The Industrial Revolution, which reached the United States in the 19th century, profoundly reshaped American culture and had a significant impact on subsequent global history. If the American Revolution spurred the birth of a nation, the Industrial Revolution marked that nation’s growth into maturity. The Industrial Revolution altered all aspects of American life, from the economy to politics and the fabric of society itself. Show
Historical ContextPrior to the Industrial Revolution, America possessed a predominantly agrarian economy and generated wealth through the trade of tobacco, and resources such as lumber, minerals, fur and fish. England, rich in resources thanks to its colonial acquisitions, benefited from a series of technological breakthroughs to become the world’s first industrial power in the late 18th century. Though the English attempted to monopolize their technology and skilled labor through legislation, industrialization spread throughout Europe and reached America. The Second Industrial Revolution, which took place roughly between 1870 and 1914, established the United States as the world’s foremost industrial power. A New SocietyMost 18th century Americans lived in self-sustaining rural communities. The Industrial Revolution witnessed the evolution of large urban centers, such as Boston and New York City, and spurred a massive internal migration of workers. The Industrial Revolution also stimulated the rise of unskilled labor. Prior to the 19th century, most Americans not employed in agriculture performed some kind of skilled trade. The advent of industrial production removed the necessity of apprenticeship for craftsmen and commoditized labor itself. The Industrial Revolution also created a wide availability of cheap commodities, which engendered a consumer culture that marked the end of many rural Americans' subsistence lifestyle. Economic ImpactThe American Industrial Revolution announced the arrival and predominance of capitalism, an economic principle that Adam Smith theorized in “Wealth of Nations,” and that Karl Marx elaborated upon in his magnum opus, “Capital.” The factories that sprang up in the Industrial Revolution illustrated the capitalist principle of wage labor, in which workers disavowed ownership of the means of production in return for an hourly wage. This process concentrated wealth in the hands of industrialists, whose fortunes became tied to the fluctuations of a consumer market. During the Industrial Revolution, capitalist America, with its large population and vast natural resources, became an economic juggernaut that took advantage of a vast internal and international consumer market. Political RepercussionsThe political implications of the American Industrial Revolution included the rise of the United States as a global economic power, the clash between traditional culture and modern progress, and the passage of labor-related legislation. The Civil War represented a conflict between an agrarian society, which relied upon slave labor, and an industrial society in which paid employees fueled a consumer economy. The expansion of the American economy had international repercussions, including the opening of relations with Japan and spurred rapid territorial growth. Urban workers also became a vocal political class, and encouraged the passage of legislation such as the 1938 Fair Labor Standards Act. References Writer Bio Douglas Matus is the travel writer for "West Fort Worth Lifestyle" magazine, and spent four years as the Director of Humanities for a college-prep school in Austin. Since 2005, he has published articles on education, travel and culture in such publications as "Nexus," "People's World" and "USA Today." Matus received an Education Pioneers fellowship in 2010 and an MFA from CalArts in 2011. In the decades following the Civil War, the United States emerged as an industrial giant. Old industries expanded and many new ones, including petroleum refining, steel manufacturing, and electrical power, emerged. Railroads expanded significantly, bringing even remote parts of the country into a national market economy. Industrial growth transformed American society. It produced a new class of wealthy industrialists and a prosperous middle class. It also produced a vastly expanded blue collar working class. The labor force that made industrialization possible was made up of millions of newly arrived immigrants and even larger numbers of migrants from rural areas. American society became more diverse than ever before. Not everyone shared in the economic prosperity of this period. Many workers were typically unemployed at least part of the year, and their wages were relatively low when they did work. This situation led many workers to support and join labor unions. Meanwhile, farmers also faced hard times as technology and increasing production led to more competition and falling prices for farm products. Hard times on farms led many young people to move to the city in search of better job opportunities. Americans who were born in the 1840s and 1850s would experience enormous changes in their lifetimes. Some of these changes resulted from a sweeping technological revolution. Their major source of light, for example, would change from candles, to kerosene lamps, and then to electric light bulbs. They would see their transportation evolve from walking and horse power to steam-powered locomotives, to electric trolley cars, to gasoline-powered automobiles. Born into a society in which the vast majority of people were involved in agriculture, they experienced an industrial revolution that radically changed the ways millions of people worked and where they lived. They would experience the migration of millions of people from rural America to the nation's rapidly growing cities. Part of
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How did technology transform the United States economy in the period from 1865 to 1898?In the period 1865 to 1898, technological change transformed the economy by making Americans more reliant on machines but also involving more regions of the country in manufacturing.
What were the effects of industrialization on US society from 1865 1900?“Changes and growth of industrialization in the late 19th century had overwhelmingly negative effects on American society, which included the decline of working pride, damage to the economy, poverty, and governmental corruption.”
What transformation did the United States undergo during this period 1865 1898 )?The transformation of the United States from an agricultural to an increasingly industrialized and urbanized society brought about significant economic, political, diplomatic, social, environmental, and cultural changes.
What was the socioeconomic continuities and changes associated with the growth of industrial capitalism from 1865 to 1898?6.6 Explain the socioeconomic continuities and changes associated with the growth of industrial capitalism from 1865 to 1898. - Businesses made use of redesigned financial and management structures, advances in marketing, and a growing labor force to dramatically increase the production of goods.
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Explain the extent to which industrialization brought change from 1865 to 1898
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