HIST 1301 "Industrialization in America" - Paul Johnson
Added on 2020-05-11
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Surname 1Student Name:Professor:Subject DateIndustrialization in AmericaPaul Johnson in his book, Sam Patch, the Famous Jumper, tells the narrative of JohnPatch who rose to fame in the late 1820's for jumping waterfalls. According to the story given byJohnson, the life of Patch serves the purpose of being our porthole onto the life of the Americanworking class early in the 19th century[ CITATION Joh03 \p 48 \l 1033 ]. By far, the mostcontroversial issue in the 19th century was the question of freedom and equality based on whichgroups were supposed to be allowed freedom and equality. The industrial revolution broughtforth the existence of fluctuating levels of freedom and very dissimilar levels for each group.Equality diminished with time, and a polarized class structure was adopted. Sam Patch resolvedto jump over waterfalls since he lived near them as his family was among the first workers in thepower plants that depended on water. Johnson tells a story of dispossessed patriarchy whereSam’s father, initially a shoemaker loses his business at the wake of industrialization. This was asection of the broader narrative about the rise of wage labor which particularly served to weakenthe power and control of fathers. Patch later became a skilled laborer like the fellow young working males[ CITATIONJoh03 \p 102 \l 1033 ]. He also developed the love for rough play including jumping into
Surname 2waterfalls. He became a hero in the American culture. The story of Sam Patch helps us to gaininsights about the underlying relationships between the social structures which in turn help us todiscern the inherent relationship between industrialization and the institutions of freedom andequality during the period of Early Republic. The link between the industries and laborers wouldpossibly be described as that of master workmen, apprentices and semi-subsistencecultivators[ CITATION Ahm11 \p 12 \l 1033 ]. In the modern world, this could be closely tied tocapitalists versus workers[ CITATION Rei77 \l 1033 ].The varying levels of freedom and equality in America could perfectly be illustrated bythe removal of the indigenous Americans in the south, the advancement of the rights andcollective oppression of the blacks[ CITATION Jul09 \p 212 \l 1033 ]. Industrialization alsofacilitated the creation of the class system with a far-reaching difference between the richcapitalists and the meager wage workers. This enlightens the loss of equality that as a basis of forthe progressive movement.Owing to the class struggles, it would be impossible for the industries to establish asubstantial bond with the institutions of freedom and equality[ CITATION Rei77 \p 68 \l 1033 ].Quite often, industries work at their best to minimize costs and maximize profits. This was thetrend during the industrial revolution, and thus the factories paid low wages to their laborers. Theinstitutions of equality and freedom were obviously opposed to this and could hardly condone it.Industrialization in America can be attributed to various changes including themannerisms of living and the ways the individuals and societies interacted. It changed the qualityof life, economy and political consequences[ CITATION Per14 \p 402 \l 1033 ]. The countryportrayed a departure from the chiefly agrarian society to a mechanical culture. The majority of
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