Summary:
In 19th century followed by the Civil War, the United States became the world's leading industrial power. Industrialization brought many impacts that changed American society. The major impact by industrialization in American society was urbanization, growth of big business and the raise of labor union, bringing positive and negative effects.
In 19th century followed by the Civil War, the United States became the world's leading industrial power. Industrialization brought many impacts that changed American society. The major impact by industrialization in American society was urbanization, growth of big business and the raise of labor union, bringing positive and negative effect. Industries created many jobs that attracted urban lives; therefore, it increased percentage of Americans in urban areas. Industrialization reviled the idea of corporation, trust, pools, which made it possible for businesses, to raise more capital and encourage big businesses. Competition between big business resulted low salary and the spreading idea of socialism compelled workers to form unions.
Urbanization started when the industries needed a mass labor power for mass productions. Therefore, many industries searched for skilled and unskilled labors by offering jobs. These jobs were attracted to many people from rural areas. As a result many people from rural areas moved to cities and changed this country from an agrarian to an urban nation. The demographics of the country shifted dramatically, even faster than European industrialization. Another reason for this accelerating urbanization was lack of jobs due to the result of new invention in farms like tractors. Consequently, less people were needed to work in farms. As a result, many people were loosing their jobs in rural areas. In this case industrialization was a positive effect in American history, because it helped the balancing of jobs through out nation. Another positive aspect of urbanization was by contributing labors to industries in order to have mass production, because the growth of these industries helped the nation to gain its power. Urbanization also helped the freed mans to move north and find a better life. Even after civil war in south there were many obstacles for black communities, which include racism and segregation, however the jobs from northern industries lead most of the black American to move to industrial north. As a result in north freedman had more freedom showing a positive effect of urbanization. Even though there were many positive effects, it also had many negative effects. Since many freed man moved to industrial territories the black Americans who stayed in south were victimized even more. Also when many people moved in urban areas it harmed the balance of economy around nation. Urbanization also increased the number of representative in house from cities illustrating the shift of political power in urban areas. Urbanization also increased the over population, and pollutions in United States.
Industrialization was a golden age for American big businesses because a new ways of raising capital and new inventions were introduced in America. The idea of corporations, trust, and pools helped many big business owners to expand their industries. It insures the stabilities of industries and the jobs of labors. The process of Horizontal consolidation and Vertical consolidation helped industrialist to have domination of business. The adaptation of Social Darwinism, which was a theory, derived from Darwin's theory of natural selection, that society should do as little as possible to interfere with people's pursuit of success was used by industrialists to justified the trust, monopolies and consolidation. These activities by businesses decrease the competition because of the reason companies were together. Industries had the power to keep their price very high. As a result corporations tried to take advantage of people by keeping high price of products. This aspect resulted almost kayos of this country when after the mass production many supplies were to thrown because they failed to sell them due to the result of high price. This demonstrates that the pyramid was getting larger and larger in America. These aspects were to view from different perceptions. Some believed that the industrialist were "robber barons" who built their fortunes by stealing from the public while other thought they were "captains of industries" who serve the nation in positive way. Business mans like Andrew Carnegie was a great example of captain of industry who donated huge amount in social activities. The raise of industries was the starting period when government started to get dependent on companies. Industries were the main source of big business owners and today's share market goes back to the idea of corporation and trust back in early 1900. Industrialization was the first step for the big business in America that was good for business owners but mostly bad for the labors.
Labor Union had to be formed after the regulation of monopolies, trust and pools. Because the industries fell in to a field of competition where cheap and better products won the game. In order to lower the price of products the company owners had to keep labor salary very low. While the owners were trying to lower the labor benefit it were beyond the boundary. Many industry owners turned greedy and kept the working condition very strict. Almost nothing was fair to the labors. The race between factories has changed the condition of working. Producing more products wasn't in owner's hand however owners forced their workers to produce more in shorter time. The idea of piecework, which is a system that pays workers not by the hours but the product they produce. This working system was worst for older and weak workers. The rules of factory were very strict. They had to pay fine or loose their job if they were late for jobs. The huge number of worker was a benefit for the factory owners to fire workers any time. In addition Contract Labor Act made it worst for the worker in this country, because it lowered the value of workers in Unite States. The worker was paid very low and as a result the child labor started. For children the job in a factory was very harsh. The lack of unity of workers made it very hard for the workers to work in the factory in 1800s. As a response worker came up with the idea of unity. It was the period of nightmare for the factory owners. The socialist ideas from Europe also contributed this union to form by making the labor realizing that workers are the real source of power. The method of collective bargaining secured the workers to have a sufficient salary rather then producing for money. These unions were very effective when it had to deal with skilled workers because it would have been exceedingly hard for the owners to replace them. This was a positive change in American industries because it balances the power in society. It prevented the owners of industries to have too much power and lead the majority of population to have their job security.
Industrialization was a positive and a negative progress for the whole nation. It was negative because government became depended on private companies and it was also positive because it accelerated the speed of work and brought more money in to this country. Because of industrialization America was ripe for economic prosperity and the land of opportunities.
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