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Industrialization Dbq

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The Industrial Revolution, as described by Stephen Gardiner, was “another of those extraordinary jumps forward in the story of civilization.” During this time period, some might argue that Industrialization had primarily negative consequences for society. Industrialization involved the use of child labor, negatively affected the environment, and had harsh working conditions in factories. However, I will counter that it actually had a greater positive effect for society. As a result of Industrialization, the United States rose to become the world’s largest economic power and people were able to enjoy new amenities that weren’t previously available.

One of the most prominent effects that Industrialization had on society were the new amenities …show more content…

In The American Odyssey: A History of the United States, it states how by 1900, “America’s factories produced more manufactured goods than its nearest three competitors—Britain, France, and Germany—combined” (506). This quote details the U.S.’ impressive feat of being able to produce more manufactured goods than its three main competitors combined. This allows us to see how powerful the American economy had become as a result of Industrialization. Subsequently, with the American economy’s emergence as the “largest and most productive on the globe” (Document 3), the standard of living for many Americans was improved. Workers were able to pursue higher rankings within their jobs which earned them a higher paycheck. Plus, people, such as immigrants and former farmers, saw themselves as better off once they began working in factories. Moreover, for “working-class immigrants, even low-paying factory jobs in America might pay five or six times as much as they could earn in their homelands” (507). So, since jobs were better paying in the U.S., many immigrants left their mother country in hopes to achieve better economic opportunity. With this increased number of immigrants, they helped to strengthen and improve our nation’s economy. In the end, the United States’ prosperous economy, which was an effect of Industrialization, helped to improve the lives of …show more content…

Some of these include the damaging effects on the environment, cruel working conditions, and the use of child labor. First off, let’s begin with the ramifications caused by environmental damage which is something that, to this day, we are still struggling to deal with. Here is an excerpt that describes the harming effects Industrialization has had on our environment, “Industrialization has brought factory pollutants and greater land use, which have harmed the natural environment. In particular, the application of machinery and science to agriculture has led to greater land use and, therefore, extensive loss of habitat for animals and plants. In addition, drastic population growth following industrialization has contributed to the decline of natural habitats and resources. These factors, in turn, have caused many species to become extinct or endangered” (Document 3). From the quote, we get a detailed description on how there’s been a loss of natural habitats, resources, and species. Though these things are obviously not great, it’s one of the negative consequences that comes along with our nation progressing. Of course it’s not good that we are still dealing with these consequences, considering that we only have one earth. However, as time progresses, we’re discovering new innovative techniques to combat this environmental damage. Then,

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