Expansion of Industry

The three major factors that contributed to the immense technological boom was the plethera of natural resources, the government's support for industry, and the increasing urban population who had creative ideas and worked for cheap. Natural resources, such as coal iron and oil, were all major factors because the materials were practical for certain things. The natural resource, oil, was used for automobiles, and was called "black gold" because it was valuable. Iron was also very important because from it you could get steel. Steel was used for railroads, farm machines, barbed wire, skyscrapers and steel cables on bridges. The growing urban population was important because people made new technological discoveries and made jobs for people in factories where items were mass produced. Edison invented the incandescent light bulb which created electric power. Electric power meant that industry could be anywhere, not just near rivers. The inventions of the telephone and the typewriter made it so there were more jobs for women in clerical work and factory work. The industrial boom improved workers standards of living.