Running head ASSIGNMENT 1.2 INDUSTRIALIZATION AFTER THE CIVIL WAR 1

Assignment 1.2: Industrialization after the Civil War Final Paper

Annette L. Belton-Amponsah History 105 Dr. Van Vleck May 31, 2014 After the end of the Civil War the United States set on a new course which was called the industrialized Revolution during 1865 through the 1920. There were many different type of innovations and new opportunities for growth after the Civil War that changed the country forever. Many of these innovations led to vast amount of new jobs for minorities and other Americans. The first major change was the vast expansion of the railroads. With the full weight of the Federal Government the railroads leapt from approximately 30,000 miles of track to more than 350,000. Railroads spanned the nation, making the movement of goods, products, reasonable and reliable. Also, many people moved north to live near cities where the rail roads were being run. The United States changed to the better after the Civil War and during the industrialization revolution era families sold their farms to move closer to city life. After the Civil War the use and breakthrough of petroleum was established in 1853, Professor Schulman of Yale University discovered Kerosene, was considered a “useless” by product of crude oil, a powerful illuminate. (Schultz, P294) They needed a leader in marketing and drilling for oil and that man was John D. Rockefeller. Since John D. Rockefeller was from New York, the northeast benefit from railroads and big oil during this period. The economy in the northeast was striving and people were happy. The third important innovation which is still felt in today’s society and that was the incandescent light bulb invented by Thomas Edison. After many years of various types of experimentation, Edison harnessed the power of electricity and transmitted bright light for extended periods of time. (Schultz, P295) Subsequently, the development of huge electrical power grids made this new form of energy reasonable enough to allow middle-class home-owners to purchase and companies to operate after sundown. Families were moving into city with electricity and were able to provide a better living for their families because they could work longer hours during the day. Because of the light bulb there was more outside activities and family gatherings. There were many groups that were affected by the industrialization and one of them were women and children. Women and children were working ten to twelve hours a day, six days a week. Employers kept searching for workers who would accept low pay, woman and children entered factories in increase numbers (Schultz, P299). It was not until President Theodore Roosevelt became president that he pushed through laws that would change children’s labor laws forever. Another group that was important during this time period was the establishment of several unions. One particular union was the American Federation of Labor (AFL), who along with other unions of their day fought and push for better wages and hours worked during the day. The third group that was affected by the industrialize revolutions was the black community. There were many laws that we passed to assist them in life. The Fifteenth Amendment prohibited any state from denying citizens the right to vote on the grounds of race, color, or previous condition of servitude (Schultz, P282). Blacks were elected to serve in state legislatures. In the state of South Carolina, where 60 percent African American lived, had a good portion serving in the legislation. The black community were able to move more freely, and able to secure better paying jobs in many areas of the country. In summary, the industrialization affected the average working American on a daily basis with many different types of innovations such as the light bulb, oil, railroads, and steel. Citizens were able to move around the country on railroads, and more frequent. This movement of citizens also allowed them to get better paying jobs for them to support their families and also better education for their children. Labor laws were changed because of the unions fighting for their citizens and President Theodore Roosevelt, who felt compel to help the middle class. Our strong politicians like TR put big businesses on notice with the enforcement of the Sherman Trust Act by breaking up monopolies. The Spanish-American War of 1898 forced the United States to take a more active global role at the turn of the century. Thus allowing the United States to make and ship products overseas more than before. Providing more jobs for Americans at home. The industrial revolution changed America and the world forever, it help make America what it is today a leader in the world. Women were allow to vote in the west and in territories. This movement spread across the country, thus allowing more freedom for women to do things they never did more. They started to have a voice in local governments and raising of a family. References:
Bjornlund, L., 2003. Women of the Suffrage Movement: MI: Thomson & Gale
Morris, E., 2001. Theodore Rex. New York: Random House.
Schultz, Kevin M. (2014) HIST: Volume 2: U.S. history since 1965 (3rd ed.)