5-8 Paragraph Histor Assignment (Standifer)

Essay Question:

Discuss the positive and negative social consequences of the “American Industrial Revolution.” 

What benefits accrued from the rapid rise in the economic status of the United States, what were 

its social costs, and how do you weigh the balance between them?

Considerations:

 the interrelationship of the rise of heavy industry, rapid urbanization, immigration, and 

the expansion of the industrial workforce

 widening economic disparity between classes in American society

 worker unrest and the rise of labor unions

 Social Darwinism’s emphasis on individualism and competition