The industrial revolution in the US was initiated primarily by Slater’s importation of British technology in the cotton industry. The earlier machines used water as the source of energy, which necessitated their concentration in the north. With the uneven distribution of industries to the north, the transport industry had to be revolutionized which set the center stage for the development of railroads and canals (Library of Congress, n.d). Robert Fulton’s establishment of the steamboat fostered the development of the water transport system. Industrial revolution took a different direction after the civil war in an age referred to as the Second Industrial Revolution dating between 1870 and 1914 (Mokyr, 1998). The completion of the transcontinental railroad simplified the movement of goods across the United States (Library of Congress, n.d).
The working condition was very poor. Child labor was an issue as women entered industrial labor. The industrial workers were expected to work for long hours as they received very low wages for their work. The poor working conditions led to the formation of labor unions and emergence of strikes; the great railroad strike of 1877 marks the upheavals of that era (Library of Congress, n.d). Many jobs were concentrated in the cities, which meant that rural dwellers looking for employment had to move to the city. Consequently, the cities became overpopulated and the living conditions became very poor as sewers ran alongside settlements that were equally highly congested (Hughes, 2004).
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The industrial revolution was a blessing to the United States. Progressing gradually by the introduction of the steam engine in the cotton industry, the introduction of steamboats to facilitate transport and the eventual construction of the transcontinental railroad led to rapid progress and subsequent discoveries. The revolution led to a change of lifestyle as people moved to the cities to seek employment. The congested cities led to unhealthy conditions. The working conditions were poor; wages were low, long working hours, child labor, women exploitations, and labor unions were established express the people wish. Revolution of every nature should be properly organized to avoid excesses of exploitation. If the progress was regulated and every change anticipated, the labor force would have benefited largely from the industrial revolution, which was not the case as seen in the exploitation and poor living standards.
References
Hughes, T. P. (2004). American genesis: a century of invention and technological enthusiasm, 1870-1970 . University of Chicago Press.
Library of Congress (n.d). The Industrial Revolution in the United States. Retrieved from http://www.loc.gov/teachers/classroommaterials/primarysourcesets/industrial-revolution/pdf/teacher_guide.pdf
Mokyr, J. (1998). The second industrial revolution, 1870-1914. Storia dell Economia Mondiale , 219-45.
