Leah Lawrence October 26, 2012 Period: 1

Industrial Revolution Unit Essay The industrial revolution was meant to improve the United States economy but instead causes a great deal of damage to the economy by decreasing children's education, increasing poverty, and creating horrible work conditions. Even though it helped shape the United States, its process only benefited the rich and powerful. The industrial revolution was going on at the same time as the war so as the men were sent off to fight, the women, who were also mothers, and children were left to take their place. The industrial revolution opened a field for more Job opportunities, especially in factories. These jobs included working in meat and steal factories, and coal mining. Women had to take care of the home, field, and many became impregnated and weren't able to work so overall, the children, as young as 7, had to quit school and become factory workers (Otto). This decreased literacy and education in the United States and stripped away children's rights to actually being a kid. During the 1880s, five percent of children worked in the factories (Otto). Children left school at the age of twelve and thirteen to work. These young kids were forced to work in the factories to help support their families. This is how they got food and water, along with the rent to stay in their homes. These kids were very young but yet they were trained to handle these big equipment and tools that werent even sturdy. This was a huge safety hazard to many but they had no choice because that is how they survived. The industrial revolution was also a time for the United States most important inventions. Inventions like railroads, streetcars, and telegraphs were very important (Otto).

Along with these inventions were the creations of skyscrapers in what they called the ghetto. These skyscraper built apartments held up the minimum of ten people to one home; they were called tenement apartments. The ghetto was a poorly, unsanitary area specifically for the poor and uneducated immigrants who had no other place to go. They traveled over to the United States in hopes of a better life for them and their families but instead had to struggle more. It wasn't like the jobs weren't there, because they were, but the immigrants had to work for little or know pay, making a minimum of 25 cents a day (Otto). The immigrants could never make it to the top because bosses, political machines, and other wealthy Europeans dominated the work force. The political machines were the leaders of the country and they used to offer the immigrants money in exchange for a political vote. Half of the immigrants couldn't even understand what was going on and didnt realize that what they were doing was wrong. The political machines basically stayed on top and with the votes of the immigrants, controlled the economy, bettering it for themselves instead of others. The Rich got richer and the poor remained poor. This idea came from Social Darwinism which was a philosophy that believed that poverty resulted from personal weaknesses meaning that it is up to each individual person to try and make it to the top; only the strong survive (Otto). Not only were the immigrants and other lower classes placed in the ghetto where they faced horrible living conditions but at work, they faced even more outrageous conditions in the work field. The workers were placed in factory's that were poorly ventilated and surrounded by all sorts of people that were contaminated with diseases (3). Meat factories were the biggest factories where all sorts of disturbing things happen. For instance, in the story The Jungle, it talks about how the workers would get injured all the time and they were stuck, doing the same

Leah Lawrence October 26, 2012 Period: 1

thing every day which was very repetitive and mind numbing. in these rooms the germs of tuberculosis might live for two years(7) causing the spread of various diseases to the poor. The tools and supplies they used were faulty and it seemed like the factory owners did not care. The owners never had to experience what the workers had to deal with so they didnt care. Factory workers had to work 12 or more hours a day, six times a week with no vacation or sick leave (Otto). This meant that if you got injured on the job, you would not get compensation or if a woman becomes pregnant, they would lose their jobs because their spots were not secured. For instance, in The Jungle, one of the characters gets injured and Even though poor working conditions caused the accident, the factory simply cuts off Jurgis pay while he recuperates (1).Basically his whole family has to suffer because of something that they should not have been held accountable for. Now that he has lost his job, he would probably not get it back and would have to look for more work. The Industrial Revolution had positive effects, like the advance in technology but it, overall, didnt help everyone. It was a period in which the wealthy stayed wealthy and the poor their servants. The revolution opened new job opportunities for the United Stated but in reality, the citizens werent the ones working, the immigrants were. This gave all the wealthy Americans to take advantage of everyone else.

Work Cited Page Sinclair, Upton. "Plot Overview." The Jungle. Cambridge, MA: R. Bentley, 1971. 14. Print.