Economy, Culture, and Imperialism, 1850-1914, Part 5

Question 1: Describe some of the major advances in transportation between 1850 and 1914.

Answer 1: In the late 1800s, numerous inventors from various countries were working simultaneously to develop faster modes of personal travel than the traditional horse and buggy. Some tried steam-powered carriages, followed by electric ones, with limited commercial success. The gasoline-powered automobile, generally credited to Germans Karl Benz and Gottlieb Daimler in the 1880s, revolutionized transportation. Manufacturers in other countries quickly rushed to copy Benz’s model, sparking international competition among automakers, who each tried to improve on the product. Still, automobiles largely remained expensive toys for the wealthy until American business leader Henry Ford began mass-producing relatively low-cost cars on assembly lines. The Model T, introduced in 1908, ushered in the age of the auto for common people. By the end of the 1800s, some inventors were experimenting with travel by air, an idea that many people believed totally impossible until Orville and Wilbur Wright successfully flew the first powered airplane in 1903. Airplane technology advanced slowly until the advent of World War I.

There are lots of good resources about Imperialism that you can find available.

Question 2: Describe some of the major advances in urban infrastructure during the Industrial Age.

Answer 2: Initially, many cities affected by the Industrial Revolution experienced rapid population growth with little change to basic infrastructure, a situation that quickly led to problems. By the mid-1800s, many governments began to implement urban design changes to better accommodate the modern population. Wide boulevards and paved streets replaced narrow dirt roads. Modern tenements replaced multi-family housing structures that had been in use since the medieval era. Steel allowed for the construction of stronger, taller buildings. Trolleys improved public transportation. Gas lights, and then electric lights, allowed for greater mobility at night in safer environments. The construction of sewage systems brought some about of the most significant changes by dramatically reducing the spread of disease. By the end of the century, many cities were setting aside large areas of land for public parks and playgrounds as another way to improve people’s quality of life.

Question 3: Describe some of the major advances in communication and entertainment technology between 1850 and 1914.

Answer 3: In 1873, German scientist Heinrich Rudolph Hertz theorized the existence of electromagnetic waves. Simultaneously, British scientist James Clerk Maxwell conducted mathematical studies of electricity and magnetism. Italian scientist Guglielmo Marconi used these studies to develop the “wireless telegraph,” which utilized radio waves. Unlike Alexander Graham Bell’s telephone, patented in America in 1876, Marconi’s device did not require wires. As such, it allowed for the transmission of messages over longer land distances, as well as across oceans. Marconi sent the first radio message across the Atlantic in 1901, ushering in a new era in communications technology that extended into the entertainment sector as radio use became more widespread. American inventor Thomas Edison patented several devices that advanced entertainment technology. The phonograph he invented in 1877 quickly became a home entertainment device and spawned a recording industry later made popular by radio. Edison then sought to combine recorded sound with photography to create motion pictures. In the 1890s, his lab produced the Kinetoscope, which launched the modern movie industry.

Previous: Economy, Culture, and Imperialism, 1850-1914, Part 4 - Next: Educational Leadership, Part 1

Flashcard Secrets provides test preparation products for a variety of examinations - all trademarks are property of their respective trademark owners.

3827 Phelan #179

Beaumont, TX 77707