... 's records: it was the first telegraph to be offered to the public as a commercial service and it represents the first use of electricity in a commercial enterprise in the world. Thomas Edison (1847-1931) built his first successful incandescent lamp in the early 1880s. The ... , and build everything from dynamos, station switches, regulators, fuses, ammeters, rheostats and all the other many things required to produce and distribute electricity. He even helped guide his laborers in the laying of power lines in New York City streets. It is literally a miracle that this one ... to electric...

• Word Count: 3185
• Approx Pages: 13
• Has Bibliography

... the 19th century, the USA had become an industrial giant. The first industrial revolution, based on coal, brought steam engines, steel, railways and mechanisation. The second industrial revolution, based on electricity and oil, was sparked by the First World War. Wartime demands encouraged the development of new materials and new techniques. These new materials and new techniques were then used as ... did almost nothing to help farmers. . Some industries, once prosperous, were overtaken by new rivals. For example, many coal mines were closed down in face of competition from oil and elec...

• Word Count: 3214
• Approx Pages: 13
• Grade Level: High School