Mark Twain once called Industrialization an, “Era of incredible Rottenness.” Industrialization had both negative effects and positive effects on city life. While big businesses thrived, the gap between the rich and poor grew larger day by day. Progressive reformers sought to close this gap and bring together the nation.
Industrialization was very beneficial to American business owners. Following the civil war, industries transformed into modern powerhouses. Big business owners who seized power in these industries became even bigger. New inventions led to new thriving industries. Iron, for example, was replaced with ultra-strong steel. Andrew Carnegie built the biggest steal business in the world. One main reason why steel was in such demand was due to the expansion of railroads. Before steel, railroads ran on weak iron, which would crack and brake. By 1900, Carnegie Steel earned a whopping $40 million a year (Roark, 547). Carnegie believed that big businesses such as this actually improved the overall wellbeing of the nation- rich and poor. In his letter entitled Wealth, Carnegie states, “...the millionaire will be about a trustee for the poor, entrusted for a season with a great part of increased wealth of the community, but administering it for the community far better than it could or would have done for itself...” (Johnson, 54).Another captain of industry during industrialization was John D. Rockefeller. John D. Rockefeller is the founder of the Standard Oil Co. and is said to be the richest american ever. By 1890, Standard Oil Co. controlled more than 90% of the oil business (Roark, 548). Rockefeller was so powerful that even the government feared him. By making secret deals with railroad companies and holding extreme price...
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Although industrialization brought about new inventions and discoveries, it created a divide between the rich and the poor. Unskilled immigrants had no choice but to work in unsanitary factories for extremely low pay. Theodore Roosevelt and Jane Adams were just two Progressive Reformers that sought to improve the unity of the nation by closing the gap.
Works Cited
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American towns industrialized all throughout the nineteenth century, irresistible ailments developed as a genuine danger. The presentation of new workers and the development of vast urban zones permitted already confined sicknesses to spread rapidly and contaminate larger populations. As industrialization occurred, towns developed into cities, and people relocated to them. The expanded interest for shoddy lodging by urban vagrants prompted ineffectively assembled homes that poorly accommodated individual cleanliness. Outside laborers in the nineteenth century frequently lived in cramped dwellings that consistently lacked fundamental comforts, for example, running water, ventilation, and toilets. These conditions were perfect for the spread
Roark, James, et al. The American Promise: A History of the United States, 4th ed. Boston:
Industrialization was a period of rapid expansion in the 19th and 20th century for the United States and had a profound effect on the country. Although there was much success across the country, such as massive population growth and manual labor becoming easier, the negative effects of industrialization outweigh the positives.
The Industrial Revolution began in England during the late 1700s, and by the end of its era, had created an enormous amount of both positive and negative effects on the world in social, economic, and even political ways. The revolution began to spread across the world, raising the standard of life for the populations in both Europe and North America throughout the 1800s. However, even with all of its obvious benefits, its downsides are nonnegotiable, forcing workers into horrendous living and working conditions, all inside of unkempt cities. While some might argue that Industrialization had primarily positive consequences for society because of the railroad system, it was actually a negative thing for society. Industrialization’s
Roark, J. L., Johnson, M. P., Cohen, P. C., Stage, S., Lawson, A., & Hartmann, S. M. (2009). The American promise: A history of the United States (4th ed., Vol. 1). Boston: Bedford/St. Martin’s.
...eading America. Eds. Gary Colombo, Robert Cullen, and Bonnie Lisle. Boston: Bedford/ St. Martins, 2001. 598-609.
The Industrial Revolution “transformed the daily lives of Americans as much as—and arguably more than—any single event in U.S. history”. It was marked by significant advances in technology and industry that had broad and enduring impacts. Even though the start of the industrial revolution is said to have begun in the first half of the 19th century, the real industrialization of America did not begin until after the Civil War. The American economy accelerated its growth after the Civil War as it entered “The Second Industrial Revolution,” generally recognized as the period between 1870 and 1914. This secondary movement created long lasting effects in many areas for America. The most significant consequences of the industrialization of America
Roark, James L. The American Promise: A Compact History. 4th. ed. Volume 1: 1877. New York: BEDFORD/ST. MARTIN'S, 2010. Print.
Johnson, Michael P. Reading the American Past. Bedford Books, Boston MA 1998. This material may be legally cited or reproduced as long as the author's name is not removed from the publication and full and proper credit is given in the citation.
Industrialization is the process in which a society transforms itself from an agricultural society, farming, to a society based on manufacturing goods and services, using machinery. The Industrial Revolution acquired a colossal impact on societies, making forceful changes in the lives of individuals, and changing the social classes drastically, but not all classes benefited equally. Those who were lucky enough to be business owners or had the opportunity to obtain a better profession, were able to enjoy leisure time and comfort in many ways. Those who were uneducated and were limited to unskilled labor work, remained at the bottom of the economic ladder. Furthermore, the two classes that benefited from the Industrial Revolution were the “upper” and “middle” class, leaving the “lower” class to be the only one who suffers. In other words, the rich got richer, the middle class grew, and the poor remained poor. The deeper the Industrial Revolution grew, the more powerful the “upper” and “middle” class became. To remain at the top of the social ladder, the upper class had to continue being the wealthiest and most powerful.