By : Neha Dhyani
Updated : Feb 28, 2023, 14:46
Industrial Revolution in the United States, commonly known as the Second Industrial Revolution, made the United States the most powerful economy in the world and a superpower. This revolution began around 1820 and continued for the next 50 years.
Moreover, the era witnessed a plethora of revolutionary inventions including the light bulb, steam engine, X-ray machines, sewing machines, the telephone, etc. The era came to an end in the 1970s.
The Embargo Act of 1807 prohibited Americans from importing goods from foreign countries due to the war between France and England. It encouraged the Americans to start manufacturing, as necessity is the mother of evolution!
The war of 1812 stripped the USA of access to shipping and fishing on the Eastern coast. Therefore, the Americans started their production at a larger scale to gain colossal profits, making them self-reliant in producing goods.
New inventions accelerated industrialization in the second half of the nineteenth century. Electricity and the light bulb, for example, enabled businesses to operate for more time, allowing them to manufacture far more items.
The arrival of electricity facilitated the development of the electric motor, which dramatically enhanced transportation and led to the development of the electric trolley and the electric subway train.
Timber, water, coal, iron, copper, silver, and gold were among the natural resources available to the United States.
The young immigrants who migrated to America were highly dedicated to making profits and were readily available for any labour.
Due to the lack of political stand in the country, the business owners had no limits to extend their levels of profits. These extents led to revolutionary inventions.
The employment opportunities available in the cities acted as a lucrative pull factor for 40 per cent of the population living in the suburbs to shift to the cities.
Before the nineteenth century, most non-agricultural Americans worked in a trained craft. Vocational training became outdated, resulting from the industrial revolution, and labour became standardized.
Cotton manufacturing transitioned from a small-scale village business to large-scale, automated factories. During the 19th century, steam engines and railways were essential components of the industrial revolution.
Better healthcare centres and increased jobs contributed to an increase in population. The role of women in labour changed dramatically during the Industrial Age, as most of them entered the working world.
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As a result of the increased production of commodities, people started exploiting them.
The United States saw the second Industrial Revolution in the mid-1800s, which paved the way to the global superpower status. After the Civil War ended, the Industrial Revolution in the USA began in the years and decades that followed. New modes of transportation, technological advancements, and the advent of electricity metamorphosed the country in the following years.
By the end of World War I, the American Industrial Revolution had drastically altered the face of the country. Growth supported development in a virtuous cycle as it grew.
The impact of the Industrial Revolution in the United States could be seen in the unparalleled production at domestic and commercial levels in the agricultural sector, which led to huge profits and further strengthened the American economy. It hugely benefitted the economic conditions.
Although the United States took inspiration from European Industrialization, it didn’t follow their path. Instead, the Industrial Revolution in the United States encouraged inventions. It mainly depended on the hands of its native inventors, such as Eli Whitney, the inventor of Cotton Gin, that contributed to enhancing the economy in the South.
The Industrial Revolution in the United States exceedingly impacted the lives of the people in the USA positively. Amongst several reasons, an increase in wealth and increased levels of production and manufacturing are some of them.
After the Civil War, the second phase of the Industrial Revolution in the United States used machines to manufacture goods throughout the American Industry. The machines demanded less effort vis-a-vis manual labour, while this process produced goods rapidly.
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