Industrialization in the Northeast produced great benefits and also major problems. What were they?
Who benefited and who suffered? Did the benefits outweigh the problems, or vice versa?
In the 1830’s, the Northeast United States had achieved a booming industrial, and commercial sector. The
benefits were easy to see, the revolution created a atmosphere that helped Americans quickly produce larger
quantities of goods for the whole of the nation. Goods were being produced so quickly, and in such large
quantities sometimes goods were even sold to the international market. The United States even had less of a
dependence on foreign imports now than during the times of the colonial era, which meant more money was
being generated for the local economy. Some negative affects were created during these times too. New class
divisions emerged creating economic, and social inequalities. Areas around these industrial, and commercial
sector had turned into a crowded urban areas inhabited by low wage workers who did not benefit from the new
economy. “By the 1830s, the area had become a slum, home to widespread poverty, crime, and disease.” (“9.1
Early Industrialization in the Northeast – U.S. History | OpenStax” n.d.)
Those who benefited from the new economy were the merchants, and the artisans. The merchants were
company owner, factory owners, and wealthy Providence industrialist. The artisans were hardworking, skilled,
experienced craft workers who created goods by hand. Those who suffered were the low wage workers both
adults, and children. Factories more often than not did not allow employees to sit down. In the mills the
temperatures were extremely hot, and humid in the summer. In the winter workers were often left shivering in
the cold. In these environments the workers health started to deteriorate. Workers adult, and children even
faced punishment which was common practice in factories. The abuse could be so extreme that children
sometimes died as a result of these injuries.