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In the late 1800s, people in many parts of the world decided to leave their homes and immigrate to the United States.
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The completion of the railroads to the West following the Civil War opened up vast areas of the region to settlement and economic development.
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Beginning in the early 1870s, railroad construction in the United States increased dramatically.
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In the 1870s, machines began knitting stockings and sewing shirts and dresses, cutting and sewing leather for shoes, and producing millions of nails. By reducing labor costs, the machine not only reduces manufacturing costs, but also lowers the price manufacturers can charge consumers. In short, machine production creates more and more abundant products at cheaper prices.
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Cities in the United States grew at a dramatic rate.