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Labor and Industrialization in American History Essay

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Labor and Industrialization in American History
The phrase ‘Rise Of Smokestack America’ is often used in reference to the industrial revolution during which America’s industrial growth led to the growth of factories and modern cities, the development of social classes due to division of labor and race. During this period, the American labor force transformed tremendously as the nation evolved from a largely agricultural society into a relatively modern society.
Role of Labor Force in the Transition from Agriculture to Industrialization
Until the late nineteenth century, the United States was still an agrarian community. As factories sprouted to process the products obtained from agriculture and to manufacture farm equipment, there rose …show more content…

The laborers understood the need for new equipment and considered investments for new machines that would in turn bring about other newer machines. This helped them to gain surplus from the labor which is the only factor that could add value during the process of production.
The structural manifestation of the economy manifested itself in two ways. First, each sector’s contribution to the total income of the nation changed in the course of economic growth. As this happened, the nature of the work that laborers performed was also transformed (Olson 288). The value of agriculture as the principal employer started to diminish. As a result, attention of laborers shifted to the manufacturing sector.
In addition, during economic development, the structure of the labor force changed. For instance, preference for white collar jobs was prominent among a labor force that had previously been mostly blue collar. The economy of America as a nation became more industry and service oriented. In addition, the manpower needs and requirements were transformed.
Why Labor Aided in the Transformation of America into an Industrialized Nation
Before the Industrial Revolution, production was small-scale and was performed in homesteads using basic, hand-operated machines or hand tools. Industrialization brought high-powered machines that were more efficient and enabled mass production. The laborers were attracted to towns by the prospects of paid labor and

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