America’s Adaptation to the World of Factories and Machines

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Technology, when introduced to countries, was either easily adapted or was not accepted initially. Americans took to technology quickly and adapted to it as quick as they could. In the beginning they did not see anything but benefits from it. They now had the ability to create their own products instead of getting expensive foreign luxuries. But with everything new there are always some critiques about the new technology. Some critiques came with the fact that the factories were affecting nature. Also, the fact that people were not becoming part of these machines and not getting the same satisfaction as they use too. This is what was being debated by the 1870’s, the fact that there was no more reward for the work that you put in. The dignity of the labor was slowly slipping away and there wasn’t a social bond between coworkers. When technology and factories first came to America they were welcomed with open arms, but after sometime people started to change their minds about some aspects. To start off, Americans adapted quickly and well to the influx of new technology and materialism. But before this all arrived to America the hardworking citizens were doing their work by the power of their animals and their physical strength. The American people were used to working out in the fields or inside work at crafting their fine products. This was not a grueling task for many, they enjoyed the feeling they got after creating a pristine axe with a hand carved handle. This wasn’t the fastest process only producing maybe a few of their products a day but after a long day’s work they had something they could sell to make money to supply for their family. The work was spread out through the family, men would be farming the f... ... middle of paper ... ...nd, when technology became part of America not everyone was as happy as when it first came. Americans started out by welcoming the new technology and embracing what it brought to them. It made them able to mass produce products and to speed up the process of their everyday work. But it changed their peaceful environment and turned it into a totally different place. The sounds disrupted the sounds of birds and the wind. In time people started to see that the factories made life a cycle for people and it took away the dignity of labor. The factories made it so that people’s hard work didn’t always pay off with a reward. Works Cited Cross, Gary S., and Rick Szostak. "Chapter 9: Americans Confront a Mechanical World, 1780-1900." Technology and American Society: A History. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson/Prentice Hall, 2005. 139-52. Print.

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