Industrial Revolution

2 Pages 444 Words

Was the industrialization a good thing for the U.S?

Although the Industrial Revolution was a dangerous and uncertain time for most Americans (with the exception of the big business owners), I think we would not be where we are today without it. If it had happened 30-40 years later, it is not too hard to imagine that the US would not exist as we do today. As an example, look at Russia. The Soviet Union had no technology development, outside of their military, until after World War 2. There is a reason that once their military fell that the rest of their society followed suit. Their reliance on agriculture throughout the first two world wars and into the sixties left them at least 50 years behind the rest of the world. The Technology of the Nineteenth Century was primitive compared to today’s standards, but was far more advanced compared to the technology of many countries at that time.
The developments that occurred in industry at this time would have knock-on effects in almost every area of society. It worked as a cycle or huge circle of events, with its impact on society also helping to further stimulate industrial growth. The growth of towns created a demand for food that stimulated the agricultural revolution. The agricultural revolution created a surplus of labor that would feed the growing factories, while the money the landowners made could be invested further in industry. The dramatic population growth of the time created a demand for goods that stimulated industrial growth while also providing a labor force to fuel this growth. Production became faster, quality was largely better, and costs were lower, and this helped increase trade and encourage greater capital investment. Profit and wealth were increased among the factory owners. It also saw the rise of the new so-called middle classes; nevertheless, the rich got richer, but the poor got poo!
rer. The new machinery did away with many skilled jobs. There ...