Rapid industrialization during the Gilded Age affected the nation as a whole. The steady increase in population and industrialization lead to the creation of two different sects of the Common Man; the farmers and the industrialists. The farmers mainly gravitated out west due to events such as the California Gold Rush and the large amount of states joining the union. The industrialists worked on railroads and in factories created by corporations. Both the Common Man industrialist workers and farmers acted on industrialization by unionizing to fight against unfair treatment in workplace and by emphasizing the need for government regulation of the corporations. First, both sects of the common man acted on industrialization by unionizing to fight …show more content…
The industrialists often worked in the factories owned by large corporations, the first example of innovation found in factories is Henry Ford’s assembly line. The creation of the assembly line initiated quick mass production of products such as cars. Another example of industrial innovation is the Edison Electric Light Company, the ability to have light after sundown was a new concept for factory workers. This innovation lead to longer work days and larger production rates. A final example of industrially used innovation was the concept of Taylorism. Taylorism promoted economic efficiency and labor productivity. These new innovations were not as readily available to farmers due to their secluded lives on the western half of the country. Farmers instead made use of innovations such as the steel plow and dry farming. Dry farming was implemented due to the apparent climate differences found in the west. Old farming techniques once practiced on the east coast were no longer effective. Another innovation used by farmers was barbed wire. Barbed wire ended the era of open-range grazing and was a cost effective method of controlling livestock. Overall, the success of the common man was optimized through innovations used specifically for each