Machine Age

The machine age in America was a time period between 1870 and 1920. During this time period the nation saw great growth in the number of manufacturing jobs. The economy was shifting from agriculture to manufacturing. The rise of the steam engine and use of electricity made this all possible because they were the power behind the machines. Workers in 1920 would have considered themselves better off because the access to previously scarce goods was profound, and things once considered luxuries were becoming necessities.
Workers during the machine age were starting to be viewed less as an individuals and more of an accessory to the machine. Henry Ford’s introduction of the assembly line allowed workers to specialize in one part of the car and allow much faster production of the automobile. Workers were becoming specialized in one part of development of a product and not part of the whole process as in previous years. As a result of this workers were becoming forced to become more efficient because the product could not be worked on until their part was done. Frederick W. Taylor, father of scientific management, introduced new ways to become efficient. In 1898 Taylor went to Bethlehem Steel Company and studied the workers. His findings were that there was a certain shovel and way to shovel iron ore that would increase production and cut down workers. Frederick Taylor’s introduction of science as a way of efficiency caused great turmoil and forced many strikes. Labor Unions were formed to try and deal with some of the problems such as better wages, working conditions and hours. One union was called the Knights of Labor, they focused on cooperation of employers and workers to try and create a sense of equality. Labor unions in general were not focused on hours they were mainly concerned with wages and working conditions. Although unions tried their best to achieve better working conditions this did not happen, working conditions were becoming increasingly dangerous...