Part 1: The Search Story:
The United States has seen many transitions throughout history based on the needs and resources available to the people. Based on the readings of chapter 4 two questions come to mind when thinking about industrialization in the United States. The first question is how did the United States change from an agricultural country to an industrial country? My second question was what were the positive and negative effects of the Industrial era in the United States? At the end of the 19th century, the United States transitioned from being an agricultural country to becoming an industrialized land. This transition had both positive and negative effects and impacts on the country. The positive effects were that for the first time in history the United States was able to become industrialized which caused massive economic growth and the creation of new jobs for the people. The negative effects many would say were that economic wealth and power was not distributed equally thus major industrialized businesses held major power. This transition impacted the country as a whole because it revolutionized culture and the style of living most people had during this time frame.
Industrialization of the United States occurred in the late 19th century to the early 20th century. New factories began being built due to the discovery of readily available natural resources. Many people started investing in building factories as they saw a profitable market. Once industrialization started happening across the country, it caused many people to move closer to the factories to find work. The people in agricultural communities were faced with hard times as the weather played a factor in their crop production and the loss of workers meant tougher labor. Factories offered people more opportunities within the cities. As new technology became available during this period it allowed people to easily travel across the country and it expanded the merchant trade. Railroads were built to offer people faster and safer transportation. An important technology feature during this time was the creation of the refrigerated railroad carts which revolutionized the meat market as the meats were able to last longer. The Industrial boom meant new hope for many as it opened up job opportunities to the people. People from all over the country tried their luck moving to the city and applying for these jobs. Those working in factories were mostly women and children working for minimum wage. According to the article Notes on Labor, 1875-1900, it states, “Most industrial workers put in 10hrs days/6 days per week at about $1.50 per day” (Digital History). This period offered new hope to the country but it also created a massive wealth gap as those that invested in factories saw an increase in their wealth. Meanwhile, the workers that put in the work were given minimum wage or less for a full day of work. This was the negative effect of the industrialization of the United States, no labor laws and unequal distribution of wealth.
Part 2: The Search Results:
I started with the link that the professor gave me on the padlet on the I-Search Paper Plans I found the “Teaching With Documents: Photographs of Lewis Hine: Documentation of Child Labor”, it talks about children under the age of 15 who worked in industrial factories and people like Lewis Hine who was against the use of children in factories. The use of child labor put into question many aspects of industrialization in the United States because it showed people that factory owners did not care about the children’s education but rather their profit. I was able to find my two primary sources by using Google to research terms. I also used two different websites, one came from a library of congress and the other one from a workbook/textbook. I researched and read around eight to ten sources and finally found my two primary sources. It took a lot of research and reading but I was able to find various sources that led me to support my ideas of the industrialization era in the United States.
The first primary source that I found was an online source called (Rise of Industrial American, 1876-1900, loc.gov). This primary source talks about how society changed during the American Industrial era by explaining how it began. It also discusses how new technology was invented during this time. This first primary source helped me answer the first question, by reading how the Industrialization of the United States occurred and what progressed during that period.
The second primary source that I found was another online source called (Social Effects of the Industrial Revolution (1800-1920), lcps.org). This primary source talks about the positive and negative effects on society of the United States during this time. It also discusses labor unions that came together to enforce factory owners to provide workers with fair treatment and better working conditions. The second primary source helped me answer the second question, informing me the working conditions at the time and the workers rights that people did not have. It also made me realize why labor unions are important now as they fight to establish these same principles.
The first source that I found was (Rise of Industrial America, 1876-1900, loc.gov). This source helped me answer my first question which was how did the United States change from an agricultural community to an industrial country. The source states, “In the decades following the Civil War, the United States emerged as an industrial giant. Old industries expanded and many new ones, including petroleum refining, steel manufacturing and electrical power emerged. Railroads expanded significantly, bringing even remote parts of the country into a national market economy” (Library of Congress). This quote shows how the United States became an industrial country by industrial and railroad expansion to transport and sell all finished goods to remote places. In another quote, it states, “Meanwhile, farmers also faced hard times as technology and increasing production led to more competition and fall prices for farm products. Hard times on farms led many young people to move to the city in search of better job opportunities” (Library of Congress). This quote explains how farming communities were facing very hard times due to technology and an increase in production which caused farm product prices to go down. This caused many farm workers to leave their communities to find jobs in the city.
My second online source was (Social Effects of the Industrial Revolution (1800-1920), lcps.org). This source helped me answer my second question which was: what were the positive and negative effects of the Industrial era in the United States? The source states, “Among those was an increase in wealth, the production of goods, and standard of living. People had access to healthier diets, better housing, and cheaper goods. Education increased during the Industrial Revolution. Due in part to Edward Jenner’s invention of the smallpox vaccine and Louis Pasteur’s discovery of bacteria, health care increased, and began to live longer” (Social Effects of the Industrial Revolution (1800-1920). This quote demonstrates a pro of industrialization in the United States. The Industrial revolution in the United States helped the average person to live a better life, and provided them with better living conditions than before. However there were some negative effects from industrialization in the United States the same source states, “The Industrial Revolution created a great deal of change in society. A major change was the shift from work being done at home by hand in cottages to work being done in the factories. There were harsh and unsafe working conditions in these early factories. The machines posed a significant threat to worker’s lives. Even more deadly was work performed in coal mines. Owners of mines and factories had considerable control over the lives of laborers who worked long hours for low pay. An average worker would work 14 hours a day, six days a week. Fearful of losing their jobs, workers would typically not complain about the horrible working conditions and low pay. Owners realized that they could pay women and children less than men. Child labor increased because it kept the costs of production low and the profits high. As a result, the working class lived in poverty, while the bosses who made up the middle class grew wealthy” (Social Effects of the Industrial Revolution (1800-1920). This quote explains how in the early years of industrialization in the United States, workers from most industries worked under poor working conditions and worked an excessive amount of hours six days per week but were paid less for the products they produced. Women and children were put to work because they kept production costs down as they earned significantly less and helped make owners more profits. This is why the United States had both positive and negative effects when it became industrialized.
The third source I found,(Teaching With Documents: Photographs of Lewis Hine: Documentation of Child Labor, archives.gov) goes into more detail about the negative effects of industrialization in the United States. In this source it states, “After the Civil War, the availability of natural resources, new inventions, and a receptive marked combined to fuel an industrial boom. The demand for labor grew, and in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, many children were drawn into the labor force. Factory wages were so low that children often had to work to help support their families. The number of children under the age of 15 who worked in industrial jobs for wages climbed from 1.5 million in 1890 to 2 million in 1910. Businesses liked to hire children because they worked in unskilled jobs for lower wages than adults, and their small hands made them more adept at handing small parts and tools. Children were seen as part of the family economy. Immigrants and rural migrants often sent their children to work or worked alongside them. However, child laborers barely experienced their youth. Going to school to prepare for a better future was an opportunity these underage workers rarely enjoyed. As children worked in industrial setting, they began to develop serious health problems. Many child laborers were underweight. Some suffered from stunted growth and curvature of the spine. They developed diseases related to their work environment, such as tuberculosis and bronchitis for those who worked in coal mines or cotton mills. They faced high accident rates due to physical and mental fatigue caused by hard work and long hours” (National Archives). This quote helped me understand the negative effects of industrialization in the United States by going into detail about child labor that occurred during this time. The working conditions were very poor and owners usually preferred to hire children as they kept profit high due to low cost wages. It also talks about the negative effects of children going to work in factories which meant having no time to get an education, developing health problems, and getting diseases from the workplace.
Part 3: Reflecting on My Research Question:
From the topic that I researched, I learned that the industrialization of the United States had both positive and negative effects on the people that lived during that time. I learned from my historical research that many factors caused the industrialization of the United States to happen. The research process changed my understanding of the topic by helping me better understand how the people during that time were affected by the industrialization of the country. While I was doing my research, it did not change my questions that I made before doing my research. The research that I did however, was able to answer my questions and give me a better view as to what life was like during this time period.
The primary sources I found helped me answer my research questions by helping me understand more about the period. The first question was how did the United States change from a farming community to an industrial country? Many factors like natural resources, factories being built, workers moving from the farming community to live in the cities, new technology, and better living conditions for the people revolutionized the industrial era. My second question was what were the positive and negative effects of industrialization of the United States? The positive effect was that the United States could produce products faster and cheaper, work was wage income based, and there were better living conditions. It however did have some negative effects by giving one person more wealth and power, usually the owners of the factory, gained most of the profits while the working-class had to work more hours but were paid less. It also made a wider gap between the rich and the poor, workers were paid less and there were poor working conditions. It is the same question I started with because I wanted to learn a little bit more about the industry in the United States.
Sources:
First Primary Source:(Rise of Industrial America, 1876-1900, loc.gov):
Second Primary Source: Social Effects of the Industrial Revolution (1800-1920):
(Teaching With Documents: Photographs of Lewis Hine: Documentation of Child Labor, archives.gov):
https://www.archives.gov/education/lessons/hine-photos
(Digital History), Notes on Labor, 1875-1900. (n.d.). Retrieved November 14, 2020, from http://claver.gprep.org/sjochs/labor.htm
Hi Roberto! You've definitely got a clear engagement here with the pros/cons of industrialization. It is so helpful to keep in mind how broader changes in the American landscape/demographics/economy have an impact on individual American people. Especially those people who are physically building that change. @Emily Nguyen 's suggestion above about the Memory Palace podcast episode is helpful. This episode does a similar thing--puts the larger contextual change into fine detail by exploring the experiences of the men who built the Brooklyn Bridge.