Lecture Notes: Industrialization and the Industrial Age

Overview

• Focus on the end of the 19th century to the start of the 20th century.
• Quick overview through the 20th century up to the 1970s.
• Based on the textbook by Rice and Brown, focusing on Chapter 18.

Background

• America's Industrial Revolution:
  • Some industrialization before the Civil War.
  • Post-Civil War: Major push for manufacturing and mechanization.
  • Shift from agriculture to industry and mass production.
  • The United States' Industrial Revolution peak: last 25 years of the 19th century into the early 20th century.
• West Virginia as a Microcosm:
  • Shift from agriculture to industrial setting.
  • Focus on extractive industries, e.g., minerals and coal.

Transportation Improvements

• River and Railroad Transportation:
  • Enhanced coal industry growth post-Civil War.
  • River transportation improvements: more locks and dams regulate water levels.
  • Standardized railroad gauges post-Civil War:
    • Eliminated incompatible gauges, enabling interconnectivity.
    • Created wealth for tycoons like Vanderbilt, Rockefeller, and Carnegie.

Key Figures and Developments

• Collis P. Huntington:

  • Instrumental in Chesapeake and Ohio (C&O) rail line development.
  • City of Huntington named after him.

• Henry Gassaway Davis:

  • Made fortunes in railroads, coal, and coke industries.
  • Known for developments in towns like Elkins, Davis, and Parsons.

Industry Influences

• Coal and Coke Industry:

  • Coke as a coal byproduct, preferred for its high heat.

• Lumbering and Railroads:

  • Significant influence on logging and lumbering industries.

Innovations and Experiments

• The Virginian Railroad:
  • Experimented with using gravity to move trains downhill.
  • Aimed to save fuel and costs but was not as efficient as hoped.

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• The lecture ends at 11 minutes, indicating a continuation in Part 2.

Industrialization: Part Two - The Coal Industry

Overview

• Focus on the coal industry, separate from unionization and labor organizing.
• Aim: Understand the coal industry and its culture, which feeds into labor organization later.

Types of Coal

• Anthracite Coal ("Hard Coal" or "Smokeless Coal")
  • Early use from eastern Pennsylvania's anthracite mines.
  • Harder coal with less smoke, preferred but less abundant in the U.S.
• Bituminous Coal ("Soft Coal")
  • More abundant, especially in West Virginia.
  • Softer, produces more smoke.

Role of Coal in the Industrial Revolution

• Essential for fueling railroads, factories, and mills.
• West Virginia: significant coal resources, e.g., Fairmont Field and Pittsburgh Seam.
• Byproducts like coke are also used as fuel.

Coal Culture and Socioeconomic Structure

• Company Towns

  • Owned by the coal company, including housing, stores, schools, and churches.
  • People paid in "scrip" (company money) rather than cash.
  • Ties workers to the town, limiting their freedom and financial mobility.

• Paternal Absentee Landowners

  • Landowners, often wealthy figures (e.g., Carnadians, Rockefellers), do not live in the community.
  • Practice "noblesse oblige," a perceived obligation to help workers, seen as condescending by miners.

• Local Coal Barons

  • Local owners like the Watsons and Flemings in Fairmont.
  • Resentment grew as mines expanded, with owners seen as oppressive.

Management and Worker Relations

• Stratification between management and regular miners.
• Absentee landowners often had landless managers, while local barons might grant land-ownership.

Racial and Ethnic Diversity

• Post-Civil War migration: Black freedmen and European immigrants moved to mining jobs.
• Diversity caused initial tensions among different ethnic and racial groups.

Conclusion

• The coal industry shaped the socioeconomic landscape, contributing to future labor movements and organizational efforts.
• Complex relationships and structures within coal communities set the stage for later developments in labor rights.

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End of notes for part two of the lecture on industrialization focusing on the coal industry.

Industrialization - Part Three

Ethnic Diversity in Company Towns

• By 1912, over 35% of workers in West Virginia coal mines were from various ethnic backgrounds:
  • Italians, Hungarians, Poles, Slavs, Austrians, and Russians.
• Nationalism in Central Europe was leading to ethnic groups wanting their own nation-states, driving emigration to the U.S.
• The U.S. was perceived as a land of opportunity during the Industrial Revolution, attracting many immigrants.
• Example: Italians in Fairmont and Clarksburg, WV, through familial chains.

Immigrant Integration

• Immigrants often didn't need to speak English initially; familiar community support was available.
• Typically took 2-3 generations to fully assimilate:
  • 1st generation: non-English speakers.
  • 2nd generation: bilingual.
  • 3rd generation: predominantly English-speaking, with potential cultural loss.
• Cultural traditions persist in festivals and religious ties.

Corporate Consolidation

• Shift from small companies to corporations:
  • Corporations protect personal assets compared to sole proprietorships and partnerships.
  • Corporations can be family-owned or publicly traded.
• Wealth accumulation seen in coal magnates, influencing state politics.
• Notable Figures: Elkins, Watson, Fleming.

Types of Coal Mining

• Deep Underground Mining: Initial method.
• Surface Mining (Strip Mining): Gained popularity in the 20th century, especially post-WWII.
  • Safer and more efficient than deep mining.
  • Involves mountaintop removal, which faces environmental opposition.
  • Reclamation efforts required by law (SMCRA, 1970s).

Surface Mining vs. Mountaintop Removal

• Surface mining involves removing coal without drastic environmental changes.
• Mountaintop removal faced activist opposition due to environmental impact.
• Legal regulations limit the extent of mountaintop removal.

Decline in Mining Jobs

• Mechanization reduced the need for human labor.
• Technological advancements, including robotics, further decrease job opportunities.
• Challenge of retraining workers as technology evolves.

Future Discussion

• Next focus on other industries beyond mining.

Part Four: Industrialization Post-World War II

Decline of Heavy Industry in the United States

• Post-WWII, there is a noticeable decline in heavy and extractive industries in the U.S.
• The U.S. helps rebuild Japan, avoiding the mistakes made post-WWI with Germany.
• Japan becomes a technological powerhouse, producing goods that the U.S. used to produce.
• China opens up economically, increasing global competition.

Out-migration from West Virginia

• Coal mining jobs decrease, leading to significant out-migration from West Virginia.
• In the 1950s, people from West Virginia move to:
  • Baltimore: Proximity to D.C. and ocean-related jobs.
  • Cleveland: Initially for steel industry jobs, later known as the Rust Belt.
• "Hillbilly Highway" refers to migration patterns, now redirecting south to Atlanta or North Carolina.

Cultural Reference

• "Rocket Boys"/"October Sky" by Homer Hickam depicts life in a company town and its decline.

Oil Industry Boom and Bust in West Virginia

• Early Oil Industry: Began in the 1850s, with a boom post-Civil War.
  • Sistersville becomes a major oil production center by 1895.
  • Other early areas: Burning Springs, Wood and Pleasant counties, Mannington.
• I.C. White: Geography professor who predicted oil locations.
• Warwick China Owners: Wealth from oil boom, notable estate auction documented by PBS.

Standard Oil and Monopolistic Practices

• Standard Oil Trust: One of the first major monopolies led by Rockefeller.
  • Practiced horizontal integration, controlling the refining aspect.
  • Used aggressive tactics to integrate or eliminate competition.
• Antitrust Laws: Emerged partially due to exposure of Standard Oil's practices.

Notable Individuals

• Michael Benendam: Made a fortune in oil, became a philanthropist in West Virginia.
  • Contributed to scholarships and institutions like WVU and the Benidorm Theater.

Conclusion

• Lecture highlights the post-WWII industrial transition, migration trends, and historical economic shifts in West Virginia.
• Ends at the 11-minute mark as time runs out.

Lecture Notes: Industrial Development and Economic Changes

Company Towns and Industrial Tycoons

• Company Towns: Issues faced by workers living in company towns.
• Tycoons/Coal Barons: Wealthy individuals expanding into various industries.
  • Techniques to attract investments: Lavish displays to entice other tycoons like Carnegie, J.P. Morgan.
  • Conspicuous Consumption: Display of wealth to impress potential business partners.
  • Transition to philanthropy over time.
  • Example: Pittsburgh and Carnegie's influence.

Societal Changes and Unionization

• Changes in Company Towns: Initial acceptance by workers changes over time.
• Unionization: Workers, including diverse ethnic groups, working together to form unions.

Natural Gas Industry

• Pre-1880s: Viewed as a nuisance by oil drillers.
• 1880-1900s: Rise in use for gas lighting.
  • Whale oil becomes less popular due to cost and availability.
• Electricity: Initial distrust and dual lighting fixtures.
• Modern Developments: New technologies allow deeper drilling (e.g., Marcella's shale).

Logging and Lumbering Industry

• Late 19th Century: Surge in demand for wood due to construction and furniture needs.
  • Rise of timber towns.
  • Riders of the Flood: Loggers transporting timber via waterways during spring melts.
• Early 20th Century: Decline due to depletion of virgin timber.
  • Reforestation: Ongoing cycles of deforestation and reforestation.

Other Key Industries at the Turn of the Century

• Clay and Pottery: Increase in demand for fireproof materials and household items.
• Glass Industry: Linked with natural gas and production of windshields, lamp fixtures.
• Chemical Industry: Growth in areas like Charleston, WV (Chemical Valley).
  • World War I impact: High explosive plants, mustard gas production.
  • Union Carbide, DuPont: Significant players post-WWI.
  • Environmental Concerns: Issues raised by films like "Dark Waters" about chemical impacts on communities.

Textiles Industry

• End of 19th Century: Growth in production of cotton and linen.
• 20th Century Developments: Emergence of synthetic fibers like polyester and rayon.

Lecture on Post-World War II Industrial and Economic Changes

Textile Shortages Post-WWII

• Post-WWII Textile Scarcity:
  • Difficulty in obtaining textiles, notably for women’s hosiery.
  • Black market for pantyhose developed.
  • Makeshift solutions like drawing lines on legs with eyeliner.

Heavy Industries During World Wars

• Importance of Metal Industries:
  • Growth in iron, steel, and aluminum industries.
  • Essential for modern warfare and domestic use.
  • Example: Steel mills in Weirton with the slogan "We can do it," were involved in making military and domestic products.

Development of Electric Power

• Electric Power Expansion:
  • Utilization of West Virginia's rivers for power plants.
  • Numerous power plants along Ohio-Canada rivers causing location confusion.

Transportation Changes

• Investment in Roads and Highways:
  • Increased funding into U.S. and state roads post-WWII.
  • Eisenhower’s investment in the interstate system for military mobilization.
  • Construction of interstate systems and Appalachian Corridor.

Economic and Industrial Strategies

• Industry Attraction Efforts:
  • Tax reforms and occupation taxes to attract businesses.
  • Comparison of industry attraction tactics between the 70s/80s and today.
  • Importance of side industries supporting main industries.

Activism and Local Concerns

• Concerns Over Industry Impact:
  • Environmental concerns such as water contamination and land destruction.
  • Economic concerns about opportunities for local vs. out-of-state workers.

Skilled Workforce and Training

• Development in Workforce Training:
  • Influx of skilled workers and new training programs, especially in natural gas and oil.
  • Example of local concerns like the fracking plant in Moundsville.

Socioeconomic Dynamics in West Virginia

• Wealth and Resource Distribution:
  • Rich in natural resources and workforce potential.
  • Disparity between state’s wealth and residents' economic status.
  • Ongoing discussion on why local residents haven't benefited from the state’s resources.

Upcoming Topic

• Politics and Economics:
  • Connection between socioeconomic status and political dynamics.