City Life in the Late 19th Century | Rise of Industrial America, 1876-1900 | U.S. History Primary Source Timeline | Classroom Materials at the Library of Congress | Library of Congress (2024)

FAQs

What was life like in the industrial cities of late nineteenth century America? ›

Industrial expansion and population growth radically changed the face of the nation's cities. Noise, traffic jams, slums, air pollution, and sanitation and health problems became commonplace.

As the promise of jobs and higher wages attracted more and more people into the cities, the U.S. began to shift to a nation of city dwellers. By 1900, 30 million people, or 30 percent of the total population, lived in cities.

The large and growing urban populations, primarily fueled by immigration throughout the second half of the 19^th century and the first two decades of the 20^th century, created a huge demand for the increased production of the emerging industrial sector.

A surge of technological innovations and inventions, like Thomas Edison's incandescent lightbulb and Alexander Graham Bell's telephone, fueled this economic growth. The economic boom made the rich richer and the poor poorer, widening the already large economic gap between the two groups.

“Cities grew because industrial factories required large workforces and workers and their families needed places to live near their jobs. Factories and cities attracted millions of immigrants looking for work and a better life in the United States.”

Industrial growth transformed American society. It produced a new class of wealthy industrialists and a prosperous middle class. It also produced a vastly expanded blue collar working class.

Old industries expanded and many new ones, including petroleum refining, steel manufacturing and electrical power, emerged. Railroads expanded significantly, bringing even remote parts of the country into a national market economy.

Between 1860 and 1910, the population of the United States nearly tripled. This population growth provided industry with a large workforce and created greater demand for consumer goods. Population growth stemmed from two sources—large families and a flood of immigrants.

The Industrial Revolution brought about sweeping changes in economic and social organization. These changes included a wider distribution of wealth and increased international trade. Managerial hierarchies also developed to oversee the division of labor.

What 3 Things Played a Role in the Industrial Revolution? The use of iron and steel; new energy sources, such as coal and steam; and the factory system all fueled technological progress.

What caused rapid industrial growth in the late 1800's? ›

At the heart of these huge increases was the mass production of goods by machines. This process was first introduced and perfected by British textile manufacturers. In the century since such mechanization had begun, machines had replaced highly skilled craftspeople in one industry after another.

During this period, U.S. economic power grew, driven by new inventions in communication and transportation that closed the distance from coast to coast, and by a massive influx of immigration that sparked an explosion of industrialization and urbanization throughout the country.

Conditions varied from the splendor and opulence of the homes of the wealthy to the squalor of the lives of the workers. The Industrial Age saw new homes for the rich mimicking stately homes, whilst those for the poor were often ramshackle, dirty slum dwellings.

Manchester is a city in the north-west of England. It is often called the world's first industrial city. In the early 19th century, it became very important for the cotton and textile industry. Cotton was brought from all over the world to Manchester through its two rivers and made into linen and clothes.

The working conditions in factories were often harsh. Hours were long, typically ten to twelve hours a day. Working conditions were frequently unsafe and led to deadly accidents. Tasks tended to be divided for efficiency's sake which led to repetitive and monotonous work for employees.

The Industrial Revolution transformed economies that had been based on agriculture and handicrafts into economies based on large-scale industry, mechanized manufacturing, and the factory system. New machines, new power sources, and new ways of organizing work made existing industries more productive and efficient.