The decades surrounding 1900 were not only the age of industrialization in the United States, but were also the age of urbanization and immigration. Immigrants were the backbone of the American industrial workforce. In the early decades of the 20th century, as the supply lowered cost of manufactured goods created a consumer revolution for rural and urban households. Many of these goods were manufactured, marketed and transported through a rapidly expanding national network of rail lines and highways. This changes were the direct result of the American industrial revolution that was founded on rising investment, employment, and productivity in the manufacturing sector.
Immigration and industrialization were correlated, immigrants had a generally positive impact on the American economy. Many immigrants came to America seeking greater economic opportunities, higher wages, labor demand and better working conditions; while some, such as Pilgrims arrived in search of religious freedom.
