The radical changes in American social, economic, and political life that began after the Civil War were gaining momentum by the mid-1880s. The turn of the nineteenth and twentieth centuries was when the modern United States, a country of giant corporations, cities with a population of millions, and a society dominated by wage labor, was formed (CrashCourse). The formerly young, dynamic nation was entering a period of not only industrial but also cultural maturity and defining the contours of the United States as it would enter the 20th century.
It is a failure that the abolition of slavery did not make white and black citizens equal. African Americans and whites lived in different neighborhoods, rode in different train cars, and interracial marriages were impossible. Lincoln never concealed his positive attitude toward racism and repeatedly spoke against mixed marriages and white supremacy over blacks (Washington Post). The illiterate, almost all African Americans, were disenfranchised by the law. White Americans continued to be exalted over blacks. People were left with outdated beliefs about racial equality, which were only somewhat dispelled by the mid-20th century.
The development of justice in the United States from the late 19th century to the mid-20th century can be called a success of the time. The Triangle Shirtwaist Factory Fire was the starting point of safety measures for workers (NationSquid). After these horrific events, a Safety Committee was organized to fight for the rights of factory workers. As a result, the minimum age of workers was lowered, and the number of working hours was reduced. Safety measures for fires and other possible accidents in factories were improved, and compensation for injuries sustained on the job was improved. Since then, the lives and safety of workers began to be valued more than profits and the production’s success. Every employee of the company was important, and justice was restored.
Works Cited
“Ford, Cars, and a New Revolution: Crash Course History of Science #28.”YouTube, uploaded by CrashCourse, 2018.
“The Triangle Shirtwaist Factory Fire (March 25, 1911).”YouTube, uploaded by NationSquid, 2019.
How The ‘Lost Cause’ Narrative Became American History.”YouTube, uploaded by Washington Post, 2020.