blog




  • Essay / The negative effects of industrialization on American society

    During the period 1865 to 1900, the United States became the leading industrial and international power in the world. The United States had many important raw materials for industrialization, such as copper, oil, and coal. Hundreds of thousands of immigrants from northern and western Europe with high levels of literacy and job skills easily integrated into rural American society and contributed to the nation's growth. Additionally, government policies supported and protected large businesses by protecting private property, supporting manufacturers with protective tariffs, and subsidizing railroads with loans and land grants. This period, often called the "Second Industrial Revolution", is referred to as the "Golden Age" due to its rapid economic growth and increase in wealth, but also the numerous social conflicts involving the working class. Although the United States as a whole became a leading industrial power, industrialization also had many negative consequences. Industrialization had negative effects on American society in the years 1865 to 1900 due to the formation of unions and strikes, political corruption via monopolistic practices, and the deterioration of living conditions for the working class. Say no to plagiarism. Get a Custom Essay on “Why Violent Video Games Should Not Be Banned”?Get Original Essay Industrialization had negative effects on American society due to the formation of unions, strikes, and parties. Document 6 is written by Samuel Gompers, founder of the American Federation of Labor, union representative and critic of manufacturers who did not treat workers with respect or justice. He addresses the International Labor Congress in Chicago regarding the industrial system's abuses of workers and demands better working conditions. The year 1893 was just a year after the Homestead Strike, when workers felt they had the right to make demands by forming unions to assert their needs in the face of their abusive working conditions. Because of the arduousness and danger of their jobs, workers formed unions such as the American Federation of Labor and advocated for higher wages, shorter work hours, and better working conditions. In Document 5, political organizers, the Populists, or People's Party, attempt to convince the public to support the Populist Party. Populists criticized the effects of industrialization and supported the working class. The concentration of economic power in the hands of monopolists and bankers dominated the American economy, and so farmers felt the need to form their own political party. In 1890, agrarian discontent in the South and West led to Republican setbacks in the 1892 elections, and delegates from the Southern and Western states met in Omaha, Nebraska, to nominate candidates for office. new populist party. At the platform, they said that if people supported the party, they would work to expand the government to meet the needs of the people and justify injustice. In Document 2, David A. Wells, an engineer and economist, points out that industrialization has had a negative impact on workers and warns the public that industrialization poses a threat to workers. He claims that factory manufacturing has destroyed the individualism, independence and pride ofworkers in their jobs, because they are only ordered to do one specific job. In large manufacturing plants, skilled workers in industrial mechanization were easily replaced by unskilled workers, which caused unrest among the workers. This is one of the factors that led to industrial unrest and strikes. Therefore, the industrialization of manufacturing plants had negative effects on many workers by taking away their independence and leading to the formation of unions. Papers 6, 5, and 2 conclude that during industrialization, large factories and corporations led to industrial unrest and horrible working conditions for workers, which led to the formation of unions , strikes and parties. These have been detrimental to society as they have led to many deaths and violence. For example, the Knights of Labor, the first national labor organization, was established in 1869 in Philadelphia under the leadership of Uriah S. Stephens. By the time Terence Powderly took over, membership stood at 700,000. They wanted to protect workers from retaliation and advocated for an eight-hour workday, the abolition of child labor, better working conditions and higher wages. His strike at Haymarket Square resulted in a bomb that killed several police officers, and another strike on the McCormick Harvester Company also resulted in deaths. Industrialization also had negative effects on the American economy because of political corruption caused by monopolistic practices. In Document 3, Joseph Keppler illustrates to the general public that industrial trusts dominated commerce and were superior to senators. At that time (1889), senators were appointed by party leaders, often controlled by monopolists. Keppler was critical and concerned about the effect of such industrial control and the fact that too many trusts blocked the people's entry into the Senate. Business interests caused political corruption in the Gilded Age by allowing industrial trusts to dominate government. In Document 7, George Rice speaks in the voice of an ordinary man and a failed businessman who was driven out by Rockefeller's Standard Oil. He warns other companies about Rockefeller's colossal corporation and claims that Rockefeller imposed discriminatory tariffs and privileges. By 1897, trusts often used this colossal combination to reduce competition from other companies by selling at lower prices in order to gain monopolies. There was unfair competition between small and large businesses, so large businesses, during industrialization, had negative effects on small businesses. In Document 4, Andrew Carnegie, a very wealthy man who had a monopoly in the steel business with Carnegie Steel, which produced more steel than all the factories in Britain, convinces the rich industrialists that the rich have need for philanthropy and “should produce the most beneficial results for the community.” He says that it is the duty of the rich to share their wealth for the public good and that the rich should be an example of their extravagance to the poor. Although he believed that industrialization had a positive impact on American society, he was a target of many union workers because he paid them low wages, refused to meet their needs, and failed to provide them with benefits. safe places for their work. . Documents 3, 7 and 4 show how issues and debates about industrialization are..