Industrialization After the Civil War
Introduction
Industrialization post the Civil Battle in the U.S. had absolute consequences on the economy, politics, and society. The consequences transformed fields into towns. The country thus changed from an agricultural to an industrial region following the decades after the Civil War. The remarkable transformations arose due to different factors such as the emergence of unscrupulous corporate leaders, the existence of a massive workforce, development of technology and inventions, and the availability of raw materials. Also, came the rise of the capitalistic and corrupt entrepreneur controlled by the American Government. After the Civil War, the industrialization assisted the economy, politicians, and the society. The community improved because of the relief of slaves and the provision of female rights. The U.S. economy developed into a corporate system. The industries expanded, and the corrupt businessmen were governed by the formulation of policies and better regulations. The industrialization post the Civil Battle had its fair share of adverse and positive implications, but for the largest part America would not have been a major force to be reckoned with were it not for the developments.
Thesis
This paper examines the consequences that the industrial revolution after the Civil Battle had on the American society, politics, and economy. The essay also reviews the primary groups that were affected by the industrialization and how the average working class American faired at the time.
The three primary elements that influenced the U.S. politics, economy, and society were legislation, entrepreneurship, and urbanization. Other aspects include technology, immigration, transport, working conditions, amongst others (Shultz, 2014).
According to Fitzgerald (2000), the main agenda behind the Civil War was freeing the slaves. Hence, when the battle came to an end after the Union became successful, the freed slaves needed legislative representation that would ensure they got and maintained their freedom. Three amendments were created with regard to slavery ushering in the Reconstruction Period. The 15th, 14th, and 13th amendments gave the slaves’ rights as citizens. Additionally, with regards to legislation, the American government started to notice the plight of the poor people and formulated a policy to lower their tariffs. The reformers in the state and local governments passed several regulations to help the needy. They include laws created for the tenement of homestead inspection, improvement of slums, and playgrounds. They also developed public education and ensured that laborers acquired a safe working environment (Shultz, 2014).
The boom of the financial system enabled more Americans to turn into business owners. The new opportunities, availability of supplies, and the improvement of transport made it easier for entrepreneurship to prevail. The value of commodities in the U.S. increased because of the increased population from immigration, the rise of banking, enhanced production techniques, amongst others (Brinkley, 2015).
The society also became increasingly urban as cities grew in size and population with revived transport systems and tall buildings. Part of the development of urban centers was because of immigrants who held on to promise of the American dream. The urbanization changed how people lived and spent their time creating a new society (Shultz, 2014).
Specific Groups Affected by Industrialization
Three groups that were affected by the revolution are the Native Americans, women, and immigrants. Many people moved to the country in search of jobs and better opportunities. The corrupt and capitalistic entrepreneurs took advantage of the naivety and desperation of the immigrants and offered them low-paying jobs which the Americans were paid more to carry out. Additionally, immigrants like the Asians were taxed for assisting in mining during the Gold Rush. The U.S. Government began to take extreme measures to prevent the inflow of migrants into the nation. First, the American Government restricted the migration of Asians particularly the Chinese using the Chinese Exclusion Policy in 1882. The Act prohibited the Chinese from coming into the region for a decade, and those who were in the U.S. were not allowed to become citizens (Brinkley, 2015).
Women, on the other hand, did not hold any job positions before the Civil Battle. They were left at home to be caretakers of the family and homestead. However, during and after the Civil War, females were called upon to work in the industries to increase the labor pool needed to propel the Industrial Revolution. Moreover, after the Civil Battle, women took up a keen interest regarding their freedoms and rights and fought for them particularly when the 14th Amendment utilized the term “male.” By championing for their freedoms, females acquired the right to work and vote (Fitzgerald, 2000).
As highlighted earlier, one of the key elements that supported the revolution was the railway. For the railway to be built, Native Americans had to be uprooted from their homes. They lost their incentives and livelihoods. The U.S. Government went on to reinforce the Indian Removal Act that forced the Native Americans to leave the land where the railway and industries would come up ushering in the racial discrimination of the ethnic group (Brinkley, 2015).
Ways Industrialization Affected the Average Working American
With the rise of technology, millions of people acquire employment. Therefore, this lowered the rate of unemployment in the U.S. and enhanced the living standards.
The average working American was also called upon to work alongside a diverse labor force comprising of women, African-Americans, and other minorities. Owing to the increase immigration, the average American worker slowly became multicultural and multi-lingual to keep up with the dynamic trends in the society (Fitzgerald, 2000).
Additionally, the reformers in the government sought to equalize the employees. Hence, wages were determined using qualifications forcing citizens to go to school to improve their skills and knowledge. The reformers also protected children by creating the Child Labor Act. Many industries depended on kids because they were easy to work with and manipulate (Brinkley, 2015).
The most defining element for the average working American was the rise of the urban centers. Before industrialization, more than 80% of the U.S. citizens resided in the rural regions. As immigrants came in, the rural areas turned into towns and cities. By 1920, the largest portion of American individuals lived in the urban centers. Many people who lived in the rural regions were displaced rendering them homeless (Fitzgerald, 2000).
The capitalistic nature present during the Industrial Revolution left the average American employee working for long durations and being paid little. The factories were turned into sweatshops with poor job conditions. Additionally, the use of machines made many workers to lose their jobs (Brinkley, 2015).
Conclusion
The industrial revolution that came after the Civil Battle influenced everything along its path. It presented both negative and positive effects with the benefits being the most. The industrialization was also the sole reason that the U.S. has grown to become a superpower leading in technological developments, business ventures, creativity, reforms, humanitarian efforts, amongst others. In short, the eyes of the Americans were opened to identify ways to exploit natural and labor resources in their favor while taking into account political, social, and economic factors.
References
Brinkley A. (2015). The Unfinished Nation: A Concise History of the American People, Volume I. Vol. 11. McGraw-Hill.
Fitzgerald, R. D. (2000). The Social Impact of the Industrial Revolution, Science and Its Times: Understanding the Social Significance of Scientific Discovery. Vol. 4. Pgs. 376-381
Shultz, K.M. (2014). History. Volume 2. Cengage Learning
