Student Question

What technology developments impacted industrialization and urbanization, and their effects?

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Urbanization and industrialization were closely tied together during the Gilded Age when people could not live outside the city and still make it to work on time. Two major advancements would be improvements in the railroad system and the tenement. Without the railroad, it would have been impossible to ship goods quickly all over the country. This called for improvements in the manufacture of steel. Bessemerization was a process that burned off impurities in steel. It made the product stronger and cheaper to manufacture. This allowed for more railroads.

Another development which was also dependent on the steel industry was the growth of the high-rise. The cost of land in major cities quickly increased so factory owners looked to build higher buildings. The tenement allowed for more workers to live in an area close to the factory. These tenements were poorly maintained and were pools of disease and crime; however, they were often what the new immigrants coming to America could afford at the time. They also provided work spaces for immigrants, as many in the garment industry and cigarette industry often had to work at home as well in order to make ends meet. The tenement, aided by the growth of the steel industry, provided a means for workers to live cheaply and close to their workplaces.

Another development would be electricity. Electricity allowed workers to work around the clock, thus increasing factory profits. Electricity also provided lighting and more safety to the tenements. Electricity would also make workers less dependent upon steam to power factory machines. Low-cost electricity would make factories quite efficient, create more jobs, and lead to the United States being one of the leading manufacturing powers by 1914.

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