Industrialization after the Civil War Final Paper
Introduction
The end of the Civil War in America sparked an unprecedented growth, which affected the economy of the entire country, the social systems and most importantly the running of politics. An interconnection of roads and rail work within the country opened up the American in ways that had not been imagined before. Urban areas and cities grew up along the rail lines, and an upsurge of migration to the towns in search of jobs became a new norm. The advantages and the disadvantages of industrialization have well been documented; this paper seeks to establish the influence that the growth had on the economy, society, politics and, more importantly, some of the groups that were significantly affected and by the industrialization (Welch, Gruhl, Rigdon and Thomas 45).
The industrial revolution that took shape right after the end of the civil war was largely welcomed by the citizenry owing to the potential that it did posit. However, it is imperative to understand some of the changes that were realized in the society because of the industrial revolution. One of the aspects was the American economy, which begun to realize unprecedented growth. The increased productivity within the country was the foundation of the robust growth that was being realized in the American nation.
One of the modes of increasing productivity in the country was due to the use of the out-work system. The system was based on the idea of individuals completing their jobs from the homes. Another system that came up with the American economy was the factory system. Factories sprung up across the American nation, and they allowed for the completion of a large scale of work in one location. The economic growth set the foundation for numerous jobs for the citizens in various factories and sectors.
The society is another system or aspect was greatly affected by the industrial revolution. A number of major transitions were realized during the revolution. The most common and well-known transition was a shift that the American society and its people made from farming and shifted to full-time employment in factories. The farm families were replaced by the factory-employed individuals working from morning to evening. The one reason that resulted in this shift was that most of the factories were creating machines and tools that allowed for reduced labor demands on the farm.
The tractors that were being manufactured reduced the labor demands on the farmlands and thus created an availability of individuals to work in the factories. Another aspect that was realized as a result of the industrial revolution in relation to the society was the fact that corporate firms took over. The businesses that had been dominated by families were all replaced by the large companies. The individual and family businesses were faced out by competition from the multi-resourced companies.
The third aspect that realized a major shift during the industrial revolution was the political system. The political system had long been seen as a tool for change in society. It represented a means of representation from all the walks of life. The concept of politics was to realize improvement of the living standards for the electorate. This, however, turned out not to be the case (Welch, Gruhl, Rigdon and Thomas 82).
The politicians, in an effort to satisfy their needs, relegated the needs of their people to the back seat. The focus of the politicians shifted towards fulfilling the needs and interests of businesses. For the politicians, the working class and the poor did not offer anything of interest to the politicians. On the other hand, the corporate firms and business had lucrative contracts from the corporate sector. Slowly, the politicians began to get a bad reputation owing to their acceptance of bribes and offering contracts to individuals who shared political support and interest (Library of Congress 33).
Groups affected by the Industrial Revolution
The sprouting of industrial growth did not only affect the societal systems but went on to impact and influence individuals and groups within the community. The groups were influenced by the wave of industrialization in a myriad of ways. The first group was the children who were employed and used in various roles and responsibilities. Owing to the fact that there were little or no regulations in regards to child labor, factories, and companies took to using the cheap labor that children provided (Sample 36).
The children did not attend school but spent their time while working long hours in factories and coalmines. The downside of the employment of children was that they were forced to work for wages much lower than the minimum. The type of work that the children were involved was in relation to the geographical areas in which they were in. Poor working conditions and mistreatment was the order of the day for most of the children in the factories.
Another group that felt the impact of industrialization was women. Right before the civil war, women did not hold jobs (Welch, Gruhl, Rigdon and Thomas 45). The role of women had been relegated to the homes and caring for the family. However, upon the onset of the industrial revolution, more job opportunities were created allowing women to take up some of the available opportunities. In as much as they accepted lower pay from the factories, they had stepped into a formerly male dominated world.
The opportunity for women to find employment created the much-needed confidence to stand up and fight for their rights. The struggle for women liberation would later be awarded by the right to vote and the amendment of the constitution. In essence, the American industrial revolution set the precedence for the establishment of women representation and the fostering women rights (Sample 56).
The increased development of factories and industries resulted in increased employment opportunities. Farming was the major economic activity before the civil revolution; therefore, individuals without farms were largely resource-poor. The onset of industrialization brought about the establishment of innumerable jobs. The increased job opportunities also created the platform for the development of organizations to push for worker rights.
Conclusion
The analysis provided above brings forth the impact that was realized from the industrial revolution. A number of systems were changed with the wake of industrialization. The positives and negative of the industrialization process all merged up to create significant changes within the American country. The contemporary American nation attributes its growth and development largely to the industrial revolution right after the civil war. Weighing the advantages and disadvantages of the industrial revolution, one realizes that the American nation did greatly benefit.
Works Cited
Sample, K. A Brief History of American Industrialization. Washington, DC: Template Publishing (2010). Print.
Library of Congress. Rise of Industrial America, 1876-1900: Railroads in the 19th century. (n.d.). Web. Retrieved from Library of Congress: http://www.loc.gov/teachers/classroommaterials/presentationsandactivities/presentations/timeline/riseind/railroad/
Welch, S., Gruhl, J., Rigdon, S., & Thomas, S.. Understanding American Government. Boston, MA: Cengage Learning (2011). Print.
