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June 28th 2013
02.01 Regions Chart and Written Response
Category
Political
Social
Northeast
As a result of the growth of
industry and social change,
political views often
clashed. Labor unions
formed first in the
Northeast. Miners and
steelworkers were some of
the first workers to use the
strike as a bargaining tool
against business owners.
The growth of industry
highlighted the gap between
rich and poor. Wealthy
entrepreneurs wanted to
increase profits. Workers
wanted better wages and
working conditions.
Economic or
Type of
Economy
The Northeast remained the
leading industrial region in
the Second Industrial
Revolution. New York,
Massachusetts, and
Pennsylvania produced more
than 85 percent of all U.S.
industrial products in 1890.
Population
Change
The rapid growth of a
manufacturing economy
created a need for workers.
Cities in the Northeast
became destinations for the
immigrants that came to the
United States. By 1870
about 15 percent of the U.S.
population was foreign born.
About one of every five
industrial workers was an
immigrant. Most of these
immigrants settled in the
Northeast.
Almost 200,000 miles of
railroad line connected cities
in the Northeast by 1900.
Transportation
South
Laws that allowed
segregation and
discrimination made it
hard for southern African
Americans to enjoy the
improved transportation
of the Second Industrial
Revolution.
West
Discriminatory laws and
riots due to increased
tension between
immigrants and white
settlers.
Midwest
Labor unions were active in
the cities. Social reform
movements arose in Ohio
and Illinois. In rural areas,
farmers were also
politically active. It was a
region in which social and
political campaigns took
root.
The post-Civil War
South continued to have
problems related to race.
New laws regarding
segregation made it hard
for southern African
Americans to enjoy the
improved and rebuilt
transportation.
The war ended slavery,
which took away the
South's main source of
labor. Although it
remained mostly
agricultural, the South
began developing its
timber industry. Coal and
iron deposits in the
southern Appalachian
Mountains gave rise to
steel production in
Birmingham, Alabama.
Many African Americans
left the South to work in
new factories in the
North and Midwest.
There they had a better
chance of earning good
wages and improving
their economic and social
standing.
The willingness of the
immigrants from China to
work for lower wages and
the cultural differences
between them and the
white settlers led to
friction.
Like the Northeast, the
Midwest had waves of
immigrants come to its
cities. The gap between rich
and poor was a source of
friction.
Agriculture became more
efficient in the Midwest
and also encouraged
settlers to obtain land in
the West. However, the
sparse population of the
West did not support
much industrial growth,
and the economy
continued to be based on
natural resources.
This region experienced
economic growth in both
farming and manufacturing.
The upper Midwest states
became centers of industry
and a hub for shipping and
transport.
Immigrants from China
arrived in the West
looking for jobs on the
expanding railroads. The
thinly spread population
of the West did not
support much industrial
growth.
Cities grew rapidly,
attracting large numbers of
immigrants. Chicago,
Illinois became one of the
nation's largest cities during
this period. In 1860, the
city's population was about
110,000. In 1890, more than
one million people lived
there.
Most industry and rail
transportation were
destroyed during the
Civil War. By the 1880s,
however, the South had
begun to rebuild.
The completion of the
Transcontinental Railroad
in 1869 linked the coasts
of United States.
Railways transported
natural resources like
timber and gold from the
West to the East
The development of
railways made Chicago a
gateway between the East
and West. Trains carried
goods from eastern
manufacturers, to be
shipped north to the Upper
Midwest and west across
the Great Plains.
Part 2 –
Explain how the Second Industrial Revolution affected the North, South, West, and Midwest. Which
region would you have preferred to live in during this period? Why?
The Second Industrial Revolution affected the North, South, West, and Midwest with changes such as
population, transportation, and economy changes. The rapid growth of the manufacturing economy in
each region created a need for workers attracting many immigrants. By 1870 about 15 percent of the U.S.
population was foreign born and, about one of every five industrial workers was an immigrant. In
addition, each region also developed and improved their transportation system, usually, by railroads.
These railroads connected cities and were used to transport natural resources and goods from
manufacturers to other places. Moreover, each region had their own type of economy. The northeast
remained the leading industrial region and the south and west maintained a developing agricultural
economy but, the west’s sparse population did not support much industrial growth. Also, the Midwest
experienced economic growth in both farming and manufacturing.
Furthermore, if I had to live in a certain region during the Second Industrial Revolution period I
would prefer to live in the northwest region which was the leading industrial region in both the First
Industrial Revolution and Second Industrial Revolution. The rapid growth of the economy begged for
more workers so it would have been easy for me to find a job and provide for my family. The northeast
region benefited, improved, flourished more than any other region in both Industrial Revolutions and I
would have wanted to be a part of that experience.