Industrial Revolution - Essay Example

?Running Head: Industrial Revolution Industrial Revolution [Institute’s Industrial Revolution In the period between 1750 and 1850, major changes took place in the social and economic climate of many countries, especially the United States of America; consequently, this period came to be known as the Industrial Revolution because of the quick pace and vast number of changes that took place therein. The majority of the reforms were seen to be changing the economic structure of the nation, converting it from one pivoted on agriculture to one concentrating instead on manufacturing. Naturally, this shift of focus of attention led to many cultural and social reforms along with economic ones, and it has been a debate for many years whether the benefits did indeed outweigh the harms of this revolution. The revolution was mainly governed by several important innovations that came into being around that time. These new methods and ways of doing things promoted greater efficiency and productivity, thereby incurring larger profits for manufacturers and yielding the manufacturing industry to become, for the first time in history, a more valuable asset to the economy than the agricultural industry (Olson, 2002). One of the major innovations of this kind was the invention and improvement of the steam engine. Previously, America had employed man- or horse-powered machinery, but was now shifting towards the use of water to run machinery, a feat that saved capital and time, thereby greatly increasing productivity and reducing cost. While most of the revolution did still rely greatly on horse and man (because of the lack of knowledge and know-how), uptake of use of water and steam engines to run machinery by several important factories paved way for many smaller ones to do so as well. Thus, creating a somewhat chain reaction that moved towards use of the steam engine on a much larger scale (Grayson, 2010). The industrial revolution reaped great benefits for the average American. Because of the greater productivity and lower cost per product, many consumers enjoyed goods that were previously considered expensive luxuries, only for the fortunate. Major drops in the prices of goods, such as textiles and furniture helped vast segments of the American population to attain these previously evasive goods and enjoy greater standards of living (Goloboy & Mancall, 2008). This situation benefited both parties, the consumers and the producers. Because of consumer attraction, many factory owners enjoyed large profits because of the increased consumer spending and activity in the economy, leading to growth of these trades and factories in the cities of America. Another major implication of this revolution was the increased GDP per capita than had been seen ever, and the effects of the increased exports to other countries could not be ignored. In fact, for the first time after 1812 and the restrictions that followed the Embargo, America was found to be active in trading with other countries, a feat that ameliorated the national funds. Moreover, because of the complete transformation of the production system and the introduction of machinery, many jobs opened up for workers thereby increasing employment in this sense. Naturally, a revolution of this scale was to have great effects on the infrastructure of cities, and this was made very evident in America. Because of the large number of people moving into cities to work, numerous buildings were made to house these people. Buildings got taller, more modernized but the living spaces became more compact. Furthermore, because the manufacturing industry is one that greatly relies on transport and movement of parts and goods between cities, one demanded major changes in infrastructure of the cities. Firstly, the need for better roads and bridges was felt to expedite delivery of goods, and so better roads, such as the Crumberland Road, came into being. Moreover, America saw the creation of the Erie Canal, which helped simulate the economy of New York thereby helping it become the economic powerhouse it is today. Furthermore, communication technology greatly improved and the wide scale use of the telegraph to pass messages between factories and major trading hubs became commonplace. One of the major disadvantages of this revolution was that because it was so fast paced, many industries and people were not yet ready to cope with it. Farmers, for example, after having always been the focal point of the country’s economy, were almost suddenly forced to relinquish the reigns of the economy to manufacturers and factory workers. This led to resentment between the different types of workers and, more importantly, unemployment. The resentment led to many angry farmers moving towards the bigger cities, staging riots, and wreaking chaos by burning factories and protesting in front of them. Many rioters were consequently arrested and put away, but the resentment could not be ignored. One major reality of the revolution was that although in theory it did provide jobs and work opportunities for a large segment of the population, most of these jobs provided the workers humiliating conditions, such as long work hours, unsafe working environment, and very low pay. Therefore, in this way, many people argued that although the revolution did give the economy a positive push, this increase in activity did little for the working class except make them work harder for what they earned. As was usually seen, people found that instead of expanding the middle class, this new reform just made the rich richer, and the poor poorer. Once more, the rights of the working class were trampled upon, and the poor, again, were exploited to serve the industrialists’ ends. Another sad truth of the revolution was that by encouraging consumer spending, and enabling people to buy things previously unattainable, materialistic sentimentality greatly prevailed. Goods and ‘things’ showed prosperity, and possession showed ‘class’. While it is true that the revolution helped expansion of social classes, it is also true that the boundaries separating them became better defined. This expansion of the social classes also meant that the poor children never really could rise up on the social ladder because of the compromise that was made on their education in return for earnings. Another consequence of the shift of economic power was the large mobilization of people; scores of artisans and farmers were seen to be leaving their small settlements and villages and moving towards larger towns and cities in search of work (Sioux, 2004). Some naturally could not find work in these factories because of the altogether different skills required to handle and run machinery, something most craftsmen and artisans could not do and while many did indeed find work in these cities, the conditions were far from ideal. Since hundreds of people were now moving towards urban towns, there was a sudden increase in the number of people living in these previously somewhat vacant cities. This led to the overcrowding of major big cities in America, such as Washington D.C. In fact, many workers were seen to be living in squalor, with up to 15 people in a room. Moreover, because of this overcrowding and the pollution that was a direct result of the coal burned in factories, tuberculosis and typhoid became major causes of concern, wiping out 40% of the working population. Another cause of concern was the terrible conditions in which workers labored. Many received extremely low wages and worked very long hours in conditions that can be described as dangerous at best. Many factories employed production lines that increased the chances of heart diseases, lung cancer, and chemical poisoning. Another repercussion of the boom of the manufacturing industry was that many women and children were now driven to work below men’s wages. In fact, many children were forced out of schools to enroll in factories. They worked up to 15 hours a day, greatly harming their health and risking their life spans. While it took years and years of protesting and complaints, the government eventually did hold factory owners accountable and introduced laws that demanded acceptable work conditions, work hours, and wages for the labor. Furthermore, it had to be acknowledged that while previously, women were shunned from entering the workforce. In this current atmosphere, female workers were greatly welcomed as they worked below men’s wages and even though this was an unfair agreement, it was at least a step forward in the right direction, namely that of women being allowed to play a greater role in the economy. Another positive result of these demeaning work conditions was the establishment of a platform representing workers as a whole, analyzing their work conditions, their complaints, making them aware of their rights and protecting their plight, or in other words, the trade unions. These trade unions, while greatly disgruntling employers and factory owners, helped workers realize their rights and earn the respect and dignity that they severely lacked in previous days. Another positive effect of the revolution was that many people now realized that it was solely up to them to ameliorate their lifestyle, and so hordes of men started small factories and elevated their earnings themselves. Although many ‘job-holders’ still worked in substandard conditions, independence and faith in the economy in terms of investment was greatly restored and with time, the middle class was seen to be expanding somewhat. The revolution was the result of several events: the somewhat stagnant American economy, the wish to follow in the steps of the most powerful country in the world, Great Britain, and the advent of several important technological advances, such as the steam engine and the telegraph. It inevitably led to debate amongst sociologists, economists and governments on whether it was a good thing or bad, but everyone agrees that it was a major milestone in terms of progress. For the first time, production was completely in the hands of man, there was little or no reliance on weather and climate. Moreover, costs and productivity were favoring economic growth and activity, and, as a result, many cities in America followed suit and expanded on their respective manufacturing industries. While many peoples’ living conditions improved, there were severe lapses in the prosperity of people as well. For example, many workers saw terrible living and working conditions during this period and were vastly ignored and neglected by governments and factory owners alike. In fact, it took more than 50 years for them to ask for rights. Furthermore, disease and pollution spread, and it is said that the harms that were incurred against the environment will never truly be undone. However, as any great movement in history, this revolution had its supporters and its opposition but it largely reshaped the economy of America and drove growth of such high rates in its cities that its effects can probably never be paralleled, such was the industrial revolution that took America, and such was the industrial revolution that shook America. References Goloboy, J. L., & Mancall, P. C. (2008). Industrial Revolution: People and Perspective. ABC- CLIO. Grayson, R. (2010). The U.S. Industrial Revolution. ABDO, Copyright. Olson, J. S. (2002). Encyclopedia of the Industrial Revolution in America. Greenwood Publishing. Sioux, T. (2004). Immigration, Migration, and the Industrial Revolution. Rosen Classroom. Read More