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| The Rise of Modern America |
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A BRIEF HISTORY OF AMERICA AFTER THE CIVIL WAR |
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The main theme of America after the Civil War is change. Transformations were dramatic, rapid, and far-reaching. The Modern Age saw the admission of 12 new states, which doubled its geography. Americans voted on 10 different constitutional amendments, seven of which were law by 1920. The country’s population doubled, as did the number of foreign-born citizens. Americans were becoming more diverse, more urban, and more mobile. Although the Civil War was over, tensions persisted between the increasingly industrial North and the rebuilding, agrarian South. Reconstruction took place from 1865 until 1877, when federal troops completely withdrew from the South. The Southern agricultural economy continued, and the cotton industry in particular rose again after the war. However, not all Southerners embraced their return to the Union, even after their defeat. Subsequent leaders attempted to build one American nation. During the Civil War, the North pushed industrial development in order to bolster the war effort. The result was an industrial revolution that far surpassed any expectations. The industrial revolution boom led to a rising middle class of workers who were the backbone of the rising industries. The workers increasingly unionized and began to confront management on issues such as wages and work hours. Workers fought back with strikes such as the 1894 Pullman Strike. Big business was fought in the legal arena with laws such as the 1890 Sherman Anti-Trust Act. As technology improved, middle-class Americans acquired more and more mass-produced goods. These goods included appliances that would create more free time. Mass-production also reflected a greater uniformity throughout the United States. In 1883, even time became more uniform, as local times gave way to Standard Railway Time, a standard time adopted by major railroads on November 18 at noon. Transportation achievements such as the expansion of railroads and the development of automobiles and airplanes helped unify the American nation. Inventions such as the telegraph (1838) and the telephone (1876) also helped Americans bridge gaps in communication. |
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The Rise of Modern America |
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