Industrializing America: The Nineteenth Century

by Walter Licht

Previous books on the industrialization of America have focused either on the industrial revolution in the first half of the nineteenth century or on the rise of big industry in the second. In this groundbreaking study Licht provides a new perspective by focusing on industrialization first as a product and then as an agent of change. As population expansion and greater market activity fueled manufacture, he explains, industrialization led to greater social and economic developments as well as crises that required a more administered political economic order.

Genres: History, School, Nonfiction, American History

240 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 1995

About the author

A specialist in labor history, economic history, and the history of American capitalism, Walter Licht is Walter H. Annenberg Professor of History Emeritus at the University of Pennsylvania.

Reviews

[Kevin Fitzpatrick · Rating 4 out of 5]

Historical Surveys like "Industrializing America: The Nineteenth Century" often exhibit a tendency to prize brevity over depth, as if one would "swim" in the ocean by wading into the water up to one's knees, eschewing the dangerous breakers on the horizon. However, Walter Licht's excellent, resource-rich overview of the role industry played in the history of the United States avoids this stunting effect by providing deep "dives" into the details of the time period in question. This has the much desired effect of making "real" the reader's understanding of the contradictory, confounding, and complex elements that went into the transformation of Jefferson's rural, yeoman-based republic into the corporation-dominated behemoth that strode the world like a colossus one hundred years later. To his credit, Dr. Licht does not neglect the essential role that the common people of the republic played in attempting to tame the grasping power of late industrial and financial giants like John D. Rockefeller and J.P. Morgan, including essential chapters on these efforts. This is a wonderful, complete, rewarding read for all who are interested in the topic of U.S. History in general and 19th century U.S. existence in particular. A good read this is!

[N · Rating 2 out of 5]

Boring, dry and informative. The book talks about how capitalism was formed in the 19th century that caused class and political divisions that still go on today.

[Becky · Rating 4 out of 5]

Adds a surprising amount of nuance for such a short book about an entire century.

[Kelly Griffin · Rating 4 out of 5]

Highly readable for an academic work. Very informative.

[Andrew · Rating 4 out of 5]

A very able synthesis, though it doesn't quite deliver on the pointed and (I felt) exciting promises of its introductory characterization of the period. Of course, it's almost impossible not to be overwhelmed by the amount of material Licht tries to cover. Many of the chapters would make for excellent readings for an undergraduate course.

[Pam · Rating 2 out of 5]

While this book starts out very promising it quickly becomes tedious, dry, and boring! While the author presents many interesting facts, they become overwhelming and disjointed. In addition, the book is more about labor than industrialization.

[Carl · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great look at the 19th Century