The Impact of Industrialization - Term Paper Example

American Industrialization During the 19th Century Outline The era of industrialization changed the social and economic life of American society. Itshould be mentioned that during the era of populism and progressivism labor struggles were more acute in America than in Europe. 19th century changed the social stratification of the American society. The paper examines the impact of industrialization on three groups of people: a female Eastern European factory worker, a male African American arrived in a Northern city and a white protestant small farmer in Arkansas. Eastern European women were commonly discriminated against in terms of employment, health care, and wages. For female Eastern European workers the transition from the age of handicrafts to the era of machines presents a picture of greed. Most of the former sharecroppers hoped for better life in the city, but in reality wages always work toward minimum level. To assert some control over the changes they jointed into labour unions. The populism movement of Arkansas protestant farmers had a great influence on cooperatives on a national scale. In general, industrialization helped them to improve production, but on the other hand they were faced with new problems caused by industrialization. Researchers suppose that social and economic conditions of American society created an ideal platform for industrialization. The protestant ethic and a belief in free business and an influence on technological innovation and economic growth. Labor-saving devices and new technologies freed workers to enter the factories, which also drew upon immigrant labor. Aided by the spread of the transportation network, the boom period in American industrialization came in the second half of the 19th century. "In the 1890s, groups of Americans seemed to be estranged from each other as they rarely had been before. A few were enjoying the fruits of astonishing wealth, building for themselves magnificent, multimillion-dollar "summer cottages" reminiscent of glittering European palaces" (Created equal, Ch.18, 2005). The most important event was that the working American class was shaped. This process was closely connected with introduction of machinery into manufacturing caused changes in the organization of work. The economies of organized wholesale production were soon made apparent, and the tendency to increase the size of the factory and to merge the various spheres of industry under control of big corporations has continued to the present. The complexity of business operations also increased with the development of transportation and trade facilities. Taking into account industrial innovations it is evident that the new industry needed more labour forces to progress, and immigrants, former slaves and women became the source of labour. All industrial changes had a great influence on the American social class structure affecting the lives of people. Primarily, these changes were closely connected with the break-up of the system. "European and American efforts to colonize and explore the far reaches of the globe brought whites face to face with darker-skinned peoples, whom scholars in the new discipline of anthropology studied and classified. The "New Immigration" from eastern Europe raised concerns about conferring citizenship on non-Anglos, such as Russian Jews, Poles, and Italians" (Created equal, Ch.18, 2005). Nevertheless, not all the benefits of industrialization were advantageous for social classes. After industrial Revolution such processes as "the emancipation" of women, the rise of women' self-consciousness became apparent. That understanding of rights always draws together women of similar ambitions and tasks now began to work significant changes in the economic order. Nevertheless, "many minority women, such as Hispana activist Adeiina Otero Wairen, supported the suffrage movement even though white leaders kept their distance and refused to embrace the antiracist campaigns of their nonwhite sisters" (Created Equal, Ch. 19, 2005). Eastern European factory women found it difficult to unite their powers for redressing their grievances. The precise size of the female working population is impossible to know since the Census returns almost certainly underestimated it; the numbers of women factory workers may well have been more or less accurate, domestic servants probably rather less so, but thousands to the alarm of the employers directing that no laborer should demand and no employer should pay greater wages than those customary. "Eastern European Jews were among the most numerous of the "new" immigrants in the early twentieth century. In 1880 there were about 250,000 Jews in America; by 1920, there were 4 million, the vast majority from eastern Europe" (Created Equal, Ch. 19, 2005). Eastern European women and girls were commonly discriminated against in terms of access to education, employment, credit, health care, land and inheritance. Historians suppose that "employers manipulated racial, ethnic, and religious prejudices among workers to keep them estranged" (Created Equal, Ch.18, 2005) From the socio-economic perspective of female Eastern European workers, the transition from the age of handicrafts to the era of machines presents a picture of greed that tempts one to bitter invective. In order to protect their rights and dignity of women the first law in the United States giving women the right to vote was passed in Wyoming in 1869. On the other hand, the industrialization had a negative influence on the American nation. New scientific discoveries allowed sterilization of those who seemed to "unfit" parenthood. But "alarmed by the dramatic decline in the birthrate of native-born Americans and the tendency of college-educated women to remain single and childless, Roosevelt feared that the immigrants, with their much higher birthrate, would overrun the nation" (Created equal, Ch. 19, 2005). In general, the era of progressivism brought advantages for nonwhite Americans. Nevertheless, for African Americans men industrial revolution was a two-side coin. On the one hand they received a possibility to find work in a city and earn for living, but on the other hand the level of wages was very low and living conditions was poor. Urban problems were addressed by professional social workers who operated settlement houses as a means to protect and improve the prospects of the poor. In fact, the needs of African Americans who came to Northern cities were poorly served or served not at all. Mechanization also had less desirable effects. For one, machines changed the way people worked. Between 1872 and 1910, the Northern city became a symbol of a new nation. During the progressive era, people flocked to the city, drawn by economic opportunity and the promise of a more exciting life. Northern cities grew on the basis of a new technology of metal-frame skyscrapers, electric elevators, streetcar systems, and green suburbs, producing an increasingly stratified and fragmented society (Thwaites, 2005). Skilled craftspeople had the satisfaction of seeing a product through from beginning to end. When they saw a knife, or barrel, or shirt or dress, they had a sense of accomplishment. Machines, on the other hand, tended to subdivide production down into many small repetitive tasks with workers often doing only a single task. The pace of work usually became faster and faster; work was often performed in factories built to house the machines. Finally, factory managers began to enforce an industrial discipline, forcing workers to work set hours. "African Americans were the primary targets of lynch mobs, although other minorities were also vulnerable. Black leaders spoke out against lynching and other forms of racial injustice" (Created Equal, Ch.19, 2005). One result of factory production in Northern cities was the growing attractiveness of labor organization. To protect their rights African Americans join labor unions. Such labor unions were not notably successful in organizing large numbers of workers during progressive era, but most of them were able to organize a variety of strikes and other work stoppages that served to publicize their grievances about working conditions and wages. So, the era of industrialization changed the life of former sharecropper turned them into a working class. It should be mentioned that "Along with progressive efforts to improve living and working conditions and alleviate the suffering of the poor, they also hoped to eradicate vice from their society" (Created Equal, Ch. 19, 2005). The age of industrialization and impersonal management changed understanding of human rights, and the patent unfairness with which African-American workers were treated became a dishonor. For instance, if an African American worker was injured on the job by faulty machinery or other cause over which he had no control, there was no mechanism for providing compensation, and if a worker sued, he or she had to prove that it was not worker negligence that caused the accident. Most of the former sharecroppers hoped for better life in the city, but in reality wages always work toward minimum level. The worker, and African-American as well, was seen as "machine" who could not make the simplest decisions, and had no self-respect. The degradation of the skilled labor class one of the major grievances of labor during this period of time. Starvation wages of African-Americans were not enough to support a family because their work was influenced by inequities and corruption. In fact, they became victims of business cycles and big city industrialization process. African-American lived in Northern cities were often targets of resentment because they were used as strikebreakers. So, it is evident that Northern cities in the last half of the last century could be seen in a sense as all things to all people: Farmers and residents of rural areas saw them as pits of degradation and corruption. Immigrants saw them as perhaps crowded and dirty but filled with opportunities for work, education and cultural stimulation. Poor working class people saw them as prisons, perhaps, or merely places where they could eke out an existence, living from day to day, and all their hopes put on industrialization miracle were broken by harsh reality. It is possible to explain this phenomenon saying that Northern cities were unable to keep up with the influx of sharecroppers (Created Equal, Ch. 19, 2005). As well as two social groups discussed above industrialization had some pros and cons for white small farmers in Arkansas. They represent new population of Arkansas contributed to the cultural heritage of this area and to the local plantation economy. These new settlers brought with them Protestant churches, public schools, and new attitudes about race and culture, causing relationships between slaves and free people to become more complicated. During the populism and progressive this community developed around the old plantations and continued to contribute to the agriculturally based economy. Most of them became tenant farmers, handled livestock, and worked in a variety of other capacities. Some were able to purchase land and start their own farms and businesses, and they established their own schools, churches and social activities (Arkansas, 2005). Arkansas established its agricultural nature during the populism are, but also became an educational center when the Normal School was established in 1884. Industrialization and railroads helped encourage economic growth. Railroad companies and the state government sought farmers from other states and foreign countries to settle on railroad lands. Farming boomed, lumbering became important, and coal and bauxite mining grew profitable. Cotton remained the chief money crop, although rice was introduced in 1894 and became important in the Grand Prairie region, near the town of Stuttgart. Central to agricultural growth after 1890 was large-scale drainage. The success in agricultural sector caused by industrialization was followed by a period of drought and falling crop prices. In order to protect their farms from bankruptcy white farmers began to organize agrarian self-help societies. This political movement was called populism. This movement had a great influence on cooperatives on a national scale. The major actions taken by populists were lower transportation costs by nationalizing the railroads, fair government' costs distribution with the help of a graduated income tax. Populist Party Platform included important steps in order to overcome nuisances caused by industrialization. In general, "radical at the time, many of their proposals, such as the direct election of senators and the income tax, would move into the political mainstream and be adopted over the next few decades" (People's Party Platform, 1892). Mary Elizabeth Lease was a person who fought against inequality and rights for women. She joined populists and toured country with them. In one of her speeches she said: "We will stand by our homes and stay by our firesides by force if necessary, and we will not pay our debts to the loanshark companies until the Government pays its debts to us. The people are at bay, let the bloodhounds of money who have dogged us thus far beware" (Lease, 1982) It is possible to conclude that industrialization had a great influence on the social stratification and the way of living in America. Undoubtedly, industrialization during 19th century was one the most important steps in the historical development of the country, but on the other hand many classes were faced with difficulties and inequalities caused by this process. The process of industrialization was closely connected with urbanization and labour changes. To improve their living conditions three classes mentioned above tried to assert control over these changes organizing labour unions, agrarian parties and social movements in order to protect their rights in changing environment. References 1. Arkansas. Available at: http://www.theusaonline.com/states/arkansas.htm 2. "Created Equal: A Social and Political History of the United States, Single Volume Edition. Volume II: Chapters 18 and 19. Longman, 2005. 3. Lease, Mary Elizabeth. "Populist Crusader" (1892). America Past and Present: Primary Source Edition, Single Volume Edition, Longman, 2005. 4. People's Party Platform. 1892. Available at: http://usinfo.state.gov/usa/infousa/facts/democrac/29.htm 5. Thwaites, Reuben Gold. Stories of the Badger state. Available at: http://www.rootsweb.com/wigenweb/thwaites.html Read More