Machines revolutionized work outside of factories, as well. In the case of office work, the typewriter and telephone made the modern office possible, and offered new opportunities for women in the job market. In the home, a revolution was around the corner, but not quite there as yet. New mechanical devices (like the carpet sweeper) were making housework easier, but the electrification of housework was yet to come. This had a far different effect on opportunities for women, as appliances made it easier for persons to do their own work.
We've seen some of this from the point of view of those working as we've read Schlereth. Here, we'll look at the big picture, and how the modern corporation, born during this period, concentrated economic power in the hands of the new industrialist class. We'll look at the way companies on a new scale "rationalized" entire industries: Steel and Oil, to name just two. We'll also think a little about the emerging field of "scientific" management, and how the new science of business changed the relationship of employee to employer.
Switchboard Operators at a telephone exchange. Women were preferred for this position because they were smaller and had more agile fingers. Men supervised. Click for a brief history of the American Telephone and Telegraph Company (ATT).
As businesses set their sights beyond their localities, communications becomes vital and more complex. Click on the image above to read about the invention of the modern office.
No New Readings. I want you to choose a non-fiction book from the e-book non-fiction list and get working on reading it. I will be asking you to write a reflective paper on it very soon.
Come prepared, too, to introduce your character in brief. Here’s what you’ll need for yourself:
Yourself in 1876
Name:
Gender
Date of Birth (remember you need to be at least 10 in 1876)–Use the historic calendar to make this day “real”–a day of the week as well as a simple day, month, and year.
Ethnicity:
Place of Birth:
Place of Residence in 1876–(if different)I
Immigration Status (old family? 1st generation, 2nd generation, 3rd generation?)
Occupation (if you’re too young to have one, the occupation of your parent(s)
Education
Religion
Marital Status
If you’re in a treasure hunt mood you can look for picture to represent what you look like c.1876. I browsed around the New York Public Library Digital Archives for these.
Introduce yourself by Making this list, .pdf-ing it and placing it in your resource folder.
Happy George Washington's Birthday!!!!!! In my youth, we got the birthdays of TWO Presidents off: One on February12, the other on February 22. This made sure that kids from their primary school years up knew the dates of Birth for Abraham Lincoln and George Washington. Now most students know neither date. Of course we all know the real patriotic duty falling on this day is to purchase a new car.
The illustration above is from Clemens' The Gilded Age--and the monument was completed just about the middle of that period. Read a bit about it by clicking on the link. To read the story of the dedication ceremony, click here.
