World History: The Human Experience Textbook Activities
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World History: The Human Experience
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Chapter 23: Age of Industry
"Steel and the Skyscraper"

Introduction
     You have read that in the mid-1800s William Kelly, an American ironworker, and Henry Bessemer, a British engineer, developed methods to produce steel inexpensively. Steel answered industry's need for a sturdy, workable metal. Its availability was vital to the development of industry and to urbanization.

Destination Title: The Industrial Revolution Web site
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Directions
Start at The Industrial Revolution Web site.
  • Scroll down the Web page several screens until you reach the heading "Steel and the Skyscraper."
  • Read and analyze the information about steel under that heading.
  • Answer the following questions.
1. How did Henry Bessemer's name become associated with one of the major processes of producing steel?


2. What particular problem led George Fuller to think of using steel in buildings?


3. What method did Fuller use to build the Flatiron Building and how did it work?


4. Who deserves the most credit for an important invention—the person who first conceived of it or the person who actually carried the idea to practical use? Explain your answer.



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