The Industrial Revolution

The Industrial Revolution was a time of great change. There were many improvements made such as the use of hand tools and other handmade items, to products which were mass produced by new machines. Workers became more productive, more items were manufactured, and prices dropped very low. All of these factors of the Industrial Revolution made items more available to the general public instead of just the rich and elite. During this time, the quality of life for Americans had greatly improved. Along with bettering the economy of the United States, the Industrial Revolution promoted expansion and helped the lower class.
However, an argument can be made that the Industrial Revolution had some negative effects on the U.S. “Capitalists, people who have their own materials, money, and space, bought many machines and stored them in a factory, where hired workers would work the whole day just to manufacture goods.”(Fordham). When this happened, skilled artisans often found thems...