The late 19th century gave rise to three technological systems – the railroad, the telephone, and the automobile. A technological system was not solely hardware, machines, or devices it was a system that consisted of people and organizations. The invention of the railroad, the telephone, and the automobile all individually developed into a technological system that was seen to have greatly impacted the American view and the American business in the late 19th century.
The railroad played an important role in American history, because it was the driving force that helped develop America into a big business. When the steam engine locomotive debuted in America, it was the beginning of a new era. The railroad technological system consisted of connecting …show more content…
Before the telephone, the main way of communicating long distance was through the telegraph and sending mail letters. The telephone made its way to becoming a technological system by connecting together various components, such as communicating long distances, providing services, and having telephone operators. In the early stage of development, the telephone could not reproduce sound clearly. “ Telephone lines in the early days were able to carry a voice only a few kilometres. Beyond this limit the voice became garbled, full of static, inaudible” (Smith 263). Since, the sound could not be heard clearly the public was not excited for a product that would only worked remedially. Therefore, mechanical repeaters were used to try boosting the signals. “Ma Bell… was indeed in the business of linking people together, but with the mechanical repeater many people who might wish to pass through her network could not do so” (Smith 264). Although the telephone signal was able to expand to more distances it was not able to expand as far as it should. Potential customers or businesses that would want to connect with The Bell Company would not be able too. Therefore, the company had no choice but to stay as a small business. In 1913, Bell was offered a challenge to build a transcontinental line that would connect the West and East coast together, which would make Bell the only …show more content…
Ford’s technological system consisted of the assembly line, mass production, and workers. The automobile was already invented, but Ford’s role in the automobile world was considered to be important. He wanted to sell a car that had quality materials, was simple to drive and reliable, and was low in price. When Ford announced his plan it was not received with celebration. The public thought “If Ford does that he will be out of business in six months” (Smith 316). The businessmen and the public did not believe that it was possible to make a car in which everyone could own. However, one of Ford’s plans toward this goal was to experiment with the assembly line. He created and tested principles for his assembly lines that would help increase efficiency. “The net results of the application of these principles is the reduction of the necessity for thought on the part of the worker and the reduction of his movements to a minimum” (Smith 317). Ford tried various ways to figure out the fastest and most efficient way to assemble a part of the car. He did not want to overkill the production speed and ruin the quality of his car. So, “The idea was that one man must not be hurried in his work – he must have every second necessary but not a single unnecessary second” (Smith 317). By cutting out the wasted time, the company was able to produce a