Abstract
During the period of 1870-1920, America was transformed into an industrial nation and elevated itself to the status of being a world power economically, politically, and militarily. With an abundance of coal and iron ore, the United States moved slowly and deliberately toward achieving self-sufficiency in the production of iron, steel, and associated products. These industries laid the foundation for a broad transformation in the manufacturing of a variety of goods. Two major forces came together to play essential partnership roles necessary for the extraordinary production of iron and steel. Private entrepreneurs organized capital to acquire and develop mines and mills. They required an abundant supply of labor in order to manage labor costs as they sought to satisfy the growing demand from America's expanding manufacturing sector. Millions of immigrants, predominantly from Southern and Eastern Europe, immigrated to the United States between 1870 and 1920, moving in large numbers into unskilled positions in these key industries. These immigrants were eager to join the industrial revolution for jobs, increased wages, and economic riches. This thesis draws on extensive primary and secondary sources to demonstrate a direct correlation in the production of iron and steel, the inflow and increase of immigrant labor, and the rise of production. Immigrant laborers and entrepreneurs in the mining and steel industries established a mutually beneficial symbiotic relationship that served the economic needs of each.