Development of Industry, Business, and Labor after American Civil War

The Development of Industry, Business, and Labor after the American Civil War
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The Development of Industry, Business, and Labor after the American Civil War
Introduction
After the Civil War, the United States advanced to become an industrial giant. It is the period that old industries were expanded as new ones such as steel, petroleum, and electrical industries were created. There was a significant growth in railroads, which brought even the distant areas of America into the state’s economy. It is the industrial growth that largely changed American society by producing hard-working middle class, affluent industrialists, and augmented blue-collar workers (Library of Congress, n.d (a)). The vibrant labor force was comprised of the newly arriving immigrants and scores of migrants from the rural areas. This paper examines industries that became successful after the Civil War period and what made them successful, the origin and expansion of labor unions during this period and what such unions accomplished.
Industries that boomed in the post-civil war period
There was a boom in newly created industries including steel, petroleum, and electrical after the war. Besides the establishment of these industries, other old industries were also revamped, making America an industrial hub. For instance, the railroad industry witnessed significant success after the war. At the beginning of 1870s, there was a significant expansion in construction and there were about 45,000 miles of the track getting set before 1871. An additional 170,000 miles were later added to America's already expanding system from 1871 to 1900 (Library of Congress, n.d (a)). Transcontinental railroads are attributed to the expansion of the system.
What made them successful?
Several factors resulted in the success or expansion of the major industries in the United States. For instance, the success of the American railroad system, as discussed above, was due to the transcontinental railroads that greatly boosted the industry. Historians observe that while the manufacturing industry has boomed after the war, steel manufacturing gained popularity and the Confederate war efforts could depend on steel (The American YAWP, n.d). Besides, the new approach, "Bessemer Process" that reduced the cost of modern steel also made the steel industry successful (Library of Congress, n.d (b)). The electrical in...