Wages were so low that even when one worked, they barely had enough to live on, so without a job there was no money to fall back on. Once this obstacle grew, instead of trying to solve the problem, it made tension rise between the
The difference in living standards and jobs were the main contributors to this gap, nevertheless, the industrial revolution made this gap even wider due to the urbanisation of towns and cities and unemployment. The industrial revolution brought about lower prices, which made the rich even richer while the poor remained poor due to low wages.
The industrial revolution created an age of wonder for the rich but also created a nightmare for the workers powering the industrial revolution. The period of rapid industrial growth during the 1800s and into the early 1900s was more harmful because of poor working conditions, violent labor disputes and poor regulations at factories. The businessmen of the industrial revolution created poor working conditions for men and women just
While the assembly line did bring about higher wages, less hours, and unionized benefits for workers, its consequences greatly outweighed the benefits. David E. Nye put it as, “The assembly line seems as a dehumanizing force on society”. It exploited workers, lead to unpredictable unemployment, and “made machines of men”. I believe that similar issues that arose with the workforce of the American assembly line can still be found in our society of today, with the “going postal” phenomnom and other forms of workplace violence. When the assembly line was first accepted into society, it was greatly celebrated.
Although child labor is severely restricted today, children still work dangerous and hard jobs in much of the developing world. Forms of child labor, including indentured servitude and child slavery, have existed throughout American history on and off again for many years. As industrialization moved workers from farms and home workshops into urban areas and factory work, children were often preferred, because factory owners viewed them as more manageable, cheaper, and less likely to strike due to their age and lack of experience/education. According to William Willoughby and Mary Graffenried, “Children were weak, helpless and uneducated. Therefor they are immured at the tenderest years in mills and workshops, to undergo severe and continuous toil.” However, growing opposition to child labor in the North caused many factories to move to the South.
The Industrial Revolution began an era of per capita economic growth in capitalist economies. And we saw the American economy begin to flourish over time as the U.S became a major force in manufacturing. Over time we have seen this force of manufacturing leaving the United States. This has happened for many reasons, but the results are obvious. The US and many other industrially advanced countries began to be out manufactured by countries such as Japan- the auto industry is a prime example of this.
Without the crutch of illegal immigrants holding us back, our U.S. economy can prosper more than ever. Due to the current economic slowdown, labor demands had been reduced and has forced many out of work. Due to the large income of unskilled workers has allowed employers to give out low wages and actually allow there to be horrible working conditions. There seems to be a solution to this. By reducing low-skill immigration, we can strengthen the labor market and as well as increase wages along with them for the American people.
To some the Gilded Age was a time of great success and job opportunities. To others it was a time of constantly wondering whether or not they were going to have a job that or day, or if they were going to be fired and then replaced by a machine or a another worker who could do the labor for a cheaper price. Jay Gould, a wealthy business owner, tells us about his success and how other people are not as successful because they did not work hard enough or there own misfortunes. Thomas O’Donnell, a textile mill worker, tells about the hardships he and his family goes through besides him constantly working. It can be argued that the economic achievements of the Gilded Age looked different from the eyes of a shop floor worker, compared to the eyes of a corner office business owner.
These informal workshops employ their child workers for very long hours of shifts and pay them a very meager amount of wage. However, these workshops have very hazardous working conditions, which leads to cause severe diseases and sometimes it leads to death. According to Michael Shuman ' s article, many people have broken fingers, lost limbs, fainted and contacted varies infections, some people have even died" (Shuman 3). It is not pleasant to experience for a child to be kept working as a child while other children are out playing and going to schools. It may result in the lack of emotional growth, education, and literacy.
Not only did a large family put an economic asset on the family, the idea of being able to work changed the idea of marriage and family too. Because of the Industrial Revolution, the factories began to implement the use of machines more than people. Men saw this as a threat in the working classes because women could be hired by the factory owners for cheaper prices and for better means. The men of these factories needed to work because they were paid more, but women were seen to be hired first and the men were laid off because of these strains that the factory owners put on the men. This effected the family meaning because if the man was not working, how would the family get enough money to support the family.