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  • Essay / The Most Important Factors Contributing to the American Industrial Revolution

    When asking the question what were the most important factors contributing to the American Industrial Revolution, there are many possible answers . However, in my opinion, of all the factors discussed in the video, it is the railway industry, the steel and oil industry, and immigration issues that strike me the most.Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on “Why Violent Video Games Should Not Be Banned”? Get the original essay The railway revolution was literally gigantic. Railroads moved large quantities of people and goods faster and more efficiently than ever before. The success of a city's economy depended on having a railway station. Between 1870 and 1890, rail networks grew from 57,000 miles to 167,000 miles. However, such growth over such a short period was very problematic. Rail safety issues have been happening left and right because developers only cared about money rather than safety. Charles Francis Adams admitted that “our method of doing business is based on lying, cheating and stealing – all bad things. » (626) By the 1880s, too many railroads were being built and the economy could no longer support them. The steel and oil industry took off as new railroads were built across America. After William Kelly and Henry Bessemer found a way to make steel in 1859, steel became affordable and used for the production of many things. The Pittsburgh company led by Andrew Carnegie was eventually sold to JP Morgan and is now known as US Steel. On the other hand, oil was not of much use at first. It was not until the discovery of gasoline, kerosene, and distillates that people came to appreciate petroleum. John D. Rockefeller saw the potential in the oil trade early and controlled 90% of the global trade, leading him to become the first oil billionaire. Immigration began to be a serious problem in 1882, when 800,000 new immigrants arrived in America each year. This created inadequate living conditions, unethical working conditions and, for the first time, pollution. Large companies were unwilling to pay fair wages and forced their workers to work 18 hours a day. Women and children often worked in sweatshops. Business owners have adopted the mentality that if one worker is unable to work or doesn't like the conditions, there will be another one waiting at the door for their shift. Keep in mind: this is just a sample. Get a custom paper now from our expert writers.Get a Custom EssayThe Knights of Labor were established in the 1880s to address these issues and ultimately ban child labor. Between 1880 and 1900, laws/acts were passed to help preserve natural resources, set aside land for forests, and end water pollution..