Industrialization After the Civil War
Part 1
Industrialization after the civil war had far-reaching impact on the society, economy and politics in the United States. This is because it brought about many changes whose ramifications were felt in social context and issues, entrepreneurship and representation.
Part 2
Post Civil War industrialization was characterized by
- Social stratification,
- Political wealth and corruption
- Legislation
There were groups that were affected by the industrialization. These include:
- The ethnic minorities
- Farmers
- Migrant workers
- The wealthy and rich
- Women
The ethnic minorities continued to be excluded in political participation. They also experienced discrimination in employment and socio-economic life (Bensel, 2000). The farmers benefited from the agricultural machinery and farming techniques facilitated by industrialization. They however experienced low profits because of the middlemen involved in farm products. Immigrant workers experienced poor payments, they had poor living conditions and long working hours. The wealth business people gained from immigrants’ cheap labor. They also controlled means of production. The women on the other hand continued to be marginalized as privilege was accorded men. Women were underrepresented in employment rates (Reese, 2009).
Part 3
The Civil War witnessed massive changes in the social, economic and political environments of the United States. After the War, the US became more industrialized. For the periods between 1865 and 1920, the United States experienced changes that were both positive and negative. The vents that took place after the Civil War affected the social, economic and political facets in different ways. This paper shows how the aftermath of the Civil War impacted on American life. The discussion rests upon the acceptance of the fact that introduction of industries has ripple effects on the way people live in the social setting, their economic status and even political organization or representation. This is because the way industrialization is juxtaposed must be regulated by certain legislative measures.
It is important to look at the developments that took place in industrialization after the civil war in order to examine some of them contextually. Following the civil war, the US economy grew at unprecedented rate. Industrialization sparked growth and witnessed massive immigration to the US, technological innovation and increased number of people working in factories or industries. However, the industrial and economic growth was multi-faceted. On one hand, it raised the living standards of most Americans. It also made some products and services cheaper and reduced the cost of production. Industrialization also paved way and provided good an enabling environment for the US to advance militarily and its position as a world superpower. On the other hand, industrialization brought about social differences. The gap between the rich and the poor increased. Social stratification especially on the basis of race and ethnicity widened. While some people congregated in poor social and economic backgrounds, others were wealthy. In addition, industrialization and the subsequent growth brought about waves of corruption in many levels of government (Reese, 2009). Greed and accumulation of wealth characterized the political process. Under the patronage of the industrialization, there were untold environmental devastations. Industrialization after the Civil War thus had both positive and negative effects.
The industrialization that was experienced after the Civil War was a response to the social and economic devastations that had been perpetrated in the war (Bensel, 2000). It affected the political landscape and political process significantly. Political self-centeredness, accumulation of wealth and massive corruption was a major aspect of industrialization. Essentially, the elites benefited from the business boom that opened many opportunities for financial gain. Many leaders even in the political front acquired massive wealth and invested immensely for huge fortunes. The number of millionaires grew drastically as the output of industries and business worked in favor of the wealth investors and entrepreneurs. This aspect of industrialization after the Civil War however had impact on the integrity of leaders in the political process and business people. Business and political ethics declined significantly as the quest for wealth made individuals become increasingly corrupt. The Democratic and Republic Parties had already developed very strong political machines. The politicians in these political parties wooed the people and solicited votes by promising the people favors. Political leaders were strongly affiliated with business interests that formed most of their decision making.
The government was thus characterized by widespread corruption. For example, when Ulysses S. Grant became the President in 1869, members of his administration used their positions to benefit themselves through corrupt ways (Reese, 2009). They used government resources for their own financial gain. Corruption was not only felt at federal level but at state and local level of government. Representation also came to be the issue of how much a political leader addressed the business interests of the people, especially the wealth. Thus, only leaders who expressed and agitated for the financial and economic gain for wealthy people and corporations gained the support in representation.
Another important aspect of the Industrialization after the Civil War was the social aspect of stratification. After the Civil War, the burgeoning economic growth and employment opportunities saw the rise of increased immigration. The industrial environment necessitated the need for labor force that was provided by both the Americans and immigrant workers. The social composition expanded as the society received people from different social and economic backgrounds. There were however, wide discrepancies and differences in the way the wealth distributed in the demographic set up. Industrialization led to the increased gap between the rich and the poor (Bensel, 2000). Factory workers who were mainly underprivileged were subjected to unfavorable working conditions, long workers hours, poor housing and declining meager earnings. They lived in crowded slums and much of their housing consisted of cheap apartment buildings- the tenements. This social environment bred crime, poor sanitation and vulnerability to various forms of diseases. Education levels and standards of the poor remained equally poor and low.
On the other hand the land owners, factory owners and wealthy business people were rich. Their lived in luxuriant places, afforded healthcare and education. Industrialization after the Civil War thus brought out wide social stratification between the haves and the have-nots. Certain groups were disadvantage while others were favored by the social system and structure. The nation of social class became common. The wealthy tended to be at the top of the class pyramid and there was explicit separation of classes.
The third aspect of industrialization after the Civil War was on legislation. There were seminal pieces of legislation that were influenced by the industrialization. Certain laws were made in response to the industrial and economic growth. For example, the Homestead Act of 1862 allowed the government to make grants of public land to farmers (Reese, 2009). In addition, the Pacific Railway Act allowed the federal government to grant private corporations in order to facilitate the construction of a transcontinental railroad (Reese, 2009). Enactment of laws and policies was thus an important aspect that characterized industrialization after the Civil War. This however, does not mean that there were no such legislations in the past. Nevertheless, in order to regulate industrial growth, certain specific legislations were made.
Certain groups were affected by the post Civil War industrialization. The immigrant workers for instance were affected by the industrial growth in many ways (Wiiliamson, 2008). Industrialization paved way for their entry to the United States as workers. In the hegemonic relations, the immigrant workers were on the receiving side. This is where they provided labor that was paid cheaply in farms and industries or factories. They experienced poor living conditions, education and were subjected to long working hours. Another group that was particularly affected by the industrialization consisted of the farmers. American farmers suffered hardships after the Civil War. Although advances in technology and industrialization facilitated availability of agricultural equipment and farming techniques, the farmers suffered because of the middlemen such as owners of mills, railways and gins. The middlemen between the farmers and the consumers deprived farmers of the profits earned from farm products.
The other group affected was the racial minority. The racial minorities consisted not only of the immigrant workers but also the racial groups that had been in the United States prior to and during the Civil War (Wiiliamson, 2008). The Civil War had partly been caused by the racial injustices in rights and liberties. After the Civil War, the ethnic minorities continued to suffer in social, economic and political independence and representation. They remained poor and marginalized and economic and political facets. They also continued to live in poverty and with no political representation. They also continued experiencing discrimination on the basis of race and ethnicity in employment.
Post Civil War Industrialization in the United States was akin to the second Industrial Revolution. After the Civil War, the US underwent massive industrial and economic growth. The American way of life changed- for better or worse. There were new cheap products and services for consumption. Despite the advantages, corruption, marginalization of the minorities and widening gap between the rich and the poor. While the Americans had to enjoy the blessings of the industrialization, they had to contend with the limitations. Although the living standards rose, it was not uniform for all people especially the underprivileged workers. Nevertheless, the life of the average working American during this period changed positively. Many people gained employment because of the new opportunities that the industries offered.
Reference
Top of Form
Bensel, R. F. (2000). The political economy of American industrialization, 1877-1900. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. Bottom of Form
Reese, J. (2009). Industrialization and the Transformation of American Life: A Brief Introduction. NY; M.E. Sharpe.
Williamson, J. (2008). Late Nineteenth-Century American Development: A General Equilibrium History. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
