The Development of the American Economy History Essay

The Development of the American Economy
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Introduction
In the aftermath of the Civil War and reconstruction, the economy of America registered enormous growth as the country entered the second industrial growth. There are various factors that promoted the growth of various industries after the end of the Civil War; there are enough natural resources that were received from different territories, the increased labor offered by immigrants from Europe and the liberated African Americans and the ready market for manufactured goods had also increased significantly. The literature examines some of the various industries of America’s Industrial Revolution after Civil War they include agriculture, transport and manufacturing industries and the leader of industry were made successful by factors such as availability of raw materials, development of new technologies and availability of labor, labor unions started in 1794 but become famous in 1886; some accomplishments of labor unions include advocating for better pay, good working environment and equal pay for the minority groups.
After the end of the American Civil War, the country’s economy turned into a powerhouse. There are numerous industries that recorded continuous growth after the war, these included the agriculture industry; in the late 19th century, American farmers had acquired more land for farming, it is estimated that between 1870 and 1900 over two hundred and twenty-five million acres of land were under cultivation. Besides, the farmers had abandoned less productive farms and had settled on more fertile lands in the West. Besides, although there were enough laborers to work on the farms, the farmers also started investing in technology which increased farm production significantly. It is approximated that by 1880, agriculture contributed about 28% of the gross national product. Besides, the exportation of agricultural products had also increased from approximately 10% to about 25 % at the start and end of a century respectively (White, 2020). The high farm production produced enough for domestic use and export, this made America the world’s greatest economy.
Further, the transport industry was remarkably impacted after the end of the Civil War. Between the 1870s and 1890s the country’s railway network recorded massive expansions, it is estimated that about 20 percent of over 161,000 miles of railroad had been constructed in four years. The number of individuals working f...