Unit 2A: 2nd Industrial Revolution Historical Figures

Andrew Carnegie

A Scottish-born American industrialist and philanthropist who founded the Carnegie Steel Company in 1892. By 1901, his company dominated the American steel industry.

J.P. Morgan

A highly successful banker who bought out Carnegie. With Carnegie's holdings and some others, he launched U.S Steel and made it the first billion dollar corporation.

Lewis H. Latimer

African American inventor of the carbon filament

Garrett Morgan

African American inventor whose inventions included the traffic light and the gas mask

Thomas Edison

American inventor best known for inventing the electric light bulb, acoustic recording on wax cylinders, and motion pictures.

Sarah Goode

Born into slavery in 1850, inventor and entrepreneur Sarah E. Goode was the first African American woman to be granted a patent by the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office, for her invention of a folding cabinet bed in 1885.

Charles Darwin

English natural scientist who formulated a theory of evolution by natural selection (1809-1882)

Sir Henry Bessemer

Englishman who developed a method of turning iron ore into steel

Madam C.J Walker

First self made millionaire woman. Made hair products for African American women.

Granville T. Woods

Granville Tailer Woods was an inventor who held more than 60 patents in the U.S.

Samuel Gompers

He was the creator of the American Federation of Labor. He provided a stable and unified union for skilled workers.

Nikola Tesla

Invented the Alternating Current (AC current) for electricity.

John A. Burr

Invented the lawn mower

Elijah McCoy

Invented the lubricating cup that fed oil to machines while they were running.

Alexander Graham Bell

Invented the telephone

Eugene V. Debs

Leader of the American Railway Union, he voted to aid workers in the Pullman strike. He was jailed for six months for disobeying a court order after the strike was over.

William "Magear" Tweed

New York City boss who was infamous for fraud and corruption. Convicted of fraud and extortion, he was sentenced to jail in 1873.

Henry Flagler

One of the partners in Standard Oil; builder of Florida East Coast Railway; founded Palm Beach and "father" of Miami in 1890s

John D. Rockefeller

Was an American industrialist and philanthropist. Revolutionized the petroleum industry and defined the structure of modern philanthropy.

Samuel Morse

invented the telegraph