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Industrial Civilization Was A Tedious Transition For Both

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Industrial civilization was a tedious transition for both native born and immigrant Americans; they were faced with many obstacles both at work and in their everyday lives. Farmers and tradesmen were forced into unskilled labor positions during the industrial revolution. These poor conditions and new forms of labor led the way into the formation of trade unions and helped us get to where current unions stand today.
The Industrial age started around the 18th century in England. Before this point most labor was controlled by workers. Industrialization spread through Europe, India, Japan, and into The United States. In the U.S. people were farmers, artisans, tradesmen, common labors and servants (Kafmuan 2004) who had power over their work. …show more content…

The factory would be set up as an assembly line and each worker would have their place in the cog. A shoe maker who was used to making a whole shoe was now responsible just adding the heal to each shoe. He would do this every day and any of idea of him taking pride in his work was taken away from him.
The factory jobs were controlled by owners and bosses, who showed little regard for workers and their wellbeing. Workers forced themselves into work during even extreme illnesses; one absence or mistake and they might be replaced without question. These low wage jobs came with few benefits and no rights; there was nothing in place that protected the livelihood of the worker. Immigrant’s willingness to work all the time created these conditions.
At the same time, as we learned in class, America’s population grew because of labor mobility. People began to migrate from rural to urban areas, and from Europe to North America, in search of better economic opportunities, and to improve their lives. The job market became more and more competitive Hubert Gutman’s “Work, Culture, and Society in Industrializing America 1815-1919” sheds light on the struggle of farmers and tradesmen who were forced into unskilled labor positions during the industrial revolution and the many new immigrants that were finding their way to America Gutman states, “A factory worker in New

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