What new opportunities and risks did industrialization bring and how did it reshape American society?

Industrialization played a great role in the shaping of American society. It was known as the “Gilded Age” from 1869-1901. There were both social and economical changes taking place. One of the major changes was the construction of the transcontinental railroad that finished in 1869.  Railroads created an increased demand in manufacturing since the businesses could now produce and sell in larger amounts. The new industrializations were controlled by businessmen as appose to generations before where politicians were in charge of everything.  Major figures such as Andrew Carnegie owner of the Carnegie Steel Company, John Rockefeller owner of the Standard Oil Company, Cornelius Vanderbilt who laid miles of railroad tracks, were some of the first very successful business owners who made millions of dollars during these years. While major business were moving forward economically, other groups of people, such as farmers were experiencing negative changes in their lifestyles.

Even though the farmers were still putting in the same amount of work, the prices of their crops were decreasing. It made more sense economically to ship large amounts of crops across the country. So for most of the farmers this was a big loss, because they could not produce nearly enough to compete with bigger businesses. Some businesses were becoming more efficient, eliminating others in the same industry, simply because they could “do it better”. This led to farmers and their families move to the cities in hopes of finding a better life. Often times they would all live in one room in an apartment, which did not have proper plumbing and other utilities.  Living in such conditions caused many diseases, increasing the percentage of deaths in the city. In 1874, due to an increase of urbanization, 1 out of 4 people were out of work in the cities. Many unemployed workers came together and formed different unions and tried protesting multiple times.

Industrialization also had a major impact on the lives of women and children. Women were subjected to work the same amount of hours as men, however they got paid half of the men wages.  They were often hired to do the jobs that men wanted to do, working in unsanitary and dangerous conditions. Even though it is hard to believe, industrialization did have a positive effect on women. They were finally earning their place in the society and becoming more independent. Child labor was also exploited in the factories.  About 1.5 million children were working, instead of studying in New York City during the industrialization years.

And the last major group of people that suffered from industrialization were the Native Americans. As the railroad use became more common, many people moved westward and destroyed the Native American homes. There were many major massacres such as Sand Creek Massacre in 1864 where many Indian women and children were killed. Then in 1860 and 1870 Sioux Wars happened in Colorado. Even though the tribes put up a fight and tried to defend their homes, they were defeated and forced to move from their homes. During these years, reservations became popular, especially in  Dakotas, New Mexico and Oklahoma.