Post-Civil War industrialization and American urbanization, 1865-1900

Industrialization of American following the Civil War had a profound effect on almost all aspects of American society. The failed of Reconstruction all but condemned the South to economic backwardness and social strife. The expansion into the West contributed to the decimation of Native Americans, but allowed for the nation to coalesce into its modern form. In the east, industrialization reshaped the cities, the government's approach to business and society, and laid the foundations for the country to become a world economic superpower with size and scope of industry, fueled by oil and immigration.

Major Aspect of Industrialization

Industrialization after the Civil War influenced the U.S. In many different ways. The social geography of America changed significantly during that era, as a result of shifting employment patterns. Railroads facilitated the spread of American industry westward, as the growth of railroads allowed for communities in the West to have access to more markets -- the West was no longer remote. This in turn fostered the growth of larger cities all across the nation. The old pattern of small stores, and craftsmen producing goods on a small scale allowed for smaller communities to exist and thrive. With larger factories and railroads, the scale of cities began to match the scale of production. The large factories existed because technology allowed for it, because they were more profitable, and because railroads opened more markets. But larger factories needed hundreds if not thousands of workers, and this gave rise to many of America's large cities. Before this era, there was little urbanization in America, just in a handful of centers on the Eastern Seaboard. Industrialization fostered the growth of major cities across the country, as towns arose from major factories. This represented a major change in America's social life, sparking the era of urbanization that continues to this day.

Politics were also changed. The massive reorganization of society represented by industrialization resulted in shifting political priorities as well, to match the direction of society's changes. Schultz notes that politicians began to emphasize big business, as that body represented the largest concentration of wealth in society. This meant not only a shift away from the Reconstruction priority of the status of African-Americans but a shift away from the needs of ordinary Americans as well. Politics began increasing corrupt during this period as well, and laws passed reflected the needs mainly of big business, until a backlash occurred in the early 20th century.

Social organization was another aspect of industrialization that changed during the industrialization of America. The Populist Party emerged to defend the interests of farmers, other politicians rallied new immigrants, and labor unions began to emerge in the latter part of the 19th century. The result of these changes would set the stage for the social power dynamic in America for most of the next 100 years. These movements all arose in response to political corruption and the growing influence of big business, and would eventually coalesce into powerful movements that shifted power back away from big business in a meaningful way. Laws would eventually be passed regarding both labor and consumer protections, allowing American governance and society to take on a look more familiar today.

Working Americans

Working Americans were more likely to work in a factory under dangerous conditions. They lost the dignity in their work -- they were not longer artisans but merely cogs in somebody else's machine. They were more likely to live in tenements -- urban living conditions during industrialization were terrible. Children were increasingly pressed into hard labor during this period, as wages were so low that the entire family would have to work. One change that was more positive for workers was the rise of suburbs, allowing better trained or educated workers to escape the tenements, and there was a proliferation of entertainment during this era as well, including sports, fuelled by the economies of scale allowed for by cities. Such escapes found enthusiastic audience with people who otherwise had nothing but work or drink to live for.

Social Aspects

The heritage of slavery held back economic development in the South, because there was reluctant to raise wages for blacks, and this left businesses there with smaller markets. Ongoing social unrest is a legacy of slavery in the South to this day. Reconstruction was a truncated effort in this regard. There was some overhaul of laws regarding the rights of African-Americans, and attempts to rebuild the South, but Southern resistance to these plans and growing northern disinterest left Reconstruction a half-finished project. The ongoing segregation not only left the South economically stunted but created social problems that are ongoing to this day in America, and hold the country back.

Turning Points

There were several major turning points in American history after the Civil War. During the earlier years after the war, there was the reintegration of the South into the Union, a gradual process that was eventually completed. As noted, Reconstruction itself was never completed and the abandonment of Reconstruction is one of the biggest turning points in American history. Two industrial developments stand out. The first is the development of the railroad and the second the discovery of oil (and subsequent development of the automobile). These two developments sparked the industrialization of American and spurred the different changes noted in this essay. Arguably, a major social change occurred with the backlash to industrialization and corruption -- put together the creation of the AFL, the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory Fire and other incidents led to the rise of the 20th century labor-business dynamic that presided over the greatest economic expansion in the nation's history.

Government Policies

Government policies during this era were interesting, because they were often poor. Reconstruction was a noble effort, but suffered a lack of northern enthusiasm and from southern rejection. Jim Crow laws did nothing to help the state of race relations, further setting the country back socially and the South economically. Government policies during much of the era were so staunchly pro-business that social order suffered, and politicians became highly corrupt. Big business flourished, but many other groups suffered during this era.

Westward expansion is colored by this as well. The government encouraged the buildout of railroads and factories, and provided military assistance to settlers in the West. This opened up lands for them to farm and allowed for the development of cities in the West, but it also devastated the lives of the local Native Americans. Government policies of direct violence towards them resonate negative in Native American communities today. Only towards the end of this era, when government began to respond to citizen anger and tackle corruption, monopolies and other negative effects of industrialization, did the government mount a strong and intelligent response directed at building a better society.