ABSTRACT
Industrialization of the United States during the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries intensified the impact of energy use on the environment. The transition from a wood-based economy to one dependent on fossil fuels resulted in acute air, water and land pollution. Starting in the Middle Atlantic and North Central states, several factors contributed to the rise of large-scale industrialization. An organizational revolution led to better coordination between management and production and encouraged the formation of large, integrated companies, capable of exploiting regional and national markets. State and federal governments actively promoted industrial development. The conversion to fossil fuels accelerated the industrialization process, helping to transform the United States into a modern nation. The emergence of large-scale industry fueled by coal and oil reshaped the economy's infrastructure. The hope that polluters would change their ways and that citizens could become more effective led to experiments in environmental education stressing behavioral change.
