Title: To What Extent Did the Industrial Revolution Change American Social, Economic & Political Life? | Education - Seattle PI
Headings: To What Extent Did the Industrial Revolution Change American Social, Economic & Political Life?
To What Extent Did the Industrial Revolution Change American Social, Economic & Political Life?
Historical Context
A New Society
Economic Impact
Political Repercussions

Content: To What Extent Did the Industrial Revolution Change American Social, Economic & Political Life? | Education - Seattle PI
To What Extent Did the Industrial Revolution Change American Social, Economic & Political Life? Education
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College & Higher Education
By Douglas Matus
The Industrial Revolution, which reached the United States in the 19th century, profoundly reshaped American culture and had a significant impact on subsequent global history. If the American Revolution spurred the birth of a nation, the Industrial Revolution marked that nation’s growth into maturity. The Industrial Revolution altered all aspects of American life, from the economy to politics and the fabric of society itself. Historical Context
Prior to the Industrial Revolution, America possessed a predominantly agrarian economy and generated wealth through the trade of tobacco, and resources such as lumber, minerals, fur and fish. England, rich in resources thanks to its colonial acquisitions, benefited from a series of technological breakthroughs to become the world’s first industrial power in the late 18th century. Though the English attempted to monopolize their technology and skilled labor through legislation, industrialization spread throughout Europe and reached America. The Second Industrial Revolution, which took place roughly between 1870 and 1914, established the United States as the world’s foremost industrial power. A New Society
Most 18th century Americans lived in self-sustaining rural communities.