Things were going so well for industry during the 1860s, which is why they called it the Second Industrial Revolution. During this period, scientists discovered new scientific knowledge about many secrets of physics and chemistry. These secrets lead to discoveries in electricity and chemicals. Once this knowledge was acquired, the new industries were much more productive than they had been in the past. The United States had finally clashed with Great Britain, the two countries began to compete with each other in the late 19th century.