During the period between 1865 and 1900, the United States was becoming the world's leading industrial and international power. The United States had many raw materials important for industrialization, such as copper, oil, and coal. Hundreds of thousands of immigrants from Northern and Western Europe with high levels of literacy and work skills easily integrated into rural American society and contributed to the nation's growth. Additionally, government policies supported and protected big business by protecting private property, supporting manufacturers with protective tariffs, and subsidizing railroads with land loans and grants. This period, often called the “Second Industrial Revolution,” is characterized as the “Golden Age” due to rapid economic growth and increased wealth, but also the many social conflicts involving the working class. Although the United States as a whole has become a leading industrial power, industrialization has also had many negative consequences. Industrialization left negative effects on U.S. society in the years 1865 to 1900 due to the formation of unions and strikes, political corruption through monopolistic practices, and the worsening living conditions of the working class. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an original essay Industrialization had negative effects on US society due to the formation of unions, strikes, and political parties. Document 6 is by Samuel Gompers, who founded the American Federation of Labor and was a union representative and critic of industrialists who did not treat workers with respect or justice. Addresses the International Labor Congress in Chicago regarding the abuse of workers by the industrial system and calls for better working conditions. The year 1893 was just one year after the Homestead strike, when workers felt they had the right to make demands by forming unions to assert their demands regarding their abusive working conditions. Because of the hard work and danger in their jobs, workers formed unions like the American Federation of Labor and advocated for higher wages, shorter hours, and better working conditions. In document 5, the political organizers, the Populists, or the People's Party, try to convince the public to support the Populist Party. Populists were critical of the effects of industrialization and supported the working class. The concentration of economic power in the hands of monopolists and bankers dominated the U.S. economy, and so farmers felt the need to form their own political party. In the 1890s, agrarian discontent in the South and West led to Republican defeats in the 1892 elections, and delegates from the Southern and Western states met in Omaha, Nebraska, to nominate candidates for the new Populist Party. On stage they said that if people support the party, they will work to expand government to meet the needs of the people and justify injustice. In Document 2, David A. Wells, an engineer and economist, points out that industrialization has had a negative impact on workers and warns the public that industrialization is a threat to workers. He says factory production has destroyed workers' individualism, independence and pride in their work because they are ordered to do only a specific job. In large manufacturing factories, workers skilled in mechanizationindustrial workers were easily replaced by unskilled workers and this led to unrest among workers. This was one of the factors that led to industrial unrest and strikes. Therefore, the industrialization of manufacturing factories had negative effects on many workers, taking away their independence and leading to the formation of unions. Documents 6, 5 and 2 conclude that during industrialization, large factories and large corporations led to industrialization, unrest and horrible working conditions for workers, which led to the formation of unions, strikes and parties. These were harmful to society because they caused many deaths and violence. For example, the Knights of Labor, the first national labor organization, was formed in 1869 in Philadelphia under Uriah S. Stephens. When Terence Powderly took over, its membership swelled to 700,000. They wanted to protect workers from retaliation and supported the eight-hour working day, the abolition of child labor, better working conditions and higher wages. His attack on Haymarket Square resulted in a bomb that killed several policemen, and another attack on the McCormick Harvester Company also resulted in deaths. Another way industrialization had negative effects on the U.S. economy was because of the political corruption caused by monopolistic practices. In Document 3, Joseph Keppler illustrates to the general public that industrial trusts dominated the industry and were superior to senators. During this period (1889), senators were appointed by party leaders, who were often controlled by monopolists. Keppler is critical and concerned about the effect that industrialists have so much control and that too many trusts are blocking the people's entry into the Senate. Business interests brought political corruption into the Gilded Age by causing industrial trusts to dominate government. In Document 7, George Rice speaks in the voice of an ordinary man and a failed businessman who was driven out of Rockefeller's Standard Oil. He warns other companies about Rockefeller's colossal corporation and claims that Rockefeller was applying discriminatory rates and privileges. By 1897, trusts often used this colossal combination to reduce competition from other businesses by selling out to gain monopolies. There was unfair competition between small and large businesses, and therefore large corporations during industrialization had negative effects on small businesses. In document 4, Andrew Carnegie, a very rich man who owned a monopoly in the steel industry with Carnegie Steel, which produced more steel than all the steel mills in Great Britain, is convincing rich industrialists that rich people need philanthropy and “should produce the most beneficial outcomes for the community.” He says that it is the duty of the rich to share their wealth for the public good and that the rich should be an example to the poor of their extravagance. Although he was convinced that industrialization had a positive impact on U.S. society, he was the target of many workers in unions because he paid them low wages, refused to help with workers' needs, and did not provide safe places for their work. . Documents 3, 7 and 4 show how problems and debates about industrialization arose due to monopolistic practices. Industrialization has led to a sharp increase in the gap between rich and poor and large companies, run by the rich, have had negative effects causing problems and debates. Please note: this is just an example. Get a custom paper from our expert writers now. Get a Custom Essay A third way in which industrialization has had negative effects on U.S. society is witnessed..
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