America's Transformation: The Industrial Revolution

Juliann Gardiner
Mrs. Buescher
English, Period 5
15 January 2015
America’s transformation: The Industrial Revolution
The Industrial Revolution has brought many positive effects and attributes that has shaped America and even affected modern society today. Industrialization has altered how people live, especially how people work, the clothes people wear, the food people eat, how people are educated, and how long others can live. The Industrial Revolution also provided the countries that first adopted it with the technological and economic advantages that are necessary for comfortable everyday lives. Industrial Revolution has changed America to what people call “modern.” The Industrial Revolution began in 1820-1870; it was of great importance
However traveling cost money people during the Industrial Revolution were paid very little, but now we have fair wages. When people moved to work in factories times were very hard people were paid less and worked long hours. However, because of Labor unions workers could get the comforts they need when working. “Even though employees had to work for as long as 16 hours a day; they were subjected to pressure, and even physical punishment, in an effort to make them speed up production. Since neither the machines nor the methods of work were designed for safety, many fatal and maiming accidents resulted” (WorkingConditions1). Therefore due to problems in the factories, people now get paid minimum wages, for overtime, and even when on leave when in an accident during work hours. Now the government has made laws saying that employers have to look after the workforce and provide safety equipment and other things for them. “At the start of the Industrial Revolution none of these laws existed and so working in a factory could prove to be very dangerous indeed” (WorkingConditions1). Many people noticed how unfair and unsafe working conditions are. Thus Factory acts then took place. For an example the Factory Act of 1874 stated that, “no worker is allowed to work more than 56.5 hours per
This concludes that the Industrial Revolution had a high impact and significance on America today. Without the Industrial Revolution America would have not been modernized, so thanks to Industrialization America has advanced in technology, a vast amount of goods were being produced, which allows for those goods to be sold to the consumer at a cheaper price. However not only goods are cheap but travelling is cheap as well, traveling has also become so advanced that people can travel to many places in a shorter period of time rather than walking from place to place. Laws were created to protect children from working and to help the safety of all workers. Without the Industrial Revolution many of these luxuries that America has today may have not have been