How Did The Second Industrial Revolution Affect America

In the years leading up to the 2nd Industrial Revolution Americans saw major expansion into western territories. From the annexation of Texas in 1845 to the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo in 1848 the increase in American land inspired new ideas for the future of American society. The advancement of the American system of transportation during the 2nd Industrial Revolution allowed goods, people, and ideas to travel further and faster. This allowed for previously isolated communities to influence American culture in the central and booming cities as well as affect the way American society was able to import and export goods. Also during the 2nd Industrial Revolution “industrial giants” emerged and controlled the market industries of coal, oil, steel

Railroads created an inexpensive way to transport materials. 75,000 miles of track were laid in the 1880’s. The railroads with their steam engines quickly replaced animals and humans as a means of transportation because of their efficiency. Steam engines moved trains and connected small towns and sometimes isolated communities to larger cities connecting people with one another as well as goods. America was no longer alone, it was in a sense a new way of globalization. This interconnection helped to grow American at an incredible speed. However, in 1893 this interconnection would cause the very swift collapse of our financial systems and then throw us into a period known as the Great Depression. America eventually recovered and still worked on being part of the world at large to insure its

Things happened faster because of the railroad system, goods and news traveled much faster and work production was faster. Thus, working hours began to change and increase with the invention of the electrical power. This pace continued after America recovered from the Great Depression. In 2017 the pace can be unrelenting with further advances in technologies. We are constantly on in some sense.

Rapid progress helped to create monopolies within the steel and oil industry. American farmers were upset with this and how the federal government lacked oversight. They formed a powerful movement which later became known as Populism. Several of these organized farmer groups tried to have laws passed to regulate railroad rates and practices. The Grangers were one of these groups. Granger’s Law was in effect to control the railroad companies through strict regulations. However, the Granger group lost their power and the courts eventually weakened the law over time, which proved unfortunate later.

In 1893 the Philadelphia and Reading Railroad and National Cordage Company went bankrupt. Their bankruptcy caused the financial market to collapse because everything was now interconnected; investors, banks, other companies which caused many other businesses to