Industrialization after the Civil War
Industrialization after the Civil War
Thesis: Immediately after the civil war, the US experienced a period of unprecedented growth, which affected the economy of the country, the people and the approach to politics. The country became connected through railroads, which opened up many areas. Cities were also established along the rail lines, and many people moved to the cities in search of jobs. Transportation facilitated smooth movement of goods and people. It also facilitated trade as finished products could be sold in distant markets. However, the gap between the rich and the poor continued to rise. Industrialists paid workers low wages, while at the same time accumulating huge profits. Strikes became common as employees agitated for more pay. At the same time, businesspersons became powerful as they could determine who was elected to the highest offices. As a result, the clamor for anti-monopoly laws grew in order to cut the influence of the big businesses.
1. The economy. According to the library of congress (n.d.), before the 1970’s, railroads covered 45,000 miles only. However, in the period between 1870 and 1900, a total of 170,000 miles of railroad was laid down. Expansion of the railway network made transportation easy and cheap. It enabled settlement in the western parts of the country, and it opened up new economic opportunities (Library of Congress, n.d.). The manufacture of steel began at around the same period. It facilitated the construction of major infrastructure projects; steel became an important metal in the construction industry.
2. The society. Many people moved to towns and cities in search of jobs. However, the pay was little, and factory workers could hardly live on the wages that they earned. In addition, the working conditions were poor. Strikes became common in the late 1800’s and early 1900’s. Some of the major strikes included the southwest railroad strike of 1886, the Pullman strike of 1894, and the steel strike of 1919 (Fox Business, 2011).
3. Politics. Many times, the politicians of the time sided with the wealthy industrialists and the businesspersons. However, a new crop of politicians began to emerge. They promised to help workers fight for their rights. A good example is Jennings Bryan, an upcoming politician who promised to bring change. William McKinley won the elections because of the influence of the industrialists and the wealthy businessmen. The wealthy had contributed a lot of money to the campaigns of McKinley (Welch, Gruhl, Rigdon, & Thomas, 2011). They also ensured that Bryan would not be elected by carrying out a smear campaign against him. They spread rumors that industries would be closed if Bryan won the elections. The influence of the wealthy businesspersons in the presidential elections shows how powerful they had become. It was the age of monopolies, and the idea of antitrust laws began to be mooted.
Groups affected by industrialization
Some of the groups affected by industrialization included:
Children. There was no restriction against the use of child labor. Consequently, many children could not attend school as they helped their families to raise enough money to sustain themselves.
Women. They were not considered for many of the jobs established at that time. For that reason, they were left to take care of their families.
Workers in general. The measly pay that they got could not sustain their families. They had to start forming organizations to fight for their rights. However, it was not easy because not all organizations allowed associations in the workplace.
Politicians. Some of them were compromised by the wealthy people so that they could not fight for the rights of the workers. They were also compromised to avoid passing legislations that would break up monopolies. However, politicians like Theodore Roosevelt could not be compromised.
Native Americans. Native Americans lived in the western parts of the country. It was the only place that largely remained unsettled. There were calls to evict the Native Americans from their lands so that white people could develop the land.
African Americans. Finally, they could be employed to work in construction sites and other areas where there were job opportunities.
How industrialization affected average working American
Shift to urban areas. Many people moved to the urban areas to provide labor.
Consumption. They provided a ready market for the goods being manufactured.
Transportation. It was easy to move from one part of the country to another,
Agitation for rights. Poor working conditions and little pay encouraged the formation of workers unions to fight for their rights.
Family life. Industrialization disrupted family life because many working Americans did not have time for their families.
References
Fox Business. (2011, August 9). The 10 Biggest Strikes in American History. Retrieved January 23, 2016, from Fox Business: http://www.foxbusiness.com/markets/2011/08/09/10-biggest-strikes-in-american-history.html
Library of Congress. (n.d.). Rise of Industrial America, 1876-1900: Railroads in the 19th century. Retrieved January 23, 2016, from Library of Congress: http://www.loc.gov/teachers/classroommaterials/presentationsandactivities/presentations/timeline/riseind/railroad/
Welch, S., Gruhl, J., Rigdon, S., & Thomas, S. (2011). Understanding American Government. Boston, MA: Cengage Learning.
