The colonial economy is a system whose main responsibilities are consumption and production. This concept was initiated by the colonists in the different colonies all over the world. The purpose was to fulfill the economic demands of the community, which included the area of investment, raw materials and the settlements. The basic living style was also considered, for example, agriculture, transportation, mining, communication, trade and commerce (Greenlaw et al., 2022).
Due to the industrial revolution, many Southern as well as Western community representatives explained that their regions were colonial economies. They produced a comparatively larger number of crops which were transported to the other regions of the country. Industry was installed in those regions because of good expectations of the availability of raw materials as well as the labor force. These are some of the most prominent reasons that were discussed in history and led to the conclusion that the Westerners, as well as Southerners, used to believe that their regions were, at that time, colonial economies (Corbett et al., 2014).
The availability of the slave population in these areas also led to the conclusion that these areas were colonial economies. They used to serve the colonial regions and other areas with the finished products. These areas also maintained and nurtured an identity completely different from the rest of the region, which is also highlighted in the historic compositions.
2-Why did corporations in the West succeed more often than small entrepreneurs?
At the time of the very new introduction of industry in the United States, people from all over the country were hired for labor as per the progress. The corporations had the support of the United States government in many ways.
The entrepreneurs had no support from anyone, and they had to struggle on their own to survive in the market. The corporations were mostly headed by the whites, and they had great financial support from the government, because of which they were never seen to be ending. Moreover, the ownership was also distributed, and the system was governed by the government representatives and their personnel relations. The entrepreneurs didn’t find any financial support from the government at that time, and they completely depended upon the revenues and the market. Some entrepreneurial ventures ended in a year or two, some struggled for a decade, and very few reached stability.
Since the Western governments were more focused on the war, they required a strong industry inside the country in which a higher percentage was in the hands of corporations. They made firearms and war equipment for the war and used them to serve the nation, and in response, the Western government paid them comparatively more than from another source of income. The entrepreneurs also failed because they welcomed a new supply of cheap labor, which was perceived as a cultural and economic threat by the native working class.
In a nutshell, the entrepreneurs were completely ignored, and they had no exposure to sustainability. The corporations had almost the entire business of the nation, so there was little chance that they would be ignored at any point.
3-Explain why, despite its vast human and natural resources, the South experienced more severe poverty than the West.
The South was rich in natural resources, and a good workforce was available, but the people were less skilled and unwilling to consider the industry as their way of earning. The South was also rich in fertile land, and the crops, which were their only livelihood, were easy to cultivate. Since buying slaves was good in increasing the capital and for this purpose, the government preferred slave purchases. Moreover, a good number of people moved toward the north because of religious reasons.
Comparatively, the North had a strong reason to be prosperous in those decades. They had industrialization support, which let them produce the finished products. This was lacking in the South, and the South was only producing cotton, which was raw material for the industries and was directly transported to the North. The black communities were always in conflict with the overseers while working for them.
The concept of sharecropping started, which increased the debates over the masters. This made blacks less confident about the future, so they trained themselves for metalworking, construction and other domestic and industrial skills.
Still, the South always suffered from a weak economy, unjustified working conditions, and a lack of industrialization. During the slave regime, the white masters didn’t invest much in technological change as well, and they didn’t pay the local community their dues. The North comparatively had better conditions. There were higher levels of industry change and technological innovation, which helped the communities there easily achieve their economic goals.
4-Explain how industrialization affected agriculture in the South and West.
Industrialization had a great impact on farming and agriculture at the national level. The farmers from the South started using machines and other developed ways to harvest their cash crops. The population took necessary steps to expand the boundaries of the newly developed country.
The farmers initially used dirt roads to ship their crops from the farms to the market, and the distance was more than 330 miles. The rapidly developing railway and infrastructure boosted agriculture as a result of industrialization. In many areas, due to the speed of processing, small farms collectively became huge commercial lands to grow crops for the labor working in the industry. The first implementation of technology in farming allowed farmers to grow more food with less effort.
Technology made the crops and farms larger by comparison. Without it, the productivity was very low. These revolutionary movements in agriculture were before the proper adaptation of the economic as well as political systems. Due to the excessive supply of crops and fewer consumers, the cost of the crop decreased to unacceptable rates, which caused many farmers to lose their farms and others to try to make ends meet. The blame was placed on the railroad companies, bankers, and grain suppliers to the market. They made the ing expensive, and the crop rates decreased.
5-By comparing and contrasting the cultural values of whites and Indians, explain why it was so difficult for the two peoples to live together peacefully.
While comparing the initial majority of the whites who relocated from England to the American lands and met the Native Americans who were at that time called Indians, it can be explained that in the time of 17th century, the Indians didn’t have any written accounts, and the history of the region was maintained by the writings of White people who visited the region before the relocation of the white community. Therefore, it can be concluded that the information produced by the white literature could be unreliable and misleading, which could be either done deliberately or unconsciously. The newly established communities saw the history through European perspectives.
The whites and the natives were completely different. In the discussion of native Indians, it is described in the history that their culture and religion were totally complicated if discussed collectively. Every tribe had a different culture according to its locality. The individuals relocated from southern England had a lot in common, and they shared many things with respect to their habits and lifestyle, but still, they didn’t try to live with the Indians and lived in a separate development.
The Whites tried negotiations and unexpected selling of the Indian-cultivated and already occupied fertile lands at the very initial stages, which created a belief in the minds of the Indians that the Whites were invaders and would enslave them. The Indians had their own chief, and they didn’t want to work under Whites, which caused small conflicts, and the two different communities started living separately. Also, the Indians disapproved of the European laws and continued following their own traditions and customs.
3.7 Study Essays For The Exam
1-What contributions did Thomas Alva Edison, George Eastman, and Alexander Graham Bell make to business and industry? How did their contributions promote the rise of industrial systems?
The inventions during the Industrial Revolution era had significant importance, and many people contributed to this field as well. Thomas Alva Edison, George Eastman, and Alexander Graham Bell are the people who are remembered by everyone, and their inventions and modifications increased the growth of industry as well as business.
Thomas Alva Edison is considered the greatest inventor of all time. He was an inventor as well as a businessman. His main invention is the electric light bulb. He also developed the phonograph and the motion picture camera. His inventions were highly appreciated and were considered the basis of all the other sub-inventions of these technological enhancements. The long-lasting battery and electric bulb were implemented and are currently being used.
George Eastman invented the first camera, which helped in the promotion of amateur photography as well as motion pictures. George Eastman is responsible for the rise of amateur photography among American customers, and his enhancements in this field brought photography into daily life instead of limiting it to portrait studios.
The invention of the telephone could never be forgotten as he invented better ways of communication. Alexander Graham Bell worked on the refinement of the phonograph, and he invented the telephone. The nineteenth century was the era of the communication revolution, and Alexander Graham Bell’s telephone is among the best inventions of that time.
2-Why were railroads “America’s first big business”? How did they help to foster a “managerial revolution”?
The first big business in America was the railway construction. From 1860 to 1900, the American railway was entirely changed, and it helped the industry to develop more rapidly than in the past. The railway was considered the chief system for the transportation of people, goods, and materials, which is essential for industry. Since it was a service used by every community, industry, agricultural sector, and livestock sector, its expansion was highly required, and it grew to all distant parts of the country, which made it a big business in America at that time.
When railroad utilization was at its peak in 1873, railroad executives tried to decrease waste as well as stiffen up their operations. Strong management hierarchies were developed, which seemed to be similar to military ranks and hierarchies. The railroads were not governed by the government but by the board of directors. A major contribution of the railway is seen in the Industrial Revolution.
The managerial revolution was seen at that time as they hired and promoted top managers on the basis of performance rather than preference. This revolution helped the railway to grow and succeed among other railroads, which were managed by quality managers. The lower level managers also played an important role in managing the core tasks to be completed before the deadlines so that there would not be any delay.
3-Compare and contrast the Knights of Labor and the American Federation of Labor.
The Knights of Labor and the American Federation of Labor were known to be the two major unions of labor in the late 1800s. The unions were representing the workers who had been mistreated for a great number of years. With the rapid increase in the industry, it was nearly impossible for the workers to improve their working conditions, increase their pay and decrease their work hours.
The Knights of Labor had a number of goals; among the most prominent were the representation of skilled workers as well as unskilled workers. Their goal was to implement the eight-hour workday. They also wanted to pay women wages equal to men’s. Child labor was supposed to end, and for all these purposes, they conducted a good number of strikes. The increase in the pay for women was seen as an extreme move at that time.
The American Federation of Labor was also formed to help labor. It was a union of workers and focused on the basic problems that were affecting labor overall. They used a more polished technique for discussing the issues with corporations to conduct bargaining and negotiation. The companies that contracted with the American Federation of Labor were supposed to hire only the labor of that union. These unions stayed away from social issues but still bargained to decrease working shifts to 8 hours a day.
4-Explain why there were so many strikes between 1875 and 1900 if the real wages of workers were rising.
During the period from the 1870s to 1900, the main problem of the workers was never wages, but some other factors were causing great problems for the workers, and they used to go on strike. One of the main problems of the strikes was that the unskilled and foreign workers were hired with equal wages, which enhanced the industry by multiple sizes.
The workers initially used to strike for a decrease in working hours per day, which could be explained simply by their need to shorten the workday. Later on, they also had many other concerns. The most prominent was that the labor unions were unable to recognize the problems and discuss them with employers, so they went on strike as well. There are many other reasons why American labor used to strike; the most prominent were to gain or defend control over the work process, improve working conditions, and protest the disciplining of unionists.
The industry expanded, and therefore, the owners didn’t try to address any issues of the workers, which resulted in strikes as well. The only place that would be considered as a door for a solution to so many problems that were not considered by the owners of the industry was the labor union, which was also not recognizing them. The strikes were also because of the working conditions because the worst working conditions in history were seen in the American industry of the late 1800s.
5-Why did the union movement attract only 12 percent of the labor force by 1900?
Before 1900, in the period from 1850 to 1910, the union movements were helping the workers who were associated with them and didn’t help those who were independent or working in other rapidly growing industries. The labor groups like the Knights of Labor and the American Federation of Labor were observed to be too radical, and they prominently showed favoritism, and their behavior was seen to be highly radical. This kind of reputation didn’t help them find a good labor force to act in their favor for the union movement of 1900. That’s why only 12% of the laborers joined them, and in that instance, the Knights of Labor was completely finished.
The Knights of Labor was responsible for the bomb set off in the Haymarket Square Riot. There were a number of trust-breaking promises made against the hopes of the laborers, which eventually made the laborers and supporting workers of the Knights of Labor leave it, and eventually, the number became negligible. A very limited segment helped the Labor Unions to stand in the 1900s.
After that time, the war started, and the labor unions collectively decided not to strike against anything until the war ended, which also made a huge number of laborers become aggressive, and they left the unions and conducted many small and deadly strikes. The industrialization of America faced a huge number of laborers being disturbed by the labor unions as well as employers.
4.6 Study Essays For The Exam
1-What was the impact of city life on women and African Americans?
There was a positive impact of city life on African-American women. The most significant factors that attracted the African-American female population to relocate from rural areas to urban residences were the Harlem Renaissance, easy divorce, labor-saving devices and consumerism.
Harlem Renaissance inspired artistic-minded people as well as African American women who preferred the urban boisterous lifestyle. There were numerous singers, artists, poets, writers, and designers among these women in the cities. The consumerism overall attracted everyone from distinct areas, and people used to relocate to cities, including African-American women and men.
One of the most attractive components in the relocation of women was the 1920s law amendments in which the women were not supposed to stay in their homes, and they could get divorced from bad husbands. Due to this, the divorce rate doubled in America at that time, and it has never dropped until now. This was a great advantage for the women to get rid of the cruel husbands, but on the other side, the family system was also highly disturbed.
Since the authorities in cities were active in domestic issues, women felt secure in urban areas. The women, for the first time in history, found freedom and used to go to college according to their own choices and pursue jobs accordingly. Resources were limited in rural areas, which led the women to struggle both to manage their household and family and to help their husbands, brothers, and fathers.
2-Who were the “new” immigrants, and how did they differ from “old” immigrants?
There is a slight difference between the new immigrants and the old immigrants. During the Industrial Revolution, as well as the end of slavery in the United States, a huge population from different areas of the world started immigrating to the United States.
In the past, there was no immigration from southern or eastern Europe, so the people who relocated from those parts were called the new Americans. The people from northern or western Europe were the base of the first immigration, so people even coming in the 1900s were called the old immigrants.
The Protestant community (the second largest form of Christianity) is considered and known as the old immigrants as they were mostly English and initially landed on American soil. The others, including non-Protestants—Catholics, Orthodox Christians, and Jews—are all known as the new immigrants. It is believed that some Jews also visited the country during the slavery period, but they didn’t stay and returned.
There was a concept in America that only America was the country with such a modern and technologically advanced industry. The skilled and the literate individuals were supposed to be the old immigrants, and the base was made that education was only in America. All the other illiterate as well as unskilled individuals were considered the new immigrants.
3-What geographic look did modern cities take, and how did they continue to function as they grew to enormous size?
In the 1960s, many governments used to build ring roads around their cities, which helped them to design and redesign the cities according to population growth as well. It is considered that the larger the city, the more difficult it would be to survive in it, and the over-expansion of cities is limited in many areas of the world.
The sole improvement of the livable urban settlements is highly dysfunctional in American cities like Los Angeles and New York. These cities are densely populated, and they are already over-expanded and are still increasing in size with the rapid increase in population.
Immigration is also one of the most important factors that causes the over-expansion and growth of cities to enormous sizes. To occupy less space while accommodating more residences and workplaces, multistory buildings were also introduced as a permanent solution for the expansion of cities.
In a nutshell, it can be concluded that the cities are growing due to the geographic looks which are the biggest problem all over the world.
4-What does the term “Victorian” mean, and how did it affect the development of urban middle-class life?
Victorian is one of the British-origin English words associated with a person who lived in the era of Queen Victoria. The main effect on the development of middle-class life was that they campaigned energetically for electoral reform as well as free trade. By initializing the conditions and circumstances of good and healthy competition, the Victorians believed that it would definitely be possible. In that era, the main purpose that was achieved was that the Victorians were rising up the social ladder.
The main factors that helped in prosperity were the hard work as well as the self-help. They considered both concepts as being the most essential and significantly beneficial for the person’s emotional well-being. The middle class started rising from quite a humble beginning, and then they proceeded to become the captains of industry.
The middle class concentrated heavily on self-help, hard work, and mental stability. There are some Victorian values, for example, humility as well as thrift. The women were considered superior to men, and they were supposed to create an oasis from the tough routines for their husbands so that when they returned at the end of the day, they would be relieved of all their tensions and out-of-home problems.
Overall, the family system and the social structure were the only elements that led the middle-class community to develop and sustain their lifestyles.
5-What roles did education perform in the late nineteenth century?
Education was considered one of the main causes of the national progress. 80 years before, very few communities were able to read and rarely was someone able to write. Education played a key role in the development of the nation in different fields, including agriculture, industry, transportation and communication.
Initially, women were not allowed to go for higher education, but after a long period of discrimination, finally, the authorities allowed females to attend university education. The people who graduated started working in higher posts and played a positive role in the development of the nation overall.
They were highly skilled and worked as literate individuals on the tasks being performed. Due to good understanding as well as training for jobs, education helped many tasks to be easily performed, which helped them understand the problems and the complexity of the work and find ways to solve them. Education, therefore, played an important role in the development of the cities.
References
Corbett, P. S., Janssen, V., Lund, J. M., Pfannestiel, T., Waskiewicz, S., & Vickery, P. (2014). U.S. history. OpenStax. https://openstax.org/details/books/us-history
Greenlaw, S. A., Shapiro, D., & MacDonald, D. (2022). Principles of economics 3e. OpenStax. https://openstax.org/details/books/principles-economics-3e
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