The Second Industrial Revolution

A Second Industrial Revolution began around 1850-1870 and ended at the end of Second World War. She continued the process of Industrial Revolution, through scientific and technological progress with the creation of new machines and means of production.

What was the Second Industrial Revolution?

The Second Industrial Revolution was born in the middle of the 19th century (between 1850 and 1870) and ended at the end of World War II. It marks the beginning of a new period of industrialization, with the emergence of new machines, new means of production and new techniques.

Industrialization expands to other European and non-European countries such as Russia, Germany, France, as well as the United States and Japan.

Coal and steam power had a lot of space during the First Industrial Revolution, increasing the capacity of the machines. Now, the main representatives of the Second Industrial Revolution become oil, electricity and steel.

To the most important inventions of that period are linked to oil. It, as a source of energy, is used in the combustion engine. Electricity, on the other hand, starts to help in the operation of motors. And steel replaces iron.

There was a considerable increase in companies and mass production. As a result, the products began to be produced in Large scale, which lowered the cost per unit. Serial production was carried out thanks to work automation.

The electrical and chemical industries gained prominence, as well as research in the field of medicine.

Another creation that was extremely important were the railroads. They made it possible to transport the goods produced, being done on a large scale and with a speed never seen before. In this way, they contributed to the increase of the consumer market.

The rationalization of work was another characteristic of the Second Industrial Revolution. It made the production be done with a lower cost and less time. The aim was to make work more productive.

It was in this context that the taylorism and the fordism gain expressiveness, favoring increased productivity.

Inventions of the Second Industrial Revolution

Some of inventions made during the Second Industrial Revolution, they are:

• New ways of manipulating steel so that it could be used in the construction of buildings, tracks, tools, bridges;
• Media: telephone, television, cinema, telegraph and radio waves;
• Advancement of chemistry;
• Advances in medicine: vaccines and antibiotics appeared, as well as new research on diseases and surgical techniques;
• Electric traction.

See more at:

• Questions about the Industrial Revolution
• Causes and Preconditions for the Industrial Revolution
• Industrial Revolution in Brazil