Industrialization Overview Quiz

Industrialization Overview

• Transformation from an agricultural to a manufacturing-based society.
• Mechanized mass production replaced individual manual labor.
• Assembly lines emerged, affecting craftspeople and production methods.

Light Industries

• Produces lightweight goods such as textiles, clothing, and leather.
• Involves the use of natural resources like grain and lumber.

Post-Civil War Technological Advancements

• Advances in technology led to the production of stronger materials like steel.
• Development of electrical systems spurred economic growth.
• Innovations such as trolley cars and telegraphs contributed to urban expansion.
• Electric lighting and improved transportation extended working hours.

Definition of Industrial Growth

• Refers to sectors of the economy that experience higher-than-average growth rates.

Growth of Industry

• Required financial investment and organizational structure for businesses and factories.
• Corporations formed, allowing collective fundraising to minimize financial risks.
• Stocks were sold to raise money and support expansive operations utilizing natural resources.

Understanding Stock and Stockholders

• Stock represents goods or inventory available for sale or distribution.
• Stockholders, or shareholders, own shares in a corporation.

Factory Working Conditions

• By 1900, 5.3 million individuals worked in factories under hazardous conditions.
• Workers typically worked 12-hour days, 6 days a week, earning $3 to $12 weekly.
• No compensation for job-related injuries; lacked benefits like vacations and sick days.

Sweatshops

• Factories employing individuals at low wages, long hours, and poor conditions, especially in clothing.
• Workers provided their own equipment and were paid by the piece produced.
• Often operated in substandard living conditions.

Workers’ Acceptance of Job Conditions

• Workers faced pressure to accept harsh conditions to avoid job loss, leading to collective action.
• Formation of labor unions emerged as a response to exploitative practices.

Labor Unions

• Organized groups of workers advocating for rights related to working conditions, wages, and benefits.
• Collective bargaining provided strength in negotiations against employers.
• Strikes were a common tactic used to compel employers to meet demands.

Collective Bargaining

• Refers to organized negotiations between employees and employers regarding wages and employment conditions.

Knights of Labor

• Led by Terence Powderly, united skilled and unskilled workers across various industries.
• Membership grew from 10,000 to 700,000 between 1880 and 1886.
• Advocated for higher wages, an eight-hour workday, and the abolition of child labor.
• Struggled with unsuccessful strikes and a major bombing incident in 1886, which diminished its influence.

Strikes

• Organized work stoppages aimed at obtaining concessions from employers.

American Federation of Labor (AFL)

• Founded by Samuel Gompers in 1886, focusing on uniting skilled workers.
• Achievements included shorter working hours and improved wages for its members.

Monopolies

• Refers to exclusive control over a market, impacting competition and pricing.