Summary: Chapter8 (Short version)
Page 1: Steel, the New Magic
Iron production has been booming for years, but now a new process is developed to quickly and cheaply turn iron into steel, with greatly improved qualities for machinery and tools
Page 2: Structural Steel
As Andrew Carnegie builds a vast steel empire in Pittsburgh, steel beams have become essential for longer bridges, and towering downtown buildings
Page 3: Industry on Steroids
As steel production ramps up, so does the production of large specialized machinery, while destitute immigrants flood in from southern and eastern Europe
Page 4: Bigger is Better
Everything in America is bigger and grander than ever before, from mansions to bridges and monuments
Page 5: Crest of the Wave
Big Money is everywhere, as giant corporate trusts evade limits on size and ownership, led by the Pennsylvania Railroad
Page 6: Mysteries Revealed
The mysteries of electricity are finally unraveled, leading to clever devices to produce light, send voice messages, and power appliances
Page 7: Lighting up the Night
Light bulbs and telephones are the first innovations to utilize electricity, but both need cables on poles, to distribute power from central facilities
Page 8: Moving to the City
Good jobs, shopping and electrical conveniences are only available in urban centers, which begin to attract Americans from their isolated farms in the surrounding countryside
Page 9: Dense Populations
Urban centers are now cramming people into dense neighborhoods, which prompts municipalities to introduce centralized water, sanitation and fire departments
Page 10: Civic Amenities
Along with increased city services come new urban parks, libraries and museums
Page 11: Engineering and Urban Schools
Medical, engineering and business schools grow out of America's increasing reliance on technology, while corporate trusts grow too big
Page 12: Still Driving Westward
Railroad frenzy pushes rail lines ever further west into prairie grasslands, where pioneers remain isolated, while remaining Indians are rounded up and corralled onto reservations
Page 13: American Celebration
Chicago, the new Midwestern hub, throws a technology party with a dazzling show of lights, while arms manufacturers are an ominous growing presence
Page 14: Great Lakes Iron
New iron ore fields in Minnesota are so massive that they deflect compass needles, while a transport system of lake freighters delivers the ore
Page 15: Great Lakes Resources
The Great Lakes assume new importance, with a canal that now connects upper and lower lakes, while huge pine forests are opened up in Michigan
Page 16: Getting Away
Rail lines service mountain regions and coastal beaches, where fashionable resorts now offer quiet relaxation, and a new appreciation for the sporting life.
Page 17: Splashy Ads
Advances in color lithography increase advertising appeal, with tobacco, beer and soap ads sharing the spotlight with beauty and home health products
Page 18: Engineering on Center Stage
Huge new displays of engineering wizardry pop up everywhere, from a suspension bridge taller than the masts of ships, to a giant statue gifted by France
Page 19: Changes in Lifestyle
As America becomes increasing urbanized, images of daily life reveal a surprising new diversity in lifestyles
Page 20: Summing up the Century
The 100 years between 1800 and 1900 overflow with so many innovations and memorable achievements, that historians sometimes call it the 'long' 19th century