Today, the United States is recognized as one of the world’s strongest and most stable economies. The nation’s current state has been the result of years of hard work and innovation by the American people. Since the end of the Civil War, the US has been on a journey to modernize its production processes and systems. The Industrial Revolution that the nation underwent had a wide range of impacts. The social, political and economic aspects of the lives of Americans were transformed by the changes that were taking place in the industrial space (Rees, 2015). This essay examines some of the impacts of the industrialization following the Civil War.
The American society was immensely transformed by industrialization. In the years before the Industrial Revolution, the American economy was dominated by home-based industries (Vallencourt, 2015). Most Americans worked from their own homes. Following the Civil War, industries were set up to aid the recovery of the nation’s economy. The establishment of the industries marked the beginning of the decline of the home-based industries. Ordinary Americans could no longer work in their own homes. Many were forced to work in the newly established factories (Vallencourt, 2015). This meant that Americans lost the autonomy that they enjoyed while working in their own homes since they were now required to work under new bosses. This is the main impact that industrialization had on American society.
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The American society was not the only element of American life that was shaped by industrialization. The economy was also altered. As already mentioned in the discussion above, the home-based industries were replaced by conventional industries that made us of modern technologies and equipment. As American industries adopted new technologies and techniques, the production process was enhanced (Grayson, 2010). The volume of production increased and the scale of economic activity increased. These effects of industrialization were felt from the late 19th century to early 20th century.
Politics is yet another facet of American life that experienced changes as a result of industrialization following the Civil War. In an earlier discussion, it has been mentioned that the newly established industries absorbed American workers who previously worked from their own homes. As this occurred, the nation realized the need to establish regulations and laws that would govern industrial processes (Rees, 2015). For instance, the nation adopted a wide range of laws that were intended to safeguard the rights and interest of American workers. This is one of the numerous political effects of the Industrial Revolution.
No discussion of the effects of industrialization would be complete without a mention of specific people groups that were affected by this phenomenon. Race, gender and age are the key demographic factors that shaped how Americans were affected by industrialization. Women and men were affected differently. For men, the industrial Revolution mostly introduced better wages and a wider range of economic activities that they could take part in (Rees, 2010). Furthermore, as the Industrial Revolution progressed, the conditions under which men worked improved. The impacts of industrialization on women were quite different. Thanks to industrialization, more women were able to find employment opportunities. Previously, women worked in cottage industries or catered to the needs of their children and tended to their homes. With industrialization, this changed as more women joined the formal workplace (Goloboy, 2008). It is important to note that during the latter years of the Industrial Revolution, the conditions under which women worked became harsher. For instance, they were paid less than men and they worked for very long hours. This forced thousands of women to abandon the industries and return to their homes.
In the discussion above, race and age have been identified as among the factors that shaped how the Industrial Revolution affected the lives of Americans. As regards race, different racial communities were affected differently. The African American community enjoyed increased access to employment opportunities. Additionally, thanks to industrialization, members of this community gained empowerment that allowed them to establish labor organizations. The United Negro Movement is one of the organizations set up to agitate for the interests of the African-American community (Bascom, 2009). The white community was also affected by the Industrial Revolution. This community was the key driver of the industrialization process. In addition to increased access to employment opportunities, members of this community also witnessed an improvement in their standards of living. On the question of age, children and adults were affected differently. The impacts of industrialization on adults have already been mentioned. These include new employment opportunities and changes in working conditions. Children were also impacted by industrialization. They were recruited to work in the newly-established industries where they worked under harsh conditions (Rees, 2015). As legislation was developed to protect children, the children abandoned work in factories and enrolled in school.
The Industrial Revolution significantly changed the life of the average American. Most of the impacts of the revolution have already been examined in the discussion above. The poor working conditions that Americans endured are among the factors that affected their lives. Many Americans endured long working hours and were exposed to harsh realities (Rees, 2015). For instance, the noise made by the machines used in factories was a constant irritant for many. Despite the poor working conditions, it can be said that the effects of industrialization were largely positive. It exposed average Americans to a new world where production was carried out differently. For instance, it was during the Industrial Revolution that the concept of division of labor was introduced. This concept lessened the burden carried by an American worker.
In conclusion, the Industrial Revolution is largely responsible for the position that the United States occupies today. Thanks to industrialization, the US was able to adopt new technologies and modernize its production processes. The country abandoned the cottage industries in favor of conventional facilities where children, men and women gathered for work. Moreover, the industrialization also provided the American government with the impetus to develop laws for protecting American workers.
References
Bascom, L. C. (Ed.). (2009). Voices of the African American Experience. Santa Barbara, CA: ABC CLIO.
Goloboy, J. L. (2008). Industrial Revolution: People and Perspectives. Santa Barbara, CA: ABC-CLIO.
Grayson, R. (2010). The U.S. Industrial Revolution. Minneapolis: ABDO.
Rees, J. (2015). Industrialization and the Transformation of American Life: A Brief Introduction. London: Routledge.
Vallencourt, M. (Ed.). (2015). Technology of the Industrial Revolution. Chicago, IL: Encyclopedia Britannica.
