Industrial Revolution And Urbanization

The Industrial Revolution and the process of urbanization that came with it greatly impacted the life of Americans. The switch from a primarily agrarian society to an industrial society played devastation for the average American, all the while empowering the wealthy. Many technological advances were made during this time, and the main factor leading to the American Industrial Revolution and urbanization was the expansion of the railway system. In 1869, the Central Pacific Railroad and the Union Pacific Railroad met in Utah and the Transcontinental Railroad was complete. With it laid the foundation for industrialization. Now that the nation was interconnected physically, this allowed for reliable transportation of goods and supplies. Prior to railroads, transportation by river was the most reliable source and speed and the size of the cargo were limited by the fastest animal. With railroads, the price of shipping fell considerably because large amounts of goods could be shipped cheaply, and this provided big industrial leaders such as Carnegie and Rockefeller with more capital to build factories.
As factories started popping up over the country, this demanded a large pool of cheap labor.
Industries encouraged immigrants, who flocked to America to work for low wages. For example, the steel industry thrived on the low wages from southern and eastern Europe. Even though low wages and dangerous conditions were present in these factories, immigrants and native Americans moved from their farms to cities. Cities sprung up around railroads and factories because railroads could easily ship in what the city needed, like food and other necessities as well as supplies and goods for the factories. However, cities became overcrowded while massive amounts of pollution spilled into the air. Waste accumulated from crowded living conditions littered the streets, and these two factors greatly harmed the environment and little was done about
it. While environmental damage took place and factory workers lived in filth, big business took hold of America. Wealthy businessmen known as robber barons exploited their industries to make a fortune with the help of innovations in technology and the use of the railroads. For example, Cornelius Vanderbilt made his fortune with his superior railway service and steel rail, and by the time of his death, he controlled around 500 miles of railroad. Two robber barons, Andrew Carnegie and John D. Rockefeller competed in the steel industry. They bought out smaller companies and had them under their control, and workers were still paid low wages while the owners turned out huge profits for themselves. The Industrial Revolution and urbanization changed the face of America, moving the country towards a more modernized society. However, it was also a difficult time for the average American, as companies exploited their employees and the horrendous living conditions hampered their daily lives.