How Did World War II Transform American Society and Government?

In the nineteenth century, manufacturing was the most important factor because it brought about industrialization. The expansion of both economic and technological advances also brought about the changes in American society. The growth and eventual dominance of market capitalism in the United States changed the lives of all Americans fundamentally. The Market Revolution and the rise of market capitalism influenced the working class because of new inventions, like the cotton gin, and it encouraged farmers to raise more cotton in the South, and brought people in the North greater opportunities in the work field. With distant but profitable markets now attainable, farmers and manufactures now produced for the market rather than for their own personal consumption.

The elite of the industrial era, farmers, and even working people were no longer identifiable or distinctive as an economic class. Some argued that the American worker had acquired middle-class buying habits and social values. However, the unified, classless society was just an illusion. Americans in the 1950s attended church more regularly. Church attendance doubled between 1945 and 1960.

Immigrants are large parts of the changes and social progresses made during the second industrial revolution that improved and sculpted our country. America’s population increased significantly from 1865 to 1900 thanks to immigration (Brinkley 454.) Most immigrants in America during the 1880’s came from southern and eastern European countries to find freedom and better lives for their families (Brinkley 454.) The acceptance of immigrants into America during the second industrial revolution is what makes our country the cultural melting pot that it is today. The second industrial revolution began directly after the failure of reconstruction when the population of America was still finding it difficult to see others as equals, the era of the second industrial revolution luckily made some changes to the predigest society and created a more tolerant America.

In the mid to late 1700’s, during America’s early stages of development towards an advanced country, their economy was largely based on agriculture. After several important inventions in communication and transportation and the increase in industrialism, the North’s economy gradually developed a dependence on manufacturing and commerce. This industrialization encouraged immigrants to settle in the Northern states rather than Southern states. (AL, AR, DE, FL, GA, KY, LA, MD, MI, MO, NC, SC, TN, TX, and VA) However, the South’s economy remains predominantly agricultural. Even though there is a difference between the two economies they both still rely on imports and exports to sell either their manufactured or grown goods.

Society also did not like the idea of women working and having positions of power in the workforce but all that change... ... middle of paper ... ...any of the benefits or rank that was usually awarded to the male officers because they were women. Women helped every way they could by taking on various important roles in the military and at the home front. These women get any training and went started working as soon as they were accepted. When the war ended most of them went back to their normal life at home with their families. Women’s roles in the military have changed greatly and now a lot of women serve in the military.

Gaining all these new jobs had been a huge leap towards women gaining equality with men, however when the men returned from war most if the women lost their war time jobs. This happened because of a number of reasons. Firstly, public opinion in general believed that the soldiers who had been fighting deserved to come back to jobs and not have to struggle with unemployment. Also some bosses of small and large compani... ... middle of paper ... ...he system seemed to give equal opportunities for both girls and boys there were infact more grammar schools for boys than there were for girls. The Welfare State also introduced family allowances to try and deal with poverty among families with a large numbers of children.

Working women took jobs for various reasons. Some worked to help financially while others took jobs out of desire for a larger role in society. Women's roles in society changed, and so did their households. Some negative effects took place as a result of women working. Family members were under more stress because of the absence of the main caregiver during working hours.

1. The British Agricultural Revolution is said to be one of the major causes of the Industrial Revolution. The British Agricultural Revolution improved the agricultural production which then made workers want to work in other districts. The Enclosure movement also made food production more productive. But this forced the part of the population that couldn't find work in agriculture into the cottage industry.

The Enclosure movement had two important results. First, landowners tried new agricultural methods. Second, large landowners forced small farmers to become tenant farmers or to give up farming and move to the cities. Jethro Tull was one of the first scientific farmers. He created an invention that dug deep seed sized holes, which helped more seeds take root and boosted crop yields.

Farms specialized in one crop in order to be more productive which helped lead to an agricultural boom but which greatly affected rural poor. The rural poor had relied on the old open field system and with the privatization of fields they were deprived of a previous source of food. With the agricultural boom land was power and those without were forced to the factories that were popping up throughout Europe. Britain was the first to go through the industrial revolution and helped provide a model for the rest of the world to follow. Britain was primed for this industrialization because it had “Regions where mineral resources were abundant or where domestic manufacturing was a traditional activity.”(626) It was an island with a great navy already in place which helped the shipping and manufacturing of commerce.