Discussion Board # 5

After the War of 1812, industrialization in the North grew quickly. Wealthy merchants constructed
water-powered textile mills in New England, where industrialized manufacturing first emerged. Along
with the modernization and consolidation of work in the mills, traditional methods of manufacturing
that were once carried out by artisans at home were replaced by wage laborers. Due to the deskilling of
activities, repetitive duties, and the breakdown of the production process into its simplest, these mills
permanently altered the nature of work. During the beginning of the nineteenth century, the laborers
were young women from farming families in rural New England, who were paid for their job.
Manufacturing began in New England and quickly spread to other parts of the country. The Northeast's
industrialization has greatly improved its economy, but it has also created significant problems due to
urban overpopulation. The Northeastern cities' industrialization enabled a high production of
manufactured goods, which produced a significant profit and improved the regional economy. In
addition to lowering the unemployment and poverty rates, this made it possible to govern the cities
with adequate resources. However, this drew visitors from all over the world, who migrated to
Northeastern cities and overpopulated the area. Despite having abundant economic resources, cities
lacked the infrastructure to accommodate large populations, which led to social issues. Entrepreneurs
were exempt from these issues because their profits enabled them to live very well-organized lives.
However, the working class was forced to congregate in areas that lacked order, sanitation, and a high
incidence of infectious diseases. Benefits did not outweigh difficulties; instead, profit-driven business
owners harmed workers' lives by paying low wages and encouraging unsafe working conditions, which
made the problems worse rather than better. The fact that the Southern States relied more on
agriculture than on industry, caused the industrialization of the South to occur more slowly. Due to this,
the Southern states experienced slower development and more severe economic issues.