Introduction
The Industrialization of the United States
during the 19th Century created great change in
every aspect of American society. At the start of
the 1800s the United States was an agrarian
nation with some trade and limited production.
Through innovation and a spirit of invention, the
US grew into an industrial giant. While this
change brought both positive and negative
effects to American life, overall it created the
nation with the greatest standard of living in
human history.
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The revolutionary change in the American
economy from agrarian to industrial resulted in
the United States raising its standard of living to
become the most prosperous nation in the world
by the 20th century. New inventions and
innovations helped the creation of new and more
affordable products that consumers now wanted
and needed. Inventors like Thomas Edison and
other helped to revolutionize industry and make
the production of goods cheaper and more
efficient (Doc #3).
This innovation and revolution in
technology helped create tremendous economic
growth. By 1890, investments in the Textile
industry had risen to one billion dollars (Doc
#4). The Iron and Steel industry had nearly one
billion dollars in investment as well (Doc #4).
The completion of the transcontinental
railroad allowed goods and people to move all
throughout the United States. The Bessemer
Steel Process helped make the production of
steel cheaper and more efficient and allowed for
the completion of the Transcontinental Railroad
in 1869 (Doc #1). This time period produced
tremendous economic growth and the greatest
accumulation of wealth in human history.
Unfortunately, with such tremendous
economic growth came growing pains. Little
regulation of business and industry created a
situation where there were few rules created to
protect American workers. Many businesses
and employers took advantage of their
employees by providing them with low pay,
long hours, and unsafe working conditions.
Most horrific of these abuses was the use of
child labor in many factories. Children were
often employed because they could be paid
minimal amounts and their smaller bodies and
body parts allowed them to fit into machinery to
fix them when they broke down (Doc #5).
Thankfully, future generations, such as the
Progressives, fought against these injustices and
created rules and laws against child labor and
other abuses.
Conclusion
While abuses of workers and unethical
business practices were a part of this age, the
overall effect was positive. The Industrial age
created the nation with the greatest standard of
living in human history. Investment in
expanding industries helped to foster economic
growth. New technologies and new industries
created products that Americans needed and
wanted. This expansion led to a standard of
living that separates us from the rest of the world
still today.