ipl-logo

The Causes Of The Second Industrial Revolution

910 Words4 Pages
bulb-icon

Recommended: Impact of railroads on the economy essay

As soon as the Civil War ended, America started to emerge as an industrial nation. It had become known as the Second Industrial Revolution which began in the mid-nineteenth century. This Second Industrial Revolution will lead to new technologies and new inventions. Industry revolutionized America because it helped inventors create technologies and inventions which will affect farmers, industrial workers, and women. In the 1800’s railroads will become one of the reasons why America was starting to revolutionize. The railroads determined whether your company would make or if it would break it. The only reason why the U.S. didn’t build their own railroads was because of the slavery issue. Finally, Congress gives the U.S. permission to have …show more content…

The problems that farmers had with this was a decrease in commodity prices due to overproduction and growing international competition for world markets. This left many farmers stuck in debt which made them increase the production of cotton so they could make more money. They all became a part of the Populist Party which represented small farmers, wage laborers, blacks and poor whites to fight against the greedy railroads, corporate monopolies, and corrupt politics. Industrial workers were working long hours and were paid low wages. Industrial workers responded to this by protesting, creating labor unions and striking. A hundred people had died and millions of dollars in property were destroyed during the Great Railroad Strike of 1877. Labor unions were then formed, like the National Labor Union and Knights of Labor. Both promised the ideas such as an 8 hour work day, worker cooperatives, greenbackism, and equal rights for women and African Americans. The Haymarket Affair grew indirectly from out of prolonged agitation for an eight hour day. The Homestead Strike of 1892 and the Pullman Strike of 1894 stalled the emerging industrial union movement. The IWW was designed as a big union with workers of both skilled and unskilled workers and their goal of ultimate destruction of government and its replacement by one big union. Before typewriters and telephones women had worked in unsafe and unsanitary working conditions. Due to industrialization many women were able to leave their homes and work independently. It allowed women to become a part of social activism and labor movements that began to change dangerous working conditions. It allowed women to make enough money to support their families if they had one and themselves. Because of typewriters and telephones now women could be secretaries or telephone

Show More
Related
60 Words | 1 Pages

America was left with an enormous problem after the civil war, thousands of unskilled people. But, through strategic decisions this would lead to tremendous industrial growth. Industrialization grew rapidly during the period of 1860-1900 as a result of a verity of factors .Technological advancements, monopolies, and political assistance would all contribute in making America one of the leading global powers.

Read More
138 Words | 1 Pages

Before the 1860s U.S. railroads were inefficient for big business to explode, and shipping goods wasn’t as easy before Cornelius Vanderbilt organized a steam ship company. He also controlled all lines of railroad linking New York to the Great Lakes. His strategy was to create a monopoly to gain wealth and power of all the effective railroad lines into one major company. He expressed competition and set unfair prices for the workers. The workers soon revolted and went on strike in 1877 due to the low pay and increase of work hours.

Read More
692 Words | 3 Pages

During the time between the Civil War and the end of World War I industrialization was a big part in the economic, social, and political development of the United States. All three developed the way they did as an effect of industrialization. Economically more money was made from more manufactured goods. Socially living conditions became different. Politically more laws were passed to address problems.

Read More
386 Words | 2 Pages

The homestead strike can be linked to the failure of the creation of a working class in America, but made the federal government aware of the need to intervene in labor disputes. Presently in America, there a limited unions and people tend to work as

Read More
988 Words | 4 Pages

Factories were paying far too little for someone to feed their whole family for that little, so many either would die or would turn to crime to survive; these laborers wanted equality. Men, women, and children were working and got employed in factories to work, and the dangerous and strenuous labor that children were put through to help the family expense caused many young children to die. Workers individually could not stop corporations, but collectively they could make an impact on their wages. The corporations eventually had to succumb to the pressure of labor supplies because the National Trade Union convinced the majority of the labor force to work from 12 hours a day to 10 hours. After the labor unions won, workers worked less, and they still had the same salary.

Read More
1377 Words | 6 Pages

The United States saw a major change in the economy and how goods were moved in the country between 1865 and 1945. The ending of the American Civil War allowed American innovators to begin work on new inventions that would change the American economy. The substantial change was the industrialization of America. Development of electricity and new techniques opened job opportunities in industries across America. The United States began to mass produce steel that was able to be used in the construction of major cities, use railroads to expand into the western part of the United States, and the standardization of money, roads, railroads, and laws surrounding quality of life.

Read More
1292 Words | 6 Pages

In a time after the Civil War, when a transcontinental railroad was created connecting the East and West, people began to move and settle across the country, creating new urban cities and manufacturing hubs. It was because of the railroad that the Second Industrial Revolution and the Gilded Age took place which rapidly increased the manufacturing of products through the new machines in factories and the spread of ideas by the telegraph and railroad. It was in this context that many farmers, as well, began to move West and experience a loss in the prices of their crops. It is also in this context that many workers were forced to work long, laborious hours with little pay. Farmers responded to industrialization in the Gilded Age by forming organizations such as the Granger movement and the Farmers Alliance as well as creating the Populist Party.

Read More
1089 Words | 5 Pages

Labor strikes and riots were common during the time. Policies were put into place to prevent individuals from gaining this much power ever again. In todays’ modern Gilded Age loopholes have been exploited and the rich are becoming just as powerful as they have ever been. Individuals such as the Koch Brothers have taken up the plutocratic mantle, they “buy politicians” in order to further their agenda and business

Read More
1038 Words | 5 Pages

Profits for the farmers were getting smaller and smaller due to the increase in prices for the goods to be sold. These farmers believed in many different things- they believed in rules and regulations for the road (which included the fact that the government should control the railroad), lower tariffs, and that money should be based off of silver standard. For the industrial workers, their working conditions were not ideal. Each worker did not get paid nearly enough to support them and their families, even though they worked ten plus hour days, six days a week. Workers were not paid for sick days or injury.

Read More
558 Words | 3 Pages

The building of roads, canals and railroads played a large role in the United States during the 1800s. They served the purpose of connecting towns and settlements so that goods could be transported quickly and more efficiently. These goods could be transported fast, cheap and in safe way through the Erie Canal that was built to connect the Great Lakes to New York. Railroads were important during Civil War as well, because it helped in the transportation of goods, supplies and weapons when necessary. These new forms of transportation shaped the United States into the place that it is today.

Read More
821 Words | 4 Pages

The Tremendous Impact of Railroads on America In the late 19th century, railroads propelled America into an era of unprecedented growth, prosperity, and convenient transportation. Prior to the building of the railroads, America lacked the proper and rapid transportation to make traveling across the country economical or practical. Lengthy travel was often cumbersome, costly, and dangerous.

Read More
1420 Words | 6 Pages

Trains and railroads established a new wave of economic growth that hadn’t been seen before in the United States. Wages were now higher, goods were and still are produced better and more efficiently, and new markets are now open. Now in the modern day, there is a variety of job opportunities and career choices to choose from that have sprouted from the use of railroads. Especially with the transportation of goods now, businesses can now be quicker without a time restraint limit like there was before. Trains and railroads also pioneered the economy which is now seen as one of America’s successes.

Read More
1235 Words | 5 Pages

One way it helped the farmers was the invention of many new big machinery. Right after the civil war, there wasn’t a need for slave labor. Instead there was machinery made, that was

Read More
955 Words | 4 Pages

Industrialization after the Civil War One of the most remarkable consequences of the Civil war was the industrialization of the United States, which transformed the economy of the country. While certain industries, such as textiles and clock making saw industrialization during the first half of the nineteenth century, it was not until the Civil War that industrialization spread throughout America. The Civil War spurred the process of industrialization and encourages new production techniques that would have the greatest impact after the end of the war. Some of the significant reasons for the delay of industrialization of America after the Civil War were social, economic, political, geographic and legal reasons. The industrialization affected various groups of the society belonging to distinct races and ethnic backgrounds.

Read More
1383 Words | 6 Pages

Before it truly began, men and women were working inside of their household. When it started, women were put into factories and it changed their whole lifestyle. They were used to working in their house, cooking and cleaning and taking care of everyone. Women were always seen as less powerful than men which just enabled factory owners to take advantage from the start. They were used to doing jobs from the demands of others.

Read More

More about The Causes Of The Second Industrial Revolution

Related Topics

Open Document