Industrialization After the Civil War

Industrialization After the Civil War

Angela Collier

HIS 105 Contemporary U.S. History

Professor Adam McBride

Strayer University

July 31, 2015

Industrialization After the Civil War

Introduction

Modern economic growth in the United States was brought about by industrialization. Industrialization in the United States occurred in two phases. The first phase was between 1820 and 1840, which began in New England, whereas the second phase occurred between 1850 and 1920 in which mechanized production proliferated. Industrialization in the second phase initiated some of the most significant changes in the lives of Americans. These changes occurred in American society, economy, and politics, which defined what America is today.

Industrialization in the first phase is characterized by the re-organization of manufacturing from artisanal shops to non-mechanizes factories in a few industries. Meanwhile, the second phase is characterized by manufacturing activity increasing in scale, becoming more mechanized, and spreading to numerous industries. The rise of the manufacturing sector in the second half of the nineteenth century also coincided with the rapid growth in urban population (Kim, 2005). Domestic labor force also double doubled from 10% to 20% between 1850 and 1880 (Kim, 2005). A major development associated with industrialization was the shift from hand and water power to steam power in large factories (Kim, 2005). The adoption of the Corliss steam engine by manufacturers was also responsible for the rapid urbanization. As a result, locational limitation of topography and climate had been addressed, providing firms the freedom to locate in cities. Hence, the Corliss steam engine was considered a catalyst for the relocation of firms from rural to urban centers (Kim, 2005).

Aside from the changing face of industries in the second phase of American industrialization, the demographic characteristics of United States were also changing, particularly the labor...