Both the North and the South of the United States had undergone major social change as a result of the Civil War. The economic, social, and political impacts of the industrial revolution paved the way for the development of the contemporary industrial society we live in today.
Between 1865 and 1920, there was a large amount of migration, particularly rural-urban migration. This was the case as a result of businesses and groups being established (O'Hara, 2008).
Due to the high number of people working at a variety of respectable jobs, making good wages and subsequently paying taxes, the government saw high levels of revenue. Politics – the federal and the state government offered government tenders, provided large pieces of land and gave contracts to their supporters who partnered them during the political period, best friends, and families all in the aim of returning political favors (Industrialization and Reform, 2014).
Specific groups that were affected by industrialization
Southern Blacks
Continued Discrimination among individuals from black community
Continued to work farmland instead of being allowed to obtain factory work (O'Hara, 2008).
Farmers
Agricultural work all but disappeared in the North
“King Cotton” created the wealthy 1% (Industrialization and Reform, 2014).
Native Americans
They were stripped of their land
The Ghost Dance and the Sioux Massacre
Women Factory Workers
The effects of women now working outside the home
The treatment of these women by factory owners and managers
Children
The effects of children working in coal mines
What was education like or how important was it to working children and their parents
Ways That Industrialization Affected the Life of the Average Working
Housing - Tenement housing cropped up in major cities where factory work became the new opportunity. With this type of housing, many issues began to arise.
Transportation - Passenger and cargo Railroads and even the emergence of early model automobiles made the scene during this period (Schultz, 2013).
Health - Tenement housing and lack of proper sewage disposal caused major health issues
Entertainment - Vaudeville and saloons were once the major sources of entertainment. Amusement parks, baseball, etc. began to provide more suitable and family-friendly forms.
Child Labor - More and more children were needed for cheap labor, which in my opinion was one of the biggest negative effects of industrialization.
References
Industrialization and Reform. (2014). Retrieved from The USAonline.com: http://www.theusaonline.com/history/industrialization.htm
O'Hara, J. (2008). The Gilded Age and the Supreme Court. Journal of Supreme Court History, 33.
Schultz, K. M. (2013). US History since 1865 Volume II. Mason: Cengage Learning.
