"Electricity has now entered the service of mankind. The electric current, generated by dynamo-electric machines, will not only replace gaslight in our streets and homes, but will also provide a clean, cheap, and easily divisible power source for small workshops and large factories alike, transforming the very nature of industrial organization."
—Werner von Siemens, German electrical engineer and industrialist, address to the Berlin Electro-Technical Society, 1883
The technology described in the passage most directly contributed to which of the following changes in industrial production during the late nineteenth century?
- The diversification of energy sources beyond coal to include electricity and petroleum, which increased factory efficiency and output.Answer
- BThe initial transition from hand production and domestic workshops to centralized steam-powered factories.
- CThe mechanization of textile spinning and weaving through the introduction of the water frame.
- DThe rise of mercantilist trade policies designed to accumulate bullion by restricting manufactured imports.
Answer
The diversification of energy sources beyond coal to include electricity and petroleum, which increased factory efficiency and output.
The correct answer is correct because Werner von Siemens's speech from 1883 highlights the introduction of electricity as a new power source for factories, which was a core development of the Second Industrial Revolution. Unlike the First Industrial Revolution, which relied heavily on coal and steam engines, the second phase diversified energy inputs to include electricity and petroleum, allowing for more flexible factory setups and increased production efficiency.
Step-by-Step Solution
Key Concept
Technological Innovations of the First and Second Industrial Revolutions