North. The growing population created demand for more consumer products and goods, which made the industries grow even more.Industrialization and the growth of cities went hand in hand. Cities offered large numbers of workers for new factories. Cities provided transportation for raw materials and finished goods. As more plants were built, more workers moved to cities. In 1880, less than quarter of Americans lived in cities. By 1900, almost 40 percent did. Urbanization was aided and improved by new technologies in transportation, architecture, utilities, and sanitation. In addition, cities offered new cultural opportunities as museums, concert halls, theaters, and parks. New printing presses turned out mass-circulation newspapers, magazines, and popular novels.Business growth brought generally higher wages to American workers. Yet periodic unemployment and poor working conditions remained a fact of life for workers. In addition, employers held enormous power over the lives of their workers and could lower wages and fire employers at will. To improve conditions, increasing number of American workers formed labor unions, which helped advance the cause of labor. Also, Industrialization brought changes to the lives of women in all classes. In the late 1880’s, more women began taking jobs outside the home, some out of economics necessity and others out of a desire for a larger role in society. Women started to attend colleges in increasing numbers though the late 1800’s and they sought to apply their educations and social concerns in the job market. Women’s suffrage, movement started to grow more active.In addition, Industrialization had aided the settling of the West. A growing United States population and a demand for new lands and resources lured Americans westward, reducing the Native American population and forcing them into ever-shrinking parcels of land. The new technologies helped the people who moved ...
