Assignment 1.1: Industrialization after the Civil War Thesis and Outline
Crystal Nix
Strayer University
May14 , 2015

The Industrial Revolution changed America in a major way. The Revolution affected government and people’s way of life as a whole. After the Civil War was the period of industrialization. It was the period where industrial cities were built, many jobs were created, and certain people gained a great amount of wealth. It was an important time in history where African Americans and women gained equal rights and there were many advancements in technology.
Society, economy, and politics were three signifigant aspects that were changed by industrialization after the Civil War. Before this era most Americans worked for themselves on farms or owned businesses. Soon people began leaving farms to move into cities to work in factories. Assembly lines were introduced during this era. They made it possible to mass produce products. These jobs were usually monotonous and dangerous. On an assembly each worker was responsible for specific part of the product. They no longer had the freedom or working for themselves. Employers hired unskilled labor which most of the time were women and children. Americans now were working for someone else and were working long hours for little pay and treated miserably, which led to horrible working conditions.
Iron and steel had become big business during this time. The economy had grown due to the new industries that were developed. Immigration also increased because more and more people were coming to America to take advantage of the new job opportunities that were being developed such as steel, iron, railroads and other factories.
Industrialization brought a variety of manufactured goods along with grim employment and living conditions for most people (History.com, 2009). Political corruption was the norm during this time. Politicians took bribes and compensated their supporters with kickbacks. Government jobs were given to the highest bidders. One example of political corruption was Tammany Hall controlled by William M. Tweed. Members of the organizations saw it as a way to get rich while providing favors to the urban underclass (Schultz, 2014). There was also the Credit Mobilier Scandal where Union Pacific Railroad formed the Credit Mobilier of America Company and gave the company contracts to build the railroad. The Union Pacific representatives made millions by awarding themselves with the contracts (Schultz, 2014). Immigrants came to the US for reasons such as greater political freedom, higher standard of living and to escape religious and political persecution. Most immigrants came from Great Britain, Ireland, and Germany. Usually they were Catholic or Jewish and spoke little to no English. They came from different cultures, had different traditions and sometimes dressed different. Unfamiliar with American customs immigrants often faced hostility and discrimination. Most were unskilled and worked longs hours for little pay. Immigrants and their children made up more than two-thirds of the workers in the manufacturing sector (Hirschman, 2009). African Americans were another group affected by Industrialization. African Americans faced prejudice,violence and inequality. They were given the worst jobs and dealt with the most violence. Laws in the south deprived African Americans of their civil rights such as the Jim Crow Laws. White southern legislators discouraged blacks from voting by imposing regulations such as literacy testing, poll taxes, and scare tactics such as lynching and violence towards family members and their homes. Before the war women worked in the home and took care of their families. After the Civil War women began to join the workforce. Domestic service was a major occupation for African American women in the south. Domestic service is mostly what African American women were skilled at, being that is what they had been accustomed to during slavery. Most white women in the North and West worked in textile mills. Factory owners employed more women because they could pay them less than men (NWHM.ORG, 1999). 20 percent of the industrial workforce with made up of women by the end of the century (Schultz, 2014). With the help of the two national women’s group, the NWP and NAWSA women eventually won the right to vote after the passing of the Nineteenth Amendment (Schultz, 2014). Industrialization affected the life of the average working American in many ways. Because there were no industry regulations employers could hire anyone, this included children. Children often worked full time jobs in factories and mines. Americans had no input in their employment. Working conditions were not in favor of the employees. Employees had to endure such things as 10 – 14 hour days six days a week, no paid days off, and dangerous conditions. Urban areas were unable to house the many workers from other countries and other parts of the US. Tenements were the main housing available during this time. Tenements were narrow four or five story buildings with few windows, limited plumbing and electricity, and tiny rooms often packed with people (Schultz, 2014). So many people lived in disease ridden, unsanitary conditions in overcrowded housing. The government eventually instituted labor reforms (Staff, 2009). The Industrial Revolution was a time of great change. Industrialization brought new inventions and new ways in which things were produced. There were also changes in the way people lived and worked. There were positive and negative effects of industrialization. Industrialization brought in voter rights for African Americans and women, labor laws and new and faster ways of doing business. It was all a step toward the evolution of America today.

References
Hirschman, C. &. (2009). Immigration and the American Industrial Revolution From 1880 to 1920. Social Science Research, 38(4), 897-920.
NWHM.ORG. (1999). Retrieved from National Women's History Museum Presents: A History of Women in Industry: view-source:https://www.nwhm.org/online-exhibits/industry/womenindustry_intro.html
Schultz, K. M. (2014). Hist3 Student Edition Volume 2: U.S. History Since 1865. Boston: Wadsworth Cengage Learning.
Staff, H. (2009). Retrieved May 8, 2015, from History.com: http://www.history.com/topics/industrial-revolution