Economic Development in Post- Civil War America

Economic Development in Post- Civil War America

Determinants of Economic Growth during the Post-Civil War.

According to Goldfield and Bromsen, Post-Civil War presented the American population to significant developmental transformation mainly through robust industrial activities. There was also an introduction of large-scale farming activities involving mechanization and infrastructural construction. These operations further helped big businesses to expand their activities in marginalized sections of the country. As A result, Asian and European immigrants left rural agriculture for white-collar employment in towns. This situation led to the availability of cheap labor for industries, which in turn led to rapid economic growth. However, the gains from this growth benefited white business owners as employees formed labor unions to fight against occupational injustices. The presence of robust industrial activities and mass production of goods and increased employee grievances means that the Post-Civil War influenced America’s strong economic base.

Economic Development after the Civil War

The end of the civil war introduced the American ecosystem to the industrial revolution. In the presence of cheap raw materials like steel, soil, timber, iron ore, many industries emerged and further spearheaded “petroleum refining, the manufacturing of steel and electrical energy” (Goldfield & Bromsen 236). The creation of steel aides in the construction of roads and railways, thus making transport quick and cheap (Domhoff). More so, the sound transport network allowed the movement of the massive amount of raw materials and goods from factories to markets and vice versa. People like John Rockefeller utilized rail transport to distribute natural assets from Pennsylvania to many regions. These products would later undergo some processes to become commercial products, namely gasoline and steel. Industrialization contributed to the replacement of hand activities with “power-machines, thus reducing the work burden” (Goldfield & Bromsen 238). Also, mechanized production of goods helped to increase the value of products as compared to earlier years. Many commodities like electric light, typewriters, petrol-engine cars, and barbed wires emerged in the market (Domhoff). This era also witnessed the discovery of the telephone, which made communication easy, thus leading to the steady growth of the business.

Emergence and Achievement of Labor Movement

Labor movement played a critical role in protecting the common interests of employees within the by them rapidly growing economic setup.        This organization originated from the 1768 New York protest against wage cut and the 1794 formation of the Federal Society of Journeymen Shoemakers (Goldfield & Bromsen 242). It had occurred to employees that the beneficiaries of their hard work were few business owners and leaders who had capitalized working policies that aimed at turning the former into slaves (Domhoff). These policies include low wage, racialized strategies that perpetrated inhuman treatment against employees. As a result, the Labor Movement succeeded in forcing the labor sector to improve working conditions and employee wages. At the same time, it also managed to attain a “reasonable occupation time and stop child labor” (Goldfield & Bromsen 247). Labor movement also demanded for health benefits and compensation for injured employees, thus making thus improving the living standards for employees.

 Conclusion

The era of post-civil war introduced significant transformation in the American economy to attain global dominance. Indeed, the presence of cheap labor, available resources, and other favorable conditions contributed to economic growth. However, employees benefited least from these gains, thus engaged in labor organizations to present their grievances to employers. The Labor Movement emerged and contributed immensely by changing most of the unfavorable occupational patterns towards improving employee lives.

 Works Cited

 Domhoff W., G. The rise and fall of labor unions in the U.S: From the 1830s until 2012. WHO rules America, February 14, 2013. https://whorulesamerica.ucsc.edu/power/history_of_labor_unions.html

Goldfield, M., & Bromsen, A. The changing landscape of U.S unions in historical and theoretical perspective. Department of political science, March 7, 2013. https://www.annualreviews.org/doi/pdf/10.1146/annurev-polisci-032211-214003