For Dr. Rocal

Economic, Political and Social Effects of Post-Civil War Industrialization

Economic, Political and Social Effects of Post-Civil War Industrialization

Economic, Political and Social Effects of Post-Civil War Industrialization

Tamika Brown

Alan Rogers

HIS 105: American History after 1865

January 21, 2018

Thesis

In the late nineteenth centuries, the United States developed from a majorly agrarian economy to an industrial economy which came with the growth of manufacturing industries and development of cities. Before the revolution, most Americans were confined to their rural homes and practiced agriculture. (Olmstead and Rhode, 711).

Economic, Political and Social Effects of Post-Civil War Industrialization

Outline

The industrial revolution widely affected economic, political and social spheres in the United States. Economically, industrialization saw the construction of the railroad which enabled the movement of goods and services; it supplied the high demand for goods since manufacturing companies had the capacity to produce enough. Also, the post-civil war industrialization contributed to the rise of America into one the leading global economies of the world (Bensel, 1). Because of the industrial expansion and economic growth there arose disputes over wealth and wealth distribution which led to formation of political parties to enable those suppressed by industrialization seek a voice through political representation (Bensel, 2) Though in a large perspective economics and political spheres were affected, in the consequential social effects of the expansion there are specific groups that were affected by the industrial revolution. The first group is farmers; most farmers could not produce to compete with the big company’s production capacities. Because of competition farmer’s income reduced, therefore in search of a decent livelihood they moved to cities and lived in congested rooms and this resulted in the upsurge of diseases. The second group was women, in the industries they were made to work as hard as men, and, in as much as they did the same amount of work as the male counterparts, they were paid half of what men received. The third group was children, underage was forced into child labor, and this consequently affected their education. Fourth, are the Native Americans, with the growth in transportation industry they lost most of their properties where the railroad passed, on top of the loses there came unrest and war when they tried to defend their properties. The fifth group is the businessmen, they strove with politicians over control of wealth and resources but contrary to the supremacy wars businessmen were affected on the positive because they made money out of the industrialization. (Babayan). With the foregoing challenges withstanding, industrialization transformed most of the United States from a rural setting to urban and therefore need of labor. The desire for labor came along with its challenges too that affected the working class; the effects were both negative and positive. Since most people migrated to the urban areas to offer labor, workers got congested and lived in unhealthy conditions in the urban centers (Shackel and Palus, 828). Also, the rapid growth of the industries at the initial stages after the civil war saw a decrease in workers’ salaries together with difficulties in movements to their workplaces (Shackel and Palus, 828). On top of this, the innovation of labor-saving machines demanded unskilled labor; this brought scarcity of jobs for adults because the major source of unskilled labor was children. On the contrary, the positive effects cannot be overlooked. The increasing labor problem necessitated the formation of labor unions that helped improve the working conditions. Later during industrialization came the rail which eased transportation and solved the movement problem (Shackel and Palus, 829). Though industrialization in America came with various developments it also came with its challenges to various sectors’ and groups in the society. But as industrialization has continued to advance through innovation so has Americans managed to overcome and solve the negative effects that industrialization brought.

References Babayan Tatevik “American History” 2013 web 19th January 19, 2018 Olmstead Alan L, Rhode Paul W. “The Transformation of Northern Agriculture”. In: Engerman Stanley L, Gallman Robert E., editors. The Cambridge Economic History of the United States. Vol. 3. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press; 2000. pp. 711 print Shacke Paul A. l, Palus Matthew M. “The Gilded Age and Working-Class Industrial Communities” Source: American Anthropologist, New Series, Vol. 108, No. 4 (Dec., 2006), pp. 828-841

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