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Time Period 6 Contextualization Paragraph
This was a time period in which the US changed from an agricultural society to an industrialized one that focused around an urbanized society. During this time period, many technological advances were made, mass migration occurred, and various reform movements emerged. -
Industrialization Effects
As the US went through the process of the second industrial revolution in the 1800s, various companies and reforms were created and advanced. The second industrial revolution brought about new innovations to industries such as the Bessemer Process to the steel industry. Various companies such as the US Steel and Standard Oil companies grew to become major monopolies with incredibly rich owners who would eventually take over other markets through horizontal and vertical integration. -
Economic Crises
The Panic of 1873 led to an economic depression that affected countries such as France and England, not just the US. This was a time in which the production of supply far outweighed the demand for products and people began losing their jobs causing a drastic increase in unemployment. The prices of said items began to increase as well to make up for losses within a company, however, there weren't enough people with enough money to buy said products, causing mass panic. -
Worker Life
the poor vs rich aspect of the 1800s was incredibly harsh, many laborers faced poor work conditions and poor wages that would be barely enough to keep themselves alive. Even with such low wages, their pays were constantly being cut with the conditions at their work worsening. These events led to strikes such as the Pullman Strike of 1894, Haymarket bombing of 1886, and the Railroad strike of 1877. -
Railroads
During this time period, railroads became an incredibly important part of the US system. They transported passengers and resources incredibly vital to the economy and society. In 1883, the American Railroad Association was created which regulated the use of railroads. -
Work Days
As a worker's life revolved around factories, life became much more strict. It came to a point that people lived around an artificial schedule based around a clock rather than the agricultural sun determining work. This led to the development of Time Zones as it became harder to communicate across the land of the US. -
Immigration
As the industrialization and urbanization of the US increased, the need for agricultural workers decreased leading to an influx of immigrants from Europe to work as laborers in factories. Islands such as Ellis and Angel island were committed specifically to these immigrants entering the US. However, treatment toward these immigrants wasn't the best and thus led to movements to better work conditions as a whole. An example of an attempt of aid was Jane Addam's Hull House. -
Women
During this time, it became more normal for women to be working, but the labor industry was still dominated by men leading to women being dependant upon their spouses for survival. As time passed, women desired their own rights as human beings leading to the creation of NAWSA and WCTU as well as the Anti-Saloon League. -
African American's
As America shifted out of the agricultural national mindset, African Americans were given more rights and freedoms but still faced a lot of discrimination which crippled their actual capabilities to be considered "equal." African Americans worked to create such equal opportunity and thus came the founding of Tuskegee Institute, a college for African Americans. Along with this institute came a fight with the Supreme Court in the case Plessy v Ferguson.
