The Industrial Revolution that occurred in the post-Civil War era had consequences for both business and labor. Some of these were good while others were very bad. But nonetheless, it paved the way for modern ways of living and making a living. .
Business in America was changed greatly by the second coming of an Industrial Revolution. The first Industrial Revolution was brought on by steam, but this one was brought on by steel. Both Henry Bessemer in England and William Kelly in the U.S. discovered that blasting air through molten iron produced high-quality steel. This changed the world and led the way for railroads, factories, and automobiles. One man emerged as the leading steel tycoon, Andrew Carnegie. He used a combination of salesmanship and the use of the latest technology in his business, U.S. Steel, climbed to the top of the industry. Another man that benefited from this Industrial Revolution was John D. Rockefeller, the richest man of his time. He founded a company that would later come to control most of the nation's oil refineries by eliminating its competition. By 1881 his company, Standard Oil Trust, controlled 90% of the oil refinery business. These men weren't the only two men that benefited, though. Their vast empire of factories and mines provided many jobs for U.S. citizens as well as immigrants. The Industrial Revolution also provided money for westward expansion through the development of the railroad. This period brought several laws dealings with trust and monopolies. Acts such as the Sherman Antitrust Act in 1890 "prohibited any contract, combination, in the form or trust or otherwise, or conspiracy in restraint of trade or commerce." These were just a few of the many consequences that the second Industrial Revolution had on business in the U.S. .
Before the Industrial Revolution, workers had a personal and relaxed workplace that valued an artisan's skills. After the development of factories, the assembly line, and mass production things radically changed.