd Industrial Revolution in 1870.
Generally, the Second Industrial Revolution time period is dated between 1870 and 1914 (the beginning of World War I). Hence, this revolution continued into the 20th century with early factory electrification and production line, and then ended at the beginning of World War I. The Second Industrial Revolution is then followed by the Third Industrial Revolution starting in 1947. This is the period in which digital communications technology and the internet changed how we interact with each other, transmit information, and do business.
Where did the second industrial revolution take place?
Second industrial revolution significance
The First Revolution was driven by the limited use of steam engines, mass production, and a water-powered system while the second industrial revolution was characterized by an increase in the use of steam power, petroleum, large-scale iron and steel production, build-out of railroads, widespread use of machinery in manufacturing, use of the telegraph, and the beginning of electrification. Hence, the second industrial revolution’s significance in history is its advancements in manufacturing and production technology.
There were some positive effects of the industrial revolution. The advancements from the 2nd industrial revolution enabled the widespread adoption of technological systems like the telegraph and railroad networks, gas and water supply, and sewage systems. The extensive expansion of rail and telegraph lines after 1870 allowed an unprecedented movement of people and ideas, which resulted in a new wave of globalization.
Simultaneously, new technological systems were introduced, most especially electrical power and telephones. It was during the 2nd industrial revolution that modern organizational methods for operating large-scale businesses over vast areas came into use.
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What caused the second industrial revolution?
The majority of the changes that occurred during the 2nd industrial revolution had to do with new products simply replacing old ones. For example, during this time period, steel began to replace iron and it was being used for railroads, construction projects, industrial machines, ships, and many other items. This steel production made the build-up of rail lines possible at competitive costs, which further spread transportation.
With Thomas Edison creating the first high-resistance, incandescent electric light in 1879, the way was paved for a huge expansion of the manufacturing technology that would take place over the next few decades. Other important factors that caused the second industrial revolution included the internal combustion engine and the creation of synthetic materials such as plastic and nylon derived from the oil industry.
All these new technologies definitely led to a significant increase in mass production and a decrease in the cost of things which allowed businesses to have economic growth at an unmatched rate in a very short time span. This led to huge changes in society.
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How the 2nd Industrial Revolution differs from the first Industrial Revolution
The expansion of electricity was the biggest difference between the first industrial revolution and the second. The First Industrial Revolution caused the growth of industries, such as iron, coal, railroads, and textiles, whereas the Second Industrial Revolution caused the expansion of electricity, steel, and petroleum.
Even though during the first industrial revolution, electricity was introduced, it was not widely used until the second industrial revolution. Using this form of energy gave room for factories to be built on a much larger scale and for production to be carried out much more efficiently. Also, the use of electricity led to the development of new communication technologies, like the radio and telephone.
Another major difference between the 1st and 2nd industrial revolutions was the increase in steel production which was used in construction and manufacturing. Because steel is more durable and much stronger than other materials, it was used for the creation of larger and more complex structures.
Also, with the introduction of synthetic materials, during the second industrial revolution, several products were much cheaper to produce compared to using natural raw materials, and the range of uses expanded as well. The table below highlights the major ways the second industrial revolution differs from the first.
| Factors for comparison | First industrial revolution | Second industrial revolution |
|---|---|---|
| Time frame (in years) | 1760 – 1830 | 1850 – 1914 |
| Methods of production | From hand to machine | Increased automation |
| Mass production | Textiles | Steel (Bessemer process) |
| Power sources | Coal, water, and steam | Electricity and Petroleum |
| New engines | Steam engine | Internal combustion |
| Inventions | The spinning jenny, Water frame, Spinning Mule, Cotton Gin, etc | Automobiles, chemicals, railroads, telegraph, radio, telephone, etc |
| Standard of living for the working class | Awful | Still bad but improved |
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Second industrial revolution inventions with years
- The light bulb (1879)
- The cash register (1883)
- The radio (1895)
- The telephone (1876)
- The airplane (1903)
- The internal combustion engine (1886)
- Plastics (1907)
- The automobile (1886)
- Synthetic dyes (1907)
- The moving picture (1895)
- Aspirin (1899)
- The typewriter (1867)
- Canned food (1809)
- The camera (1888)
- The phonograph (1877)
There were so many innovations during the second industrial revolution. The 2nd Industrial Revolution’s inventions started with the transcontinental railroad being built in the U.S. Over time, technology was invented and increasingly used to build city buildings and transportation. Also, communications systems become increasingly available.
In the 1870s, the important inventions of the second industrial revolution included the Bessemer and then the open-hearth process in the steel mills; automatic signals, air brakes, and knuckle couplers on the railroads; the telephone, typewriter, and electric light. Technology advanced and one of the inventions from the second industrial revolution in the 1880s was the elevator and structural steel for buildings, which led to the first skyscrapers.
In the 1890s, the phonograph and motion pictures, the internal combustion engine as well as the electric generator were invented. The electric generator gradually replaced water and steam-powered engines. The internal combustion engine is one of the inventions during the second industrial revolution that made the first automobiles and the first airplane flight by the Wright brothers possible in 1903. The table below shows some of the important inventions in the second industrial revolution and their timeline:
| Years (date) | Inventions of the second industrial revolution |
|---|---|
| 1869 | The transcontinental railroad in the United States was completed |
| 1872 | George Westinghouse invented the airbrake for effectively stopping trains, reducing accidents |
| 1876 | Alexander Graham Bell receives a patent for the invention of the telephone |
| 1878 | Christopher Lathan Sholes invented the modern typewriter |
| 1879 | Thomas Edison invented the modern lightbulb |
| 1885 | The first metal frame skyscraper (the Home Insurance Building) was built in Chicago |
| 1891 | London successfully runs on the central electrical power station |
| 1903 | The Wright Brothers successfully fly their airplane in North Carolina |
| 1908 | Henry Ford creates the assembly line for the construction of the Model T automobile |
| 1914 | John Froelich invented the tractor for more productive farming operations |
| 1914 | World War I begins |
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Effects of the second industrial revolution
- Improvement in health and living standards
- Increase in efficiency and productivity
- Unemployment and great upheavals in commerce
- Availability of assorted goods
- Urbanization
- Change in social structure
- Development in transportation
- Child Labor
Just as there were a lot of useful inventions during the 2nd industrial revolution, the period also has its effects on society. There were negative and positive consequences of the second industrial revolution. This period saw the greatest increase in economic growth ever in the previous history in such a short period. The era brought about rapid advances in the creation of steel, chemicals, and electricity. Electricity helped fuel production and enhanced the mass production of consumer goods and weapons. Transportation and communication were made far easier and life got a whole lot faster.
The wide-ranging social effect of both the first and second industrial revolutions included the remaking of the working class. The changes in social structure resulted in the creation of a larger, increasingly professional, middle class. Other effects of the second industrial revolution include child labor, and the dramatic growth of a consumer-based, material culture.
Improvement in health and living standards
One of the positive effects of the second industrial revolution is that it improved living standards, public health, and sanitation. As the prices of goods fell dramatically due to the increases in productivity, living standards improved at a significant rate in the newly industrialized countries.
There were massive improvements in public health and sanitation resulting from public health initiatives. Public health improved as a result of the construction of the London sewerage system in the 1860s and the passage of laws that regulated filtered water supplies. Also, the Metropolis Water Act introduced regulation of the water supply companies in London and minimum standards of water quality for the first time in 1852. This helped immensely to reduce the infection and death rates from many diseases.
Increase in efficiency and productivity
During the second industrial revolution, there was a great increase in efficiency and productivity. By 1870 the work done by steam engines exceeded that done by human and animal power. The development of the internal combustion tractor near the end of the Second Industrial Revolution replaced horses and mules; this enhanced productivity and efficiency in agricultural operations.
Improvements in steam efficiency, such as triple-expansion steam engines, allowed ships to carry much more freight than coal; this resulted in increased volumes of international trade. The 2nd industrial revolution enhanced mass production, as there was widespread use of machinery in manufacturing.
Unemployment and great upheavals in commerce
One of the consequences of the second industrial revolution is that it created unemployment. Due to the increase in productivity from the use of machinery, many laborers became displaced. They were displaced by machines in a very short time span.
By 1890, there was an international telegraph network that allowed orders to be placed by merchants in the US or England to suppliers in India and China for goods to be transported in efficient new steamships. This, and the opening of the Suez Canal, resulted in the decline of the great warehousing districts in London and elsewhere and caused the elimination of many middlemen.
As the depressions of the 1870s and 1890s put millions of workers out of work and reduced pay, economic insecurity became a basic way of life. Those that remained in the industrial line of work experienced no compensation for injuries, extremely dangerous working conditions, long hours, no pensions, and low wages.
Availability of assorted goods
During the second industrial revolution, there was an availability of assorted goods. During the First Industrial Revolution, the first factories were built in the 18th century, with British textile mills that spread to the United States. Then, over time, innovations in production line technology, materials science, and industrial toolmaking made it easier to mass-produce all kinds of goods.
Household items that used to be made at home such as butter, soap, and clothing started being made in factories and factory workers and women had the money to buy these products. Simultaneously, all kinds of goods became standardized. Also, the huge growth in productivity, transportation networks, industrial production, and agricultural output lowered the prices of almost all goods.
Urbanization
By the 1730s, the shift away from agriculture toward industry had occurred in Britain when the percentage of the working population that engaged in agriculture fell below 50%. By 1890, the figure had fallen to under 10% and it was evident that the vast majority of the British population was urbanized.
Like the first, the second industrial revolution supported population growth in urban areas. The division of labor in the factory system made both unskilled and skilled labor more productive and led to a rapid growth of the population in industrial centers. The demand for workers led masses of people to migrate from farms to cities causing rapid urbanization.
Change in social structure
The wide-ranging social consequences of the second industrial revolution included the remaking of the working class. The changes that resulted from the 2nd industrial revolution led to the creation of a larger, increasingly professional, middle class. This was an era when industrial growth created a class of wealthy entrepreneurs and a comfortable middle class.
The 2nd industrial revolution inspired great inventions
One of the positive effects of the second industrial revolution was that it inspired great innovation. The increased innovation that was birthed by this era led to higher levels of motivation and education, which resulted in several groundbreaking inventions that we still use today. Hence, the great innovations and inventions of the Second Industrial Revolution are part of our modern life.
The innovations of the Second Industrial Revolution started with the transcontinental railroad being built in the U.S. Over time, technology was invented and increasingly used to build city buildings and transportation; communications systems also became increasingly available. Major innovations that occurred in the 2nd industrial revolution that is still in use today include the light bulb, cash register, radio, telephone, airplane, internal combustion engine, plastics, automobile, etc.
Development in transportation
One of the effects of the second industrial revolution is its improvement in the means of transportation. Transportation was a major breakthrough during the 2nd industrial revolution as communities were linked together. Railroads were the initial spark for the second industrial revolution and for the first time, goods from the American interior could be shipped directly to and from the Atlantic.
Before the development of elaborate transportation systems, economies were based on the barter system and were usually localized. This did not give cities room to grow very large and they were forced to stay within a certain range of each other. The new transportation system, however, developed long-distance transportation networks connected by rail, steamship, and canals which opened new markets for farmers, factory owners, and bankers who could bring America’s natural resources to a global marketplace.
A new market opened for farmers, allowing them to sell their products to not only neighbors and people in their own city, but also to people across seas and around the world. The railroads that were invented made it easier for mass amounts of goods to be transported at the same time to a faraway destination. Hence, for the first time, goods could be shipped long distances, eliminating the need for local bartering systems. These railroads were largely responsible for the great burst of economic production.
Child Labor
One of the negative effects of the 2nd industrial revolution was the growth of unregulated child labor. Children (as young as four years old), in order to help their impoverished families were often forced to work in factories. They worked long hours for little pay under unhealthy and unsafe conditions. By 1900, an estimated 1.7 million children under the age of fifteen were working in American factories.
The unregulated practice of child labor continued to exist until 1938 when the Fair Labor Standards Act (FSLA) imposed the first nationwide compulsory federal regulation of wages and working hours. The FSLA, therefore, established a mandatory minimum wage, limited the number of hours employees should work, and prohibited the employment of minors in ‘oppressive child labor’.
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Conclusion
The Second Industrial Revolution fueled the Gilded Age, a period of great expansion and deep depression, great wealth and widespread poverty, new opportunities, and greater standardization. The expansion of electricity was the biggest difference between the first industrial revolution and the second. The First Industrial Revolution caused the growth of industries, such as iron, coal, railroads, and textiles, whereas the Second Industrial Revolution witnessed the expansion of electricity, steel, and petroleum.
