Change in America Between Reconstruction and Wwi
The period of time just after Reconstruction ended to the beginning of World War I was full of change. From the “robber barons” of big business to the massive number of immigrants, many aspects of American life were changing, in both positive and negative ways. The greedy businessmen shut down competition against them and formed monopolies allowing them to set high prices and the large amount of labor allowed them to pay low wages. The immigrants worried the upper class whites because they thought the immigrants would revolt against them, and they would be outnumbered. All throughout America economic, social, and political change was occurring.
The railroads were a large reason for economic change. Before them, foods and goods were generally sold on a local market (Lecture, January 13). With railroads, products could more easily be moved around the United States, or even shipped overseas. This was a problem for many of the skilled workers who used to determine how much of a good they wanted to produce and how much they wanted to sell that good for; they were now opened up to competition. Also, they were replaced by unskilled laborers who worked in factories. This change made the skilled artisans equal to the unskilled workers, and they could not compete with the output of the factories. They were therefore put out of jobs and were forced to work elsewhere, such as one skilled iron molder who could not even afford to pay his rent and would not be paid for at least a month even if he took another job (Interpretations, 55).
Before the Civil War, the Southern economy was largely based on large plantations with slave labor. However, after the war slaves were no longer a source of labor, so the white plantation owners had to find a new source of labor. The newly freed slaves, who were unskilled workers and had little, if any, wealth, were then forced to sign labor contracts. This was done through Black Codes, which stated that any freedperson who did not sign a yearly
The railroads were a large reason for economic change. Before them, foods and goods were generally sold on a local market (Lecture, January 13). With railroads, products could more easily be moved around the United States, or even shipped overseas. This was a problem for many of the skilled workers who used to determine how much of a good they wanted to produce and how much they wanted to sell that good for; they were now opened up to competition. Also, they were replaced by unskilled laborers who worked in factories. This change made the skilled artisans equal to the unskilled workers, and they could not compete with the output of the factories. They were therefore put out of jobs and were forced to work elsewhere, such as one skilled iron molder who could not even afford to pay his rent and would not be paid for at least a month even if he took another job (Interpretations, 55).
Before the Civil War, the Southern economy was largely based on large plantations with slave labor. However, after the war slaves were no longer a source of labor, so the white plantation owners had to find a new source of labor. The newly freed slaves, who were unskilled workers and had little, if any, wealth, were then forced to sign labor contracts. This was done through Black Codes, which stated that any freedperson who did not sign a yearly