How Did The Second Industrial Revolution Affect The Development Of The United States

The Second Industrial Revolution occurred between the late 1800s to early 1900s. During this time period, the country went through a lot of economic growth and technological advancements. These advancements have helped shape the United States’ economy. The Industrial Revolution transformed the U.S. into a modern industrial economy and improved living standards, with railroads connecting markets, factories producing goods on a large scale, and influential industrialists impacting society (Rafferty and Zelazko). However, this eventually produced adverse outcomes for the United States. The Second Industrial Revolution negatively affected the development of the United States because it brought about government corruption, poverty, and social inequality.

The senators can be seen underneath them, drawn small and scrambling. The entrance for the people is closed and it is placed high on the wall in the corner of the room. The big men are drawn as money bags to symbolize the business tycoons who were very powerful and wealthy during this time period. They are positioned over the Senators to show the high influence and power they have over them and the laws. The door to the people that is inaccessible shows that the people have no influence. The wealth of the tycoons “helped turn the U.S. Senate into a millionaire club” (Summers). The officials’ greed for money led to the government being corrupted. In addition, poverty was an unpleasant outcome of the Second Industrial Revolution. The owners of factories and businesses made a lot of profit at this

They were treated very poorly during this time period. Most of the working class lived in tenements with the least they could afford. These tenements were crowded, unsafe, and disease-ridden. The wealthy became richer and richer, while nearly all of the working class lived below poverty level (“Gilded Age”). “In 1890, 11 million of the nation’s 12 million families (92%) lived below the poverty line. Tenements teemed with an unlikely combination of rural families and immigrants who came into urban areas, took low-paying jobs, and lived in abject poverty” (Probasco). This was a great contributor to poverty during this time. The majority of them were stuck in an endless cycle of poverty. Henry George, an economist, believes, “Political liberty, when the equal right to land is denied, becomes, as population increases and invention goes on, merely the liberty to compete for employment at starvation wages” (George). He argues that without equality, people will just The working class have to work harder in order to survive. The very low income and unhealthy living conditions aided in widespread poverty in the United States during the Second Industrial