Jennifer Lopez

6th period
6-1-16

Was Industrialization Progress?

‘’Industrialization based on machinery, already referred to as a characteristic of our age is but

one aspect of the revolution that is being wrought by technology.’’

The second half of the nineteenth century, industrialization increased American

societies, politics, and economic wealth hysterically. That period of time, there were finances or
superintends for social status which they were wealthy. There would be others, such as labors
that fell into indigence. It created two different spheres with society that were difficult to
converge despite the various efforts attempted. The Gilded age was in the late 1800’s and
during that time, society had created something new for everyone: “new technology, cheaper
consumer goods, faster transportation, and some very wealthy elites in all the cities.” New
technology resulted in important innovations, and these opportunities created the next
groundbreaking business or products by determining management. With all this new technology
in the world, it lead to some problems with urbanization, which caused cities to grow briskly
because of immigrants. Industrialization did show progress by labor unions and strikes,
immigrants, business and wealth.

Labor unions and strikes was progress. Labor unions are organizing workers that tries to
improve their working conditions, such as wages, and comforts for its members. They will try to
find a way to do something for the companies so they can get paid better. When labor unions
were doing strikes, some groups weren’t as successful as they thought they would be. In
document 6, it states, “There’s a chart that shows different states of people being killed, injured,
and arrested in strikes, in the selected states between January 1st, 1902 and June, 1904.’’ The
state of Colorado and Illinois had bigger numbers than the other states. But Colorado had the
most, which were 42 kills, 112 injured, and 31 arrested, which means that the strikes was more
terrifying than Illinois. Although, Illinois did have some labor groups that the strike ended up with
violent which it didn’t go too well. In Chicago, there were 2 strikes called Pullman strike and
Haymarket Affair. Pullman strike ended with depression because unions will strike for higher
wages since Pullman company didn’t restore wages and they decrease rents which made their
company to an ending. The Pullman company strike, stated “During the Panic of 1893 and the
economic depression that followed, the Pullman company laid off more than 3,000 of its 5,800
employees and cut the wages of the rest by 25 to 50 percent.” The company affected the
economic depression by having a lot of employees. The business owner had to cut wages and
lower the unions their rents because they weren’t making a lot of money. Eugene Debs asked
for adjudication but the Pullman strike refused to consult with the strikers so Pullman decided to
hire scabs which made the strike go violent because president Grover Cleveland sent federal
troops which made it worse for the strike. After all the mess, Eugene was sent to jail because he
ignored the federal court injunction so the strike can stop. The Pullman company had to be gone
so they had to fire every strike and they couldn’t get railroad jobs ever again.
During the Railroad strike of 1877, northern railroads were still struggling from the panic
of 1893 because of salaries and cutting wages. There were some strikes in some states that
were cutting wages and violence. At the end, the possible way for them to end strike was
sending federal troops, it wasn’t the best improvement for their workers but they did had some
strength for workers, it was somewhat good for their company to be positive. In Haymarket
Affair, there were knights of labor that made the strike look violent because people were killed, a
bomb that to came out of nowhere. There were so many strikers that gathered together in
Chicago’s Haymarket square. The Haymarket affair, states “All eight were convicted; four were
hanged and one committed suicide in prison. After Haymarket, the public began to turn against
the labor movement.” Haymarket was a horror strike, there was a bomb, people killed
themselves, people were shot, and policies burned some strikers. After Haymarket Affair ended,
the public wanted labor unions economic and social status by the United action so things can
get better. Labor unions and strikes did make progress because labor unions showed that they
can improve their working conditions by striking. Even though some unions strikes didn’t end as
well as they expected, others did raise their wages for the company and it did somewhat make
the company positive. Labor unions would fight, no matter what happened, if it goes negatively
or positively. Strikes had inspiration from Alger since he wrote a book called “Rags to Riches”
and it taught people how to be wealthy and working hard.

Immigration was progress, however it did show a bit of negativity. During the eighteenth
century, there was an urbanization that increased people that lived in urban settlements. Those
immigrants were living in small towns and moved to cities so they can have find a job. There
were plenty of jobs, since technology was a new thing for companies such as factories. In
America, the new immigration, 1861-1920, the region that had the greatest immigrant population
was Northwestern Europe, which were (Ireland, Germany, and England.) In document 15,
Number of Immigrants Into the United States, 1820-2010, stated “It listed different regions which
were Northwestern Europe, Centraland Eastern europe, Southern Europe, Asia (mostly China).”
During 1861-1920, there were immigrants that were moving to the U.S. because they wanted a
job that payed more than their country. Most immigrants that were moving to the U.S. worked in
the factories. They were forced to live in the treatment housing. Since there were so many
immigrants moving to cities, there was a woman called Jane Adams, who was the founder of
Hull House in Chicago. ‘’It provided for her to teach immigrants english, daycare and, child care
classes.’’ In America, the Chinese and Irish were causing more problems for Americans
because, first of all, Americans did not like the Irish because they were new immigrants. In
document 18, a commonly posted sign hung in American business between 1860 and 1900,
stating, “HELP WANTED, no Irish need apply.” The Irish were greatly discriminated in America,
those signs were held in windows that had jobs and apartments as well. These Irish were
discriminated socially and politically because they refuse to capitulate their catholic religion.
There were some Americans that didn’t not want immigration restriction league which
were the Irish and Chinese mostly. The Chinese exclusion Act of 1886, Americans did allow
labor recruiters such as Chinese people come to the U.S and they did let them work at any job.
However some Americans didn’t not like that Chinese were laboring into the city because they
felt that they were taking their jobs. A speech to the workingmen of San Francisco, stated,
“Every avenue to labor of every sort is crowded with chinese labor worse than it was 8 years
ago.” It shows that Americans from San Francisco workermen did not like the Chinese people
that were immigrating over there because their city was getting dangerous and crowded and it
had slave labors too. Another thing was that Chinese people were not socially treated well
because some Americans did not care about them. Americans were thinking that they were
getting wealthy already by working the the U.S. In document D, Lee chew, The Biography of
chinaman, stated “It was jealousy of laboring men of other nationalists, especially the Irish that
raised the outcry against the Chinese.’’ It shows that Americans don’t care about the Chinese as
much since they’re working already, but the Chinese people should also not complain that
they're not getting paid well because at least Americans are letting them work in the U.S even
though the Chinese should get paid more since they're working hard. The immigrants did show
progress because different regions well come to America and Americans will let them, even
though some Americans did not like the Irish or the Chinese. Chinese people will get low wages
but Americans at least let them work because no one wanted Irish to work or live in America.

Wealth and business was progress. New business and technology execution to transpire
industry. In document 1, Russell Cornwell, Acres of Diamonds, 1900, stated “The opportunity to
get rich, to attain great wealth is here… now within the reach of almost every man and woman…
You have no right to be poor. It is your duty to be rich…’’ Russell wants to tell people that there
should be no reason for anyone to be poor, it will be better for them to be wealthy. That’s why
there are so many opportunities to be rich and successful such as jobs and business owners
that has a big company. There are some unskilled labors that thinks that there is no way for poor
people to be rich such as the rich people. Basically poor labors just say things, they don’t want
to do anything by thinking their way. In document 2, Henry George, progress and poverty, 1905,
stated ‘’In them, the lowest cass do not share… There is a vague but general feeling of
disappointment; and increases bitterness along the working classes.’’ This shows that no matter
what social status people, it won’t affect to those that are not in first class. Lower classes
shouldn’t just blame others that rich people has more money. They should find a good job or a
career. Technology advance that transform industry has helped with the world and especially for
companies. John D. Rockefeller had a big company and he wants to steal some ideas from
small companies so more people can go on Rockefeller. In document 12, George, ‘’How I was
ruined by Rockefeller,’’ stated ‘’But i soon found that the Standard Oil,Company was offering the
same quality of oil at much lower prices than I could do.’’ This shows that Rockefeller will do
anything for his oil company to stay big and for him to stay wealthy. He saw that George
company was low and idea he got from George, he thought to lower the prices.
Andrew carnegie was a wealthy businessman. He used to had a company called
Carnegie steel company in 1892 and he did great things such as helping people. He worked for
railroad jobs but then he decided to sell it. In document E, Andrew Carnegie ‘’wealth,’’ North
American review, stated ‘’In 1901 he sold his business and dedicated his time to expanding his
philanthropic work, including the establishment of Carnegie-Mellon University in 1904.’’ At the
railroad job, he quit and sold it to someone else because he knew that he was philanthropic,
‘’including the establishment of Carnegie-Mellon University in 1904.’’ Wealth and business did
show progress because technology is what help the business grew bigger. Also phrenology
showed how business people worked hard to be successful and wealthy because they were
intelligent. Horatio Alger wrote a book about of values to be rich by working hard. It show
immigrants to move to cities so there plenty of jobs.

Some people may say that Industrialization wasn’t progress, because labor unions and
strikes affect the society today since immigrants moved to America to find jobs. The reason
most people think that industrialization wasn’t progress is because craft unions strikes caused
violence which made them look bad. There are too many immigrants in these cities and the
more people there were, the less jobs people had opportunities to work in. Americans might lose
these jobs because there were so many immigrants that it was getting crowded. Ultimately,
though, it still holds that industrialization was progress because strikes are what helped labor
unions to make the business positive and organized the wages so business owners can pay
them better and not keep all the money since they’re very wealthy. There was some
disadvantage but it mostly shows progress by all the societies. Immigrants moved to America
which made the society have a bigger population and it made business companies bigger. It
means the more people there were and the more economical success helped the business and
people get paid more.

In conclusion, Industrialization made America improve people better for companies and
products. Craft unions walkout so they can get better wages and at least make the business
positive. A higher social status will help those unions to be wealthy by working hard. Newcomers
helped cities make the population bigger because there were so many new jobs to look for,
including factories. The business grew bigger and the business owners made more money.
Business and wealth helped those rich people by being very smart and successful and they
were the ones that made everything great for the unions. Industrial brought hindrance in the
American society. A lesson learned from this period of time was that if there wasn’t something
that will help craft unions, they wouldn't be successful as they were in the strike, and they
maybe would’ve never done the strike if it wasn’t for that book. Also, the industry helped so
many business and unions so business owners could have more people and unions have jobs
so they can have money for their family. A connection in today’s world is that technology has
helped so many things in this society especially for business, hospitals and schools. There are
some jobs where people don’t get paid as much as others that work in better companies.