Equality and inequality in the American society in 1830s -1840s - Essay Example

During this period, inequality was manifested socially, economically, and politically. Socially, different groups of American had unequal access to wealth, power, resources, and prestige (Atack, and Passell 67). Based on your gender, race, ethnicity, age, religion, and nationality, American society accorded favor to some groups. For instance, blacks and the minority groups were subjected to slavery and workmanship. They served the upper tiers Americans under exploitation and hardship. Besides, in the labor market, American employers practiced nepotism and wage discrimination especially to the minority groups including women, blacks and Hispanics.

Inequality was further practiced in political and elective sectors. The minorities especially blacks had limited participation in electoral and democratic process of the United States. They were not allowed to actively take part in the electoral process, thus denying them their rights and freedoms. On the other hand, during this period, there was income inequality in the United States. Income and resources were unevenly distributed in the society with only 1% of the top social class owning more than 78% of the limited resources and wealth (Atack, and Passell 67).

Changes in the labor market Until mid-nineteenth century, American economy was agriculturally dominated. The agrarian revolution period was characterized with low wages, wage discrimination, lack of labor unions, and force labor. However, after the moving from agricultural to industrial, the marker of the united states undergone transformation. The labor market moved from ‘force labor’ to ‘free labor’. These reforms in the labor market were pioneered by the social legislation of Franklin D.

Roosevelt's New Deal. Although labor organizations and the changes in the labor market were harshly received by the employers who had strong exploitative philosophy, the reforms were very beneficial to the working forces. As a result of the reforms, exploitation, low-wage, poor working conditions, lack of workmanship protection and compensation regime ended (Altonji and David 45). Besides, work place discrimination and inequality cases were negligent. The powers of the unions were reinforced, which in turn increased the collective bargaining power of workers and increased their rights, protection, and freedom.

These reforms also reduced the wage disparity based on gender, race, color, age, or nationality. However, the transformation of the labor force from manufacturing to services led to a decline in industrial productivity. Massive immigration to the U.S in 1820s-1850s In the first half of the 19th Century, United States reported an influx in the number of immigrants especially after the Civil War. Being beginning of industrial revolution, these immigrants were of great economic benefit to the United States as the immigrants worked long-hours at a relatively low wage rate.

From 1820 to 1850, approximately 23 million people migrated to the United States for a various reasons. Some came as laborers, other came to seek refuge, and others came to serve as indentured servants while a small fraction of them came to attain higher education. As a common phenomenon in human migration, the ‘pull’ and ‘push’ factors are practically behind these increased cases of immigration to the United States. The ‘push’ factors which forced the immigrants to desert their original homes included famine, poverty, wars, military drafts, crippling taxes, and unemployment