1720s to 1740s – The number of iron sites
and production levels increased in Pennsylvania.
1750s to 1760s – Despite Britain’s attempts
to restrict iron production, the American colonies produced one seventh of the world’s
iron. Pennsylvania was the colonies’ top producer.
1775 – The American colonies became one of
the world’s largest iron producers.
1780s to 1790s – Iron production spread from
eastern to western Pennsylvania.
1825 – The Schuylkill navigation network opened.
This led to better transportation, the discovery of coal as fuel, and an increase
in iron production.
1840 to 1880 – Coal and coke replaced charcoal
as fuel in iron making. Rolling mills replaced forges, allowing for the increase
in rail production. Corporations began replacing partnerships. Unions
formed to protect workers’ interests. Unskilled labor began to replace
skilled labor.
1870s – Steel is massed produced in Pennsylvania.
1880s – The change from iron to steel was
in full swing.
1892 – Homestead strike. Carnegie Steel
Company wanted to cut employees’ wages and get rid of the union. The Homestead
workers went on strike. Violence ensued, leading to the deaths of 10 men.
The Union was defeated and the company returned to corporate domination. This showed
the power corporations and government had over unions.
1900 – Coke became the main source of fuel
for Pennsylvania iron making.
1901 – United States Steel Corporation, America’s
largest steel producer, was founded. U.S. Steel was an example of the “fully
integrated” structures that soon became popular: companies controlled each step
of the steelmaking process, from iron ore mining to steel finishing.
1930s to 1960s – Pennsylvania steel companies
grew in size and generated immense profits.
1970s to 1980s – Due to the growth of foreign
steel industries, out-of-date steel plants, and a greatly reduced labor force, many
Pennsylvania steel companies closed and mill towns were devastated.
1990s to 2000s – Many companies filed for
bankruptcy protection and restructured by combining jobs, changing work rules, and
eliminating layers of management.
2010s – Despite facing challenges from foreign markets, Pennsylvania’s steel industry continues to employ thousands of people and add billions of dollars to the state’s economy.
