History of Pittsburgh

With the recessions of the 1970s and the advent of cheap foreign labor, Pittsburgh's steel mills found themselves unable to compete with foreign steel mills, and most closed down. This created a ripple effect that decimated the local economy, as railroads, mines, and factories across the region shut down, one by one.

The 1980s and 1990s brought a remarkable transformation. The smoke filled skies and sooty buildings gave way to a new position as a major technology center. High technology and biomedical firms grew up around the area's colleges.