The Industrial Revolution changed the very nature of daily work for millions of Americans. Previously, they might have worked fo
r themselves at home, in a small shop, or outdoors. They crafted raw materials into products or grew a crop from seed to table. However, when they took factory jobs, they went to work for a large company. The repetitive work often involved only one small step in the manufacturing process. This meant workers did not see or appreciate what was being made. The work was often dangerous and performed in unsanitary conditions. Machines replaced highly skilled craftspeople in one industry after another. By the 1870s, machines were knitting stockings and stitching shirts and dresses. Machines cut and stitched leather for shoes and produced nails by the millions. By reducing labor costs, machines reduced manufacturing costs. This meant manufacturers lowered prices they charged consumers. In short, machine production created a greater number of
products at cheaper prices. Which statements are main ideas of “The Industrial Revolution in the United States”?
Select the two correct answers.
a Labor unions arose to combat the poor conditions workers faced in factories.
b The government often sent National Guardsmen and federal troops to end strikes.
c Strikes and work stoppages were actions used to draw attention to workers’ problems and to improve their situation.
d ,The Great Railroad Strike of 1877 began in West Virginia and spread to three other
