Expansion of Industry

What were the three major factors that contributed to the immense technological boom that took place in the United States after the Civil War? Explain how two of these factors helped to bring about this technological boom.

One major factor that contributed to the immense technological boom that took place in the U.S. after the Civil War was a wealth of natural resources.  There was an abundance of oil.  The Americans processed the oil into kerosene, and before the automobile industry, gasoline was thrown away.  Also, there were many coal and iron deposits in the U.S.  Removing carbon from iron results in steel, which was used for railroad tracks, barbed wire, farm machinery, buildings and bridges.

Another was that there was government support for business.

A third factor was that there was a growing urban population that provided cheap labor and markets for new products.  People thought that the mechanical aspect of labor was taking away human's values as laborers.  When markets became popular, laborers regained their value by working in the market.