This week on the Lectures and History podcast, a discussion about the rise of industry

in the Gilded Age. College of the Ozarks professor David Dalton, who teaches a class on

19th century American history, discusses the rise of American industry during that time period.

So when you're thinking about industrialization, don't think of it, it's just the, you know,

the husbands or the fathers.

Oftentimes owners of businesses will hire children, again, because small hands fit in small

places and they don't have to pay them very much.

And then that helps your bottom line, your profit factor.

Professor Dalton also speaks about immigration, living conditions, politics, and

environmental impacts during that time.

Good morning.

How's everyone?

Good, good, good, good.

All right, so last time, we were talking about the post-Civil War South, 1865 to 1900, and the post-Civil War West, that same time frame.

Today's topic is called the Gilded Age, roughly again, post-Civil War up to 1900.

But this lecture is really about America becoming an industrial power.

Industrialization is going to be the key to understanding what's going on in the post-Civil War North.

I'll explain the title, Guilted Age, in a few minutes, because it has roots here in our own state of Missouri.

But to talk about America becoming an industrial power, there are certain sets of conditions that we need for that process to occur.

For example, if you're going to become an industrial power, you need to have an abundance of mineral resources.

Coal, iron ore, copper, tin, zinc, all kinds of things such as that.

And what's fortunate for the United States is that we are blessed with all of those materials in our own country.

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