In what ways was American life and culture transformed by the Industrial Revolution 1850-1900?

Answer 1

Because of the industrial revolution people's lives changed. Shift work, 40 hour weeks, and weekends were created. Unions were formed to protect the worker. A very rich class of people were formed because they owned railroads, coal mines, companies and not because they inherited the money. This created a new rich who built huge castles and mansons.

Answer 2

More people moved to the cities to work in factories. Cities, like New York rapidly overcrowded. Thousands of Eastern European immigrants and Irish immigrants moved to the US for a better opportunity. But many could only afford tenement housing: slums developed. Factory workers often grew depressed with long hours and unhealthy living conditions. Many turned to alcohol, drugs, and gambling for a pleasurable outlet. And crime increased. Some abused and homeless children joined gangs for a sense of family. Think of "Oliver Twist." Gang violence of course increased. Mobs also developed: Think of "The Godfather II" . . . these sophisticated gangs protected their families and friends through violence and bribery--since the police would not protect certain ethnicities and impoverished peoples. Poor people often developed tuberculosis and other diseases from living in crowded tenements (with no sewage system, no heating, no Plumbing, etc.)

Instead of hand making products, like shoes. Machines MASS PRODUCED goods faster and cheaper. These factories also produced air pollution. Factory conditions were extremely unsafe and unethical. They didn't really have laws: no child labor laws, some workers had to complete 18 hour shifts, many people got hands cut off from working with dangerous machinerey, employees didn't have safety equipment (like helmets, goggles, lab coats).

Transportaion advanced: railways and roads allowed for people to travel quickly (vs. riding a horse). Textile development, mining, and steam power also advanced.

Answer 3

The steam engine made river traveling faster and more efficient. This also created a problem, the rivers were to narrow so they had to expand. They made canals on the east coast for the steam boats to be able to trade more goods. Hope this helps.

Answer 4

The Grabgo Plow effected American Life by harvesting limestone leeks. It helped the Chinese people living with Polish people in the U.S harvest the RedBack starcucumber more quick and efficiantly.

Answer 5

The internal combustion engine altered life into what we know it today. Without that engine, there would've been NO trains, NO cars, and NO airplanes. People would've had to continue migrating through out the land by horse and buggy.

Answer 6

A series of inventions led to factories in the 1800's. Well, inventors invented many machines, and needed to hire people to work them. Because people were hired, most of them moved closer to the city near work.