The Evolution Of Our Country

The Evolution of Our Country

The United States of America is considered one of the greatest nations in the world, but it did not get to be this way very easily. Our ancestors went through many trials and tribulations in our history and had to learn many lessons the hard way to get us to where we are today. Events like The Great Depression taught us many things. Also, new inventions, westward expansion and Roosevelt's New Deal impacted our country in positive ways.

In 1866, with the American Civil War fresh in memory, workers desired a simpler way of life after the radical change in American culture. Many labor organizations, known as "brotherhoods", existed previously to the split of the Union but did not become organized until after the reunification. The first of them, The National Labor Union, became organized with over 650,000 workers by the early 1870's and called for steady wages and respect for its laborers. The National Labor Union also paved the way for several other famous organizations such as The Knights of Labor and the American Federation of Labor.

Organized labor brought about new opportunities for workers, granting both the skilled and unskilled chances for work. Not only were they given jobs, but they were given set down forms of pay and eight-hour day work schedules (americaslibray.gov). Families were given a steady income, which granted them a sense of security. With the hope of work, families would flock to metropolitan cities, causing a massive growth in population and individual demands. The main area of supporters to the NLU came from construction companies. The primary focus was on railroad construction, which was one of the largest sources of employment outside of agriculture. These labor unions gave investors top work for little concern. Things started to look up for people, but soon started to fall again.

An economic collapse in the early 1870s, known as the Panic of 1873, was one of the primary reasons the NLU went into distress. A Philadelphia-based banker, Jay Cooke, desired to create the second transcontinental railroad in the country, the Northern Pacific Railroad. The project, however, was over-manned and poorly conceived on a financial level. Over eighty banks filed for bankruptcy leading to the stock market being closed for ten days. Mass layoffs were put into effect by 1875, and by 1876 the unemployment rate was just under 15% (wikipedia.org). This minor depression had rippling effects that lasted well into the 1880s. Unions rose and fell because of simple and outrageous demands. Political stalemates held in the American Congress for years to come. Many believed that the industrial railroad corporations began to assert political ambition toward federal handling. Railroad corporations didn't want to acknowledge the existence of labor unions, fearing they would have to treat their workers fairly. The Interstate Commerce Commission, created by President Grover Cleveland, was created to address such concerns. The average American farmer was the dominate complainer that lead to the ICC's formation. They believed shipping rates of their food was being improperly determined by the railroad companies. Money was much needed in the small towns which were occupied by poor families. Another form of abuse came from the telephone companies. When the telephone, created in 1876 by Alexander Graham Bell, was put into wide spread use during the early 1900s, the ICC stepped in to regulate interstate phone services. Eventually, the authority went to the Federal Communications Commissions in 1936 (widipedia.org).

Tired and worn out because of political corruption, a group of middle American republicans broke away from their party to create the Progressive Party in the 1890's. One of their primary leaders was Theodore Roosevelt, who eventually became the 26th President of the United States. Between the 1890's and 1920's, a period in time now known as the Progressive Era, gave way to uncovering political and economical corruption, primarily through journalism, and a philosophy of, "out with the old". Many believed the old ways would not work in the new world. The Progressive Party formed ideas such as workers rights, prohibition, positive living, and social living to name a few (wikipedia.org). The social economy began to return to a state of stability, giving forth confidence in the average American. Jobs were in high demand and new prospects existed beyond every corner. People began to flood cities like New York and Chicago making them urban powerhouses. However, with all the sudden change, disaster can always lurk in the shadows.

According to most books, The Great Depression was caused by the 1929 Stock Market Crash. Other theories on The Great Depression state other reasons like our economy was producing more than it was consuming. Another theory was that the minimum wage increase was only 8%. The Federal Reserve was not producing as much money as requested. The nation, after the 1929 stock market crash, lead most Americans to save their money, rather than spend it. World War One, the war that was supposed to