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Industrialization after U.S. Civil War
AMERICAN INDUSTRIALIZATION AFTER THE U.S. CIVIL WAR (1865-1920)
It is a truism that large-scale warfare tends to increase industrial production and innovation, and that societies benefit from this industrialization after the war is over. In America, the Civil War was followed by the economic prosperity of the Gilded Age -- I would like to argue that the chief effect of this prosperity was to cause new conflicts in American society, which had to be settled by reform rather than Civil War. This is in some ways a counterintuitive argument, when in 2014 many have been conditioned to believe that a prosperous economy benefits everyone, when (in the words of the old cliche) a rising tide lifts all boats. But did the booming economy of America between the end of the Civil War and the onset of the First World War actually benefit child laborers or former slaves? Was it even a booming economy or was it the sort of false facade of prosperity that we are familiar from the moments before the 2008 economic crisis? A closer examination of the period following the civil war -- with a focus on exploitative labor practices, economic inequality, and economic instability -- will demonstrate that the Gilded Age actually increased societal conflict, and led...
But America in the nineteenth century had very different ideas in what constituted fair or acceptable treatment for the labor force. The most obvious way in which to observe this would be in the permissibility of child labor. American culture was fascinated by child labor in the period immediately following the Civil War, as can be seen in the unbelievable popularity of Horatio Alger's novels in this period, beginning with the publication of Ragged Dick in 1867 and surviving Alger's death in 1899. Alger's novels all basically had the same plot, which is described as "rags to riches" -- a young person, usually a poor orphan, begins work at the most menial occupation but manages to rise to bourgeois respectability through hard work and virtuous behavior. Ragged Dick himself shines the shoes of wealthy businessmen, who offer him platitudes like this, in the novel's eleventh chapter:
"I believe he is a good boy," said Mr. Whitney. "I hope, my lad, you will prosper and rise in the world. You know in this free country poverty in early life is no bar to a man's advancement. I haven't risen very high myself," he added, with a smile, "but have met with…
Civil War Historians have long puzzled over the contradictions within Abraham Lincoln's Emancipation Proclamation. As a statement of general principle it seems compromised by Lincoln's refusal to extend manumission to slaves within those border states which permitted slavery but which had remained within the Union at the onset of hostilities: Missouri, Kentucky, Delaware and Maryland. This central contradiction was observed at the time; Evans notes that some Abolitionists claimed it was
Civil War began, some ardent defenders of slavery -- like George FitzHugh, author of the notorious 1857 polemic Cannibals All!, or Slaves Without Masters -- argued that the abolition of slavery would result in something worse: the spread of the industrial-style market capitalism of the North. We do not have to agree with FitzHugh's belief that this industrialization would be worse than slavery in order to realize that, in many
Robert E. Lee was also an important general responsible for commanding the Northern Virginia regiment of the confederate army. Lee was interesting in that even though he was a confederate commander he was believed be against slavery. Lincoln's beliefs about America are forever engrained on the national psyche. Speeches such as the Gettysburg Address are still quoted and reflects the intent of the founding fathers. The Gettysburg Address states, "Four
19th c. Post-War American Industrialization THESIS STATEMENT AND OUTLINE FOR A PAPER ON AMERICAN INDUSTRIALIZATION AFTER THE U.S. CIVIL WAR (1865-1920) It is a truism that large-scale warfare tends to increase industrial production and innovation, and that societies benefit from this industrialization after the war is over. In America, the Civil War was followed by the economic prosperity of the Gilded Age -- I would like to argue that the chief effect
Civil War The beginning of the nineteenth century marked a period of reform and social changes in Europe and the young American state that was triggered and partly encouraged by the new era of industrialization. The transfer from agrarian to industrial societies changed people's lives and offered new perspectives for those concerned for the well being of the society as a whole. The widening gap between the American North and South
Industrialization After the Civil War Introduce your paper with your previously crafted thesis statement. After the Civil War, the United States became a much-industrialized society. The country was characterized by several industrial developments. More investments were put on establishing industries that could facilitate the production capacity of the country. Key policies were laid to drive the growth of industries in many of the sectors leading to the growth of industrialization in the