Recommended: Class separation in the 19th century
The bourgeoisie worked in higher business positions while the proletariat were mostly factory workers. In general the working classes of the industrial revolution earned their money, only the wealthy upper class inherited their
The late 19th century witnessed the birth and development of a variety of businesses that eventually achieved monopoly and influenced national politics. The robber barons in industries such as railroad, steel production, and oil became the richest citizens during the “Gilded Age” and caused widespread hatred among the poor. The prevalence of big businesses significantly increased wealth gap, enhanced industrial production, and promoted a laissez-faire government; meanwhile, the oppressed groups of Americans, including most notably farmers and factory workers, started to organize against the efficient yet extremely polarized society. Both economy and politics were revolutionized in the late 19th century as a result of the newly established
POLITICAL - by keeping the social classes, in continued the trend with political involvement: the higher social classes had more say in the government in comparison to the lower classes. Reduced interdependence of classes by splitting them into sections; now if one class in one group failed, only a portion of the other classes would suffer. Took away some Unitarian power and implemented a diluted form of Federalism. This would disappear after lines between classes blurred and eventually ceased to exist at all, near the end of the 19th century to the beginning of the
The late 19th century and early 20th century brought significant effects on U.S. society. Generally technological advancements were developing, and corporations were being established. At the beginning of this movement, America was benefitting well until these situations developed further. Overtime, Americans gave their opinions and formed unions, organizations, and even a party in these times. As a result, the Industrialization on America impacted The United States significantly.
As industry exponentially grew after the Civil War, the need for labor and materials to power newly-created manufacturing giants caused new social classes to form: the rich corporation owners and the poor laborers. Unfathomably rich Robber Barons, or plutocratic American Capitalists, dominated the economy and industry and profited from the slave-like work of millions of poor laborers during this time period. Moreover, the poor working class and the rich further divided by distribution of wealth. Therefore, exploitation of capitalism widened the gap between the rich and poor classes of America, and both newly-formed classes developed reasons for the change.
Reconstruction- created race conflict in all aspects of American society Both in the North and South The Gilded Age- separation of the classes began to emerge wealthy elite rose above the working class and artificially suppressing worker wages Social Darwinism and Herbert Spencer- the application of Darwin’s theory of evolution to socioeconomics by Spencer created a sense that lower classes were “unfit” Survival of the fittest World War I- following the disillusionment of WWI, a fear of outsiders rose Harding: “Return to Normalcy”
The Industrial Revolution also had an impact on the social classes. It created a new middle class, and this class consisted of businessmen, factory owners, doctors, and lawyers. The men had the right to vote, and they also built factories and bought machines. The middle class grew in wealth, and it became as powerful and rich as the upper class. Once the middle class emerged, it disrupted the extreme nature of the typical American social class system.
From 1865 to 1900, the rise of Industrial America occurred. In this time period, the railroad system was developed, new job opportunities sprung up left and right, and the American dream changed. Although the American society’s economy and standard of living seemed to prosper, it also allowed laborers’ lives to crumble,strikes occurred, children were left uneducated and forced to work in order to help support their families, and forced those families to get accustomed to squalid living conditions and hazardous working environments. The social classes developed.
Living conditions differed dramatically between the working class and the middle class. The middle class’s living quarters were in much better shape than the working class. There was no need to worry about dirty water, space, or affording housing. They often lived in large houses that were fully furnished with lots of space. Since the middle class primarily owned factories they had large amounts of revenue pouring in, allowing them to live extremely luxurious lives.
Political machines, labor injustices, and unethical business actions ravaged the government. These actions of society created the upper and lower class. By the late 19th century, the economic difference between these classes was immense. Which is why in the Gilded Age, 70 percent of children age 5 to 18 were actively going to school. Historically oppressed Americans, the poor, female, and nonwhite, began to understand the impact education should have on their lives (The Gilded Age).
During the late nineteenth century, inequality was at its finest. Disagreements from unrightful decisions made by the government set off strikes, reforms and protests, which accelerated changes, all over the country. Oppression of farmers and wage workers hit hardest, as government decisions and how the country was running seemed to affect them the most. Gilded age farmers and workers demanded correct wages, the expansion of power of the government, and to nationalize various systems in the best interests of the people. Various interest groups were created, and aimed to gain popularity but were not successful enough to make a change.
The progressive reformers were mostly middle class families during the early 19 hundreds. These reformers believed that every kid had the right to childhood so that they could develop into well rounded functioning adults. The middle class focused mostly on the poor who tended to be immigrants whose kids did not get to live in ideal situations. During this time the middle class had less kids which gave the kids more space in a figurative and literal sense and allowed them to have more resources from their parents and more time to pursue their interests. The poor classes did not have less kids, and they were forced to live in small apartments that were crowded and had poor air ventilation and septic system that lead to an increase in disease.
By 1890, ⅔ of labor were on wages rather than farming (lecture, February 6). The rise of corporations and manufacturing labor forces are mentioned, but there is nothing about the difference in social class. The only class that gets any acknowledgement is the middle class to assure people that America is a middle class country (Loewen, 206). Textbooks glorified the act of social mobility and made it seem very possible. Immigrants made up the majority of labor forces which had no labor laws for their cheap labor.
This industrial revolution brought many changes in social life and economics in the early 19th century and 20th century. New innovations helped advance us into the next era
When I think of medicine, two things come to mind. The first is, leave the world a better place than the way you found it. The second is, make the world a better place. Of course, a majority of people might claim that they want to make the world a better place, but are they really willing to put in the time and effort that is necessary in doing so? Like all things worth having, a medical career requires determination, motivation, and long hours spent becoming an expert in the field.
