The industrial revolution and its global impact

¶ … industrialization Civil War influenced U.S. society

Industrialization after the Civil War paved the way for modernizing the United States and giving it the status that it enjoyed for the majority of the 21st century -- that of a global superpower. It did so through the development of a robust economy built on manufacturing, which gave it both political and social clout throughout the world.

Three Major Aspects of Industrialization during 1865-1920

The continued development and completion of the railroad.

The emergence of the factory system and manufacturing industries (particularly steel).

Five Specific Groups Affected by Industrialization

Chinese Immigrants

These workers were brought on to assist with the completion of the railroad.

Their perceived debauchery led to the Exclusion Act of 1882 (Harvard, 2014).

B. African-Americans

These peoples migrated from the South to the North due to the manufacturing industries.

They were frequently used as strike breakers in labor disputes.

C. Children

1. Child labor became common in the early days of the manufacturing industry.

2. Children's conditions in these positions eventually led to laws against child labor.

D. Women

1. Women began to work outside of the home for the first time during the manufactory industry.

2. These jobs eventually led to the women's liberation and feminist movements.

E. Italians

1. Italian immigrants worked in mass in factories.

2. These people frequently had their own section of town in urban environments.

III. Five Ways That Industrialization Affected the life of the Average Working American

A. Most Americans were able to leave rural areas and lives based on the farm.

B. Most Americans were able to live in urban environments (Dublin, 1986, p. 623) and obtain factory work in cities.

C. Communication was greatly increased with inventions such as the telegraph and the telephone.

D. The melting pot motif was fully realized.