What was the standard of living in the U.S. in 1865?

Question

Could anyone briefly describe the standard of living in 1865, and how those standards compare to ours today?

Answer 1

Here's an excellent reference:

http://www.newhistory.org/CH06.pdf

The very short answer is that people were subjected to working very long hours in dangerous factories, or they were slaves on plantations, or they were native Americans being forced from their land by the expanding population immigrating from Europe.

Today, we are protected by labor laws, rights and privileges that are designed to make all people equal under the law.