Industrialization after the Civil War Thesis and Outline

Industrialization after the Civil War Thesis and Outline
Student’s Name
Institution
Part 1: Thesis
Industrial growth in America began in the beginning of the 19th century and went on steadily up to and through the civil war. Still, at the end of the war the characteristic American industry was made up of small hand labor. But after the civil war, the American industry and society evolved dramatically. Hand labor was replaced by machines and the production capacity of industries rose up sharply. There also grew a middle-class who prospered and moved to the cities, and an increase in immigration particularly from other European countries. Moreover,there was an expansion of women in the labor force, new laws made to cater for a changing industry and society, an interconnected railway network, more inventors and urban centers. Therefore, this paper will highlight how industrialization after the civil war brought with it changes to the society, the political landscape and the economy. Although there was a freer society some communities still lagged behind and the women did not enjoy full economic and politic rights. Nonetheless, there was increased choice in matters of politics and economics, underpinning the position that industrialization after the civil war lead to urbanization, economic growth and a freer society.
Part 2: Outline of Main Points
After the civil war, the industrialization effort gave birth to a lot of changes in the American society, economy and political landscapes. Of course, some of the changes were the beginning of something great while others were not. And some of these changes are still alive in today’s contemporary society. These include things such as the wealth gap between the rich and the poor, differentiated freedoms and rights, urbanization, transportation, class divisions, big business,the propagation of the American Dream, among others, which all became pronounced at the onset of the industrialization boom in 1865. Groups that were affected by the new wave of industrialization include the farmers, industrialists, Native Americans, Women, and Children. Children were exploited for cheap labor, and the women had lower wages as compared to their male counterparts, the Native Americans were displaced from their land, the industrialists gained both economic and political power. For the average working American life during industrialization was impacted both positively and negatively. For instance, industrialization increased urbanization which brought more leisure spots, there was poor sanitation and increased crime in settlement areas, exploitation of the workers by the industrialists and the formation of unions increased the workers’ political clout.
The north experienced faster economic and industrial growth, unlike the south, which was devastated by the war. The north received an inflow of capital,and with support from a pro-business government, there was an increase in the number of factories and industries. Moreover, the north had a big share of natural resources. The government also practiced a true Laissez Faire policy where they kept the taxes low, imposed high tariffs to protect their industries and kept their influence on business affairs at a minimum (Weinberg, 200...