Gilded Age Industrialization

Although the Gilded Age may seem like a clean cut time period on the outside, it was actually very destroyed underneath. There was in fact a great load of manufacturing going on, but the work put into that production was unimaginable. Workers worked long, vigorous hours, with low pay, children worked, and little health safety. These terrible work conditions were endured as long as possible by desperate people who

This process is known as the Bessemer Process. John D. Rockefeller owned a bunch of oil refineries and instead of drilling for his oil, he focused on refining it. Rockefeller later became the richest man in America of his time. He didn't treat his workers very well. He made them work long shifts and offered very low wages.

During the Gilded age billionaires like Carnegie, Vanderbilt, and Rockefeller were earning massive profits off of the backs of cheap, underpaid labor. Working conditions in the late nineteenth century were terrible and the pay was even worse.Workers would work for 12 hour days in harsh dangerous conditions with no job security and no safety standards These employees would earn a bare minimum wage of one dollar a day for six days a week. Outraged workers wanted better conditions and better pay, so they formed unions like the Knights of Labor (KoL) and the American Federation of Labor (AFL). These unions fought for eight hour work days, better conditions, and better pay along with other topics. The Knights of Labor included black and female members unlike the American Federation of Labor.

The period between 1865 to 1900, also known as the Gilded Age, was an era of rapid industrialization, immigration, and capitalization in America. After the civil war, previously used factories remained and flourished as manufacturing started to replace farming; which was possible due to vast immigration from Southern and Eastern part of Europe. With an available cheap labor source, businesses rose to great heights, and competition thrived. While companies thrived, working laborers and citizens suffered. Because industrial statesman expanded wealth and created opportunities, but also exploited workers, disrupted competition, and manipulated factors of production, it is justified to characterize the industrial leaders of the Gilded age as both

"The good we secure for ourselves is precarious and uncertain until it is secured for all of us and incorporated into our common life," Jane Addams. Industrialization led to factory job that had appalling and hazardous working conditions with low wages. Andrew Carnegie of course favored industrialization greatly because

From then, many other organizations were created such as the Women’s Trade Union League, which was formed at an American Federation of Labor (AFL) Convention in 1903. At these conventions, it resolves problems that guide other labor movements and improve lives of workers in America. Since the AFL was created, many other labor unions have been found to better every aspect of their lives. In 1973, the Pennsylvania Labor History Society (PLHS) was founded. They mainly focus on documenting and commemorating the history of working men and women and their labor struggles in Pennsylvania.

Nevertheless, the rise of industrialism was a plus during this time, the damage left from losing jobs was a problem that should've been dealt with to make the epoch a better time period. Treatment of the poor was handled in a way that shows the uncaring characteristics of people alive during this time. Life was ideally difficult for those in poverty, and the social classes of the Victorian Era didn’t handle the dispute in a way that would've resolved it. Even though this time of English history holds several complications and flaws, it did gain some brilliant writings, art, and literature as an outcome. Overall, the point of poverty England reached was truly unnecessary and should’ve been taken care of in a simpler

The Progressive Movement, occurring between the 1890s-1920s, arose to ameliorate the deficiencies of the Gilded Age. Although the Gilded Age was a prosperous time for the U.S. economy, the wealth was not distributed evenly. Yes, the Progressive Movement failed to address racial equality, but there were milestones in remedying political corruption, making the free market less monopolized, and improving the quality of life for the population which made the progressive movement overall-effective. Prior to the Progressive Movement, during the Gilded Age, the U.S. was plagued with corrupt politicians. These corrupt politicians, who went hand-in-hand with corrupt businessmen, spurred the economy forward but built their success upon the suffering

During the Gilded Age, the economy was growing and rapidly urbanizing. The development of the transport network that was mainly via railroads increased the efficiency of communication and movement of people and goods. There was a significant shift from an agricultural economy to an industrial one. Many Americans moved from the rural areas to the rapidly growing urban areas . The economy gave birth to a middle class and consumerism in the cities.

The Industrial Revolution can be argued to be one of the biggest advances to mankind, as it had far reaching impacts on various parts of the world (Angeles, 2016). Due to these various impacts, it paved the way for one of the greatest revolutions, which changed the world to facilitate what we see as “Modern Day Advancements”. In this essay I will be discussing why the Industrial Revolution had started in England and the effects of the revolution around the world. There is a confluence of reasons as to why the Industrial Revolution had begun in England. The Agricultural Revolution had led to an increased food production and increased population overall in England (Beck).