What Technology Helped the Gilded Age

Innovations of the Gilded Age helped usher in modern America. Urbanization and technological creativity led to many engineering advances such as bridges and canals, elevators and skyscrapers, trolley lines and subways.

What technology was used to improve during the Gilded Age?

The steam-powered locomotive revolutionized commercial transportation by providing a durable, faster, cheaper way to move goods. The Governor Stanford was the first train on the Central Pacific, which became the first transcontinental railroad line in 1869 when it was joined with the Union Pacific.

What new technology helped create new jobs during the Gilded Age?

In offices, worker productivity benefited from the typewriter, invented in 1867, the cash register, invented in 1879, and the adding machine, invented in 1885. These tools made it easier than ever to keep up with the rapid pace of business growth.

Robert Thorne

Robert Thorne

Automotive & Future Transportation Editor

Robert Thorne covers electric vehicle innovations, autonomous driving systems, global mobility trends, and automotive engineering developments.

Share this article
Twitter Facebook Pinterest