Industrialization after the Civil War The industrialization that occurred shortly after the civil war in America brought many changes to the American economy and society. Three main aspects of industrialization that influenced the U.S economy and society were the construction of the railroad, the formation of labor unions and changes in agriculture. In addition, several groups of people were affected by the industrialization; this includes women, immigrants, and African Americans. Industrialization had both positive and negative effects on the average life of working Americans during this period as people were forced to work for many hours and live in big cities that were exposed to environmental hazards such as smoke from factories.
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Before the civil war started the U.S had 30,000 miles of the country on railroad tracks, however, it was not until the end of the civil war that the construction of the railroad in the country took shape. Prior to the construction of the railroad, Americans were depending on horses, coaches and wagons to ferry goods from one part of the country to another. This would usually take time, especially considering the vast country America is or rather was. The introduction of the railroad was a game changer in industrialization because it made transportation easier in America. People would only take a few days to move from one part of the country to another as opposed to spending weeks and even months while commuting. The railroad was instrumental in the movement of raw materials, especially in the Midwest and Northeast parts of the country (Baker, Boser, & Householder, 1992). This eventually translated into jobs and better living standards for Americans. The formation of the labor movement was another aspect of industrialization that influenced the U.S society and the economy. While it is no doubt that industrialization led to more working opportunities for Americans, there was an outcry from workers as their working conditions had not been addressed by the federal government. This resulted in the development of the labor unions in an effort to address the working conditions of the worker in American factories. The Knights of labor was the first labor union that was organized in the country in 1869 and had 500,000 members comprised of unskilled and skilled laborers. The labor unions demanded reforms on the conditions workers were subjected to; instead they fought for the following conditions, such as working eight hours a day, the right to have unions and the end of child labor. Some professionals such as doctors, bankers and stockbrokers were not allowed to
Identify …show more content…
Before the civil war started the U.S had 30,000 miles of the country on railroad tracks, however, it was not until the end of the civil war that the construction of the railroad in the country took shape. Prior to the construction of the railroad, Americans were depending on horses, coaches and wagons to ferry goods from one part of the country to another. This would usually take time, especially considering the vast country America is or rather was. The introduction of the railroad was a game changer in industrialization because it made transportation easier in America. People would only take a few days to move from one part of the country to another as opposed to spending weeks and even months while commuting. The railroad was instrumental in the movement of raw materials, especially in the Midwest and Northeast parts of the country (Baker, Boser, & Householder, 1992). This eventually translated into jobs and better living standards for Americans. The formation of the labor movement was another aspect of industrialization that influenced the U.S society and the economy. While it is no doubt that industrialization led to more working opportunities for Americans, there was an outcry from workers as their working conditions had not been addressed by the federal government. This resulted in the development of the labor unions in an effort to address the working conditions of the worker in American factories. The Knights of labor was the first labor union that was organized in the country in 1869 and had 500,000 members comprised of unskilled and skilled laborers. The labor unions demanded reforms on the conditions workers were subjected to; instead they fought for the following conditions, such as working eight hours a day, the right to have unions and the end of child labor. Some professionals such as doctors, bankers and stockbrokers were not allowed to