Industrialization After the Civil War Final Paper

Even though slavery had been eradicated and the war was over, there was no change in anything for African American. They restricted to the rights (the Jim Crow law) they had and had to toil for their masters. Even if African Americans were independent, they were still subjected to punishments and violence. They still had to undergo hardship. Several African Americans still built organizations and black communities that were the purpose to enhance their economic development, educate them, and build a helpful society that would dare Jim Crow laws (McGeehan & Gall, 2001).

The new railways stimulated the growth of the economy. Mining corporations shipped raw materials to their factories over long distances speedily using these railways. Producers disseminated their finished product by rail to points all over the nation. To their owners, the rails became extremely lucrative businesses. Throughout the Industrial Revolution, everybody had to adjust to the huge workload that was produced. During that time, product demand was high, the only concern and thought the manufacturer had was how to sustain the business. Humans were used as machines, with no care and considerations to their welfare and health. On one occasion they were faced with the outcome for their disrespect for life, laws were established to protect the employees. Adherence to the law slowed production and became costly. Children and Women were able to join the labor force, except for long working hours and little pay. A lot of were face with short lunch breaks, dangerous health issues, and poor work conditions. The success of the economy was frequently left unrestrained by the system. With the use of machines, the unemployment rate increased. The Industrial Revolution led to increasing in population (McGeehan & Gall, 2001).

Those affected by industrial revolution were farmers, middle class, underprivileged, the wealth, people and the government. Middle-class women throughout this period become occupied in the labor force having their characteristic homemaker responsibility altered. Few executives; mostly Swedish, Irish, and black women worked as servants. To acquire the right of women to vote, the NAWSA (National American Woman Suffrage Association) was created. European immigrants settling in U.S increased. Most of them were poor with their living conditions overcrowded and dirty. Unskilled workers were allowed to operate hazardous machines hence their working conditions were not safe (McGeehan & Gall, 2001).

References

Boyer, P. (2001). The Oxford companion to United States history. Oxford: Oxford University Press.

Handlin, O. (1959). Immigration as a factor in American history. Englewood Cliffs, N.J.: Prentice-Hall.

History of the United States Industrialization and reform (1870-1916). (n.d.). Retrieved April 25, 2015, from http://www.theusaonline.com/history/industrialization.htm

McGeehan, J., & Gall, M. (2001). Let's review: U.S. history and government (3rd ed.). Hauppauge, NY: Barron's Educational Series.