The Civil War marked a new era in America due to industrial revolution. The war had led to the use of lots of resources, and that affected the economy. Industrialization was meant to improve the economy of America. Cheap labor in the industries was readily available as freed slaves required work to sustain their lives since they were no longer provided for by their white masters. The compensation, however, was poor as the African American mostly offered unskilled labor. The working conditions in industries was bad, but the number of black people who required work was high, which made them to continue working.
There were various industries which developed during America’s Industrial Revolution. Agricultural industries developed with the growth of farming, such as Bonanza farming. The small-scale farmers required tools which they could use to improve production. There were also large-scale farmers who needed machinery for hard labor, considering that there were no longer slaves to provide manual labor. The old industries which existed before the revolution expanded in different ways (Carnegie & Kirkland, 1889). There were also new industries such as petroleum mining which was meant to provide power required by industries for production purposes. Steel manufacturing industries also developed in large scale for making tools and machinery required for production. Electric power industries also developed in large-scale to provide light and energy in the manufacturing industries.
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There are different factors which made these leaders of industry successful. The first one was readily available and cheap labor. After the Civil War, African Americans did not have white masters as they were free to work on their own. Men had to take up the industry jobs so that they could sustain their families. There were enough raw materials and energy for production. The natural resources in America were used to provide the raw materials; for example, the large sugarcane plantations made it possible for sugar industries to grow. The availability of energy, such as through petroleum and electricity, also supported the growth of industries (Clay, 2010). The transportation system such as road and railways also developed, which made it easier for the manufactured goods to be moved easily.
The labor unions grew in response to the issues faced by the industrial workers. The industrial revolution in America was followed by poor payment for the workers, poor sanitation, poor working conditions and increased unsafe conditions in the industries. The workers tried talking to the industry owners for the working conditions to be improved, but that did not happen. It led to the formation of labor unions to represents the woes of employees (Gompers, 1941). Different labor unions were formed, such as “The American Labor Movement” in 1914, which allowed any worker to join without restrictions.
The labor unions were able to accomplish various things. The government came up with maximum hours employees were supposed to work per day. A minimum wage rate was determined, which was fair in comparison to the earlier compensation. The industries were required to improve the working condition to avoid health effects on the employees.
The growth of the American economy is attributed to the industrial revolution period. The raw materials, energy and labor were readily available, and there are resources required for industry development. However, the employees were compensated unfairly, and that led to the growth of labor unions to fight for the rights of workers.
References
Carnegie, A., & Kirkland, E. C., (1889). The gospel of wealth(pp. 1-44). FC Hagen & Company.
Clay, H., (2010, July). In Defense of the American System. The United States Library of Congress.
Gompers, S., (1941). The American Labor Movement. American Federation of labor.
