The Economic History Of Pittsburgh In The Nineteenth Century

Near the last decades of the 19th century, America’s industrial economy skyrocketed. As these industrial leaders like Carnegie and Rockefeller not only lead the expansion through their respective industries, but revolutionized businesses while crushing free-market competition in the process. As

Shortly after the revolutionary war, the small town of Pittsborough, then renamed Pittsburgh began to develop into a very important center, specializing in trading and industry. The convenience of natural resources and technological advancement has ranked Pittsburgh as one of the leading industrial cities in the United States in the past. Historically, the city of Pittsburgh has created numerous manufacturing plants responsible for producing steel, iron, and other products for the U.S. economy that still exist today. The Encyclopedia Britannica explains Pittsburgh's economic might during this period:

“Chicago and the nation entered the Progressive era. …The 1901 steel strike ended in defeat for the union, and the once powerful Amalgamated slipped into irrelevancy. Chicago’s steel mills remained unorganized, yet U.S steel tried to sidestep Chicago radicalism by developing a whole new town just across the border in Indiana. Gary, Indiana became the center of the region’s steel industry. Not overtly planned in the tradition of Pullman but nonetheless a company town…”

Following the Civil War and Reconstruction, the federal government was looking for a way to get the people motivated; motivated to work again, motivated to have a better life again, and then like an answered prayer we entered the ‘Gilded Age’. The rapid growth from 1865 to 1900 was brought on by the availability of money and resources. With entrepreneurs willing to take a risk with this money and new resources, extraordinary growth arose. Railroads were evolving everywhere and as a result the Steel industry started to rise. With this economic boom all people, especially the federal government, sought after means to sustain this sudden increase in the market. The United States government came up with a plan to promote industrial development

A company town is a place where everything is owned by the one company that is also the main employer. Company towns are often planned with a suite of amenities such as stores, churches, schools, markets and recreation facilities. Most company-towns were resource industries : coal, metal mines, lumber. The majority had established a monopoly franchise. Since company stores often had a monopoly in company towns, it was possible to pay in scrip through a truck system. Company towns were some of the worst parts of the gilded age. The Poor conditions of company towns consist of child labor, low pay, high bills, little space in homes, made currency for the workers. This time period is called the gilded age because all the good things such as

One of the greatest discovers that transformed cities to what they are now is steel industry. The rise of the steel industry in the United States drove America's growth as a world economic power. “The industrialization of America made steel the number-one selling product. Steel was used in the construction and maintenance of railroads as well as nearly every other industry of the day (Carnegie, Andrew).” Even thou steel had been used during the early days of European settlement began it was not until the 19 century when new technological advances that allowed steel industry to produce tons of steel for cheap.

Numerous iron and steel factories began to springing up throughout Pittsburgh, providing factory jobs for all and earning the nickname of “Steel City”.

From the Gilded Age to the Progressive era industrialization modernized in every aspect. For example, constructing the transcontinental Railroads not only changed the economy, but also shifted the physical landscape. They required some towns to shift and some to move entirely to a different area. The railroads also helped America’s economy immensely. It helped with the industrial economy by requiring metal and steel to keep the railroads efficient and working. With the railroads there people also found jobs which helped with the increasing people’s social networks. According to Richard White just “the Pennsylvania railroad employed 110,000 men.”

By 1900 the US was the largest producer while also being the lowest cost producer, and demand for steel seemed never-ending. Output had more than tripled since 1890, but customers, rather than the producers, mostly benefited. New technology encouraged faster

Accompanying the impact that Andrew Carnegie had on the successfulness of the steel industry, he also negatively impacted the labor of the steel industry. In 1892, Andrew Carnegie‘s workers went on a violent labor strike. The workers protested wage cuts that Andrew

In 1919, many problems need to be deal with high goods, high employees and these labors; The United States is Judge Elbert Gary have these tensions with the steel to the strike. Thus, the United States Steel employers quit the job over 250,000.4 Furthermore, these meetings in the strike were breaking up, and the police were riding down in the towns. These issues had as much as complicated when in Farrell, Pa., it has one striker to be killed and also twenty people were injured. This violence was appeared and labors were death with many reasons at this

Carnegie’s responses to problems brought about by the rise in industrialization were bitter-sweet, as he contributed to some of said problems, but he also provided relief in a few ways, but he was just one of many people who responded to these

Youngstown was the industrial heart of Ohio with a thriving steel industry that lasted for several generations. However, Youngstown’s Industry began to deindustrialize in the late 1970s with steel companies moving down to the south of the country. Deindustrialization meant the removal or decline of industry within an area. For example, the steel mills of Youngstown closed and never opened again creating thousands of unemployed workers. It all began with September 19th, 1977, the day that created the domino effect that would create the downfall for the Youngstown’s industry and other steel mills across the mid-west states of Michigan and Indiana. This day, know as Black Monday, was “the beginning of the end” according to Steven High (102). It began with the closing of the Campbell Steel Mill and several months later the four remaining steel mills closed and moved to the south creating the new Sunbelt. As a result, Youngstown became a Rustbelt with a declining population and failing steel industry.

The discovery of anthracite coal in Pennsylvania in the late 1700s led to the development of a robust coal industry in the eastern part of Pennsylvania that grew rapidly and contributed greatly to the history and the economy of Pennsylvania. The book The Face of Decline written by Thomas Dublin, Walter Licht, provides a well written historical and personal account of the discovery, growth, and finally the collapse of the anthracite coal industry in Pennsylvania in a chronological format. Half way through the book one starts to notice some changes in the authors format to cause and effect. The change occurs in order to discuss the cause and resulting effect of events in the region and the solutions. The story is one of great growth and opportunity in the early years which are highlighted by the documented economic growth experienced and supported through testimony within the eastern Pennsylvania coal region. After a period of economic prosperity and community growth from 1900 through 1940 challenges began to erode and occur that created problems for the community and the economy that the coal industry provided. Finally the region’s economy suffered horrendous losses as described by interviews of local residents and families who lived and experienced the rise of the region’s economy. Many of the scars are still evident by the blight and decaying scenes one would experience by traveling through the region’s communities that once fueled the American economy with the energy

Mark Twain once called Industrialization an, “Era of incredible Rottenness.” Industrialization had both negative effects and positive effects on city life. While big businesses thrived, the gap between the rich and poor grew larger day by day. Progressive reformers sought to close this gap and bring together the nation.