How Did Industrialization Change American Society

Without a doubt, industrialization was one of the biggest factors in how the United States developed. It gave us the means of mass production, better transportation, and eventually the consumerist society that the United States is today. Industrialization did drastically change American society, but did it change America for the better? Did it do more good than bad? While industrialization did lead to multiple social and economic problems, the advantages significantly outweigh the disadvantages. “If a [miner] escapes the gas, the floods, the ‘squeezes’ of falling rock, the cars shooting through the little tunnels, the precarious elevators, the hundred perils, there usually comes to him an attack of ‘miner’s asthma’ that slowly racks and

These workers faced dangers everyday and received little pay. At the same time, many other people also had more money and leisure time. Henry George’s book, Progress and Poverty, talks about this divide. “ It was as though an immense wedge were being forced, not underneath society, but through society. Those who are above the point of separation are elevated, but those who are below are crushed down” (Document 3). George is basically saying that during this period, the middle and upper classes experienced an increased standard of living, while the lower class faced a dramatic decrease in their standard of living. The overall situation of the lower class would soon get better, and thus I believe that industrialization did more good than bad. Industrialization did create many problems, especially for the lower class. Over time, however, things got better and ultimately, it created the America that we live in today. Industrialization led to the mass production of goods, consumerism, higher wages, more leisure time, and an increased standard of living for most. The United States of today would be a very different place if industrialization had never