Industrialization Dbq

Following the Civil War, the United States was made up of plentiful farms and few cities. In comparison to European countries, such as England, industrialization within the US was significantly slow, and the influx of Western settlers as well as the lack of available labor predicted the country would always stay rural. However, for the subsequent forty years, production and industrialization would surge, the labor force and population would increase, and the US would soon be known as the greatest industrial nation in the world. America’s huge industrial growth from 1860 to 1900 was a result of the Republican Party’s platform and the rise of efficient machinery. The main cause of increased industrial growth in America was the power of the Republican

This displays how with the help of Republican government, industries were thriving, and economic growth was sped up. With the number of Republican terms in office, their pro-industrialization and pro-business planks were acted on. As said in the Republican party platform of 1860, Republicans advocated for protective tariffs to help foreign trade and keep America secure, protected rights for immigrants, Congressional accommodation for water and harbor improvements for trading, and a transcontinental railroad to the Pacific Ocean provided by the Federal Government. These planks show how Republicans kept their focus on helping further industrialization within the US. Protective tariffs would allow the nation to make more money through foreign trade in a cheap, and safe way. Improvements for water and harbor trading as well as a transcontinental railroad would aid domestic markets and businesses within the US. Likely the most significant section of the Republican Party’s platform was its immigration policies. Prior to the industrialization era, businesses struggled due to a severe lack of

Following 1860, innovation thrived and more machines were built to speed up production without the need for excessive human labor. Prior to the Civil War, the main power sources in use were animals and humans. As industrialization increased, the prevalence of these two power sources significantly shifted. As proved by Document 5, society grew less dependent on human and animal power, switching to water and coal to fuel factories and machinery. In 1850, only 35% of industrial and agricultural power came from water and coal, but by 1900, that percentage had risen to 73%. The nation was moving more towards mechanical power, causing production and output to increase. These inventions of efficient machinery were a major advantage for employees, whose labor was now considerably decreased. According to a report made by English businessmen sent to study American industries in the 1850s “everything that could be done to reduce labour in the movement of materials from one point to another was adopted.” These reductions included lifting and carrying materials around, even from floor to floor. Since machines were being used for all of the rigorous parts of production, production was more efficient and cheap and not at the expense of the employees. That is how an increase in mechanical advances made industries more productive and sped up