By 1880, the United States’ industrial development had accelerated rapidly. Its industrial output surpassed that of both Britain and Germany, making the U.S. the world’s leading industrial power. By 1894, American industrial production was equivalent to half of the entire European industrial output.

By 1890, industry accounted for 80% of the combined value of agricultural and industrial production in the U.S. Heavy industry had nearly caught up with light industry in output. The ratio of light to heavy industry in 1900 was 1.4:1. Although light industry gradually represented a smaller share of overall industry, its growth rate remained significant. Even after the completion of American industrialization in 1900, light industry still exceeded heavy industry in proportion.

While agricultural growth lagged behind industrial expansion in speed, U.S. agriculture itself progressed rapidly during the industrialization period. From 1860 to 1920, cotton output increased 1.5 times, corn 2.9 times, rice 12.6 times, and wool 2.8 times. Overall, agriculture, light industry, and heavy industry developed simultaneously in a coordinated manner.

American industrialization was essentially complete by the 1890s. From 1870 to 1910, during the electrification stage, it took 40 years to achieve industrial electrification. By this time, American industry and technology had surpassed Britain’s, securing the U.S. the top position in the world. Counting from 1810, the industrialization of the United States spanned roughly 100 years.

This demonstrates that even though the U.S. industrialized faster than Britain or France, industrialization is inherently a long-term process; it cannot be accomplished overnight.

China’s industrialization, by contrast, has been constrained by prolonged periods of war. The late Qing Dynasty’s “Self-Strengthening Movement” failed to advance industrialization, and post-1949 China experienced repeated upheavals. Since the reform and opening-up starting in 1978, China has had about 40 years of industrial development—still in the mid-phase of industrialization. Achieving full industrial maturity will require decades of sustained effort. Past attempts in China to rapidly “surpass Britain and catch up with America” through a state-led, heavy-industry-focused strategy (essentially military-industrial development) proved that haste is counterproductive. Industrialization demands a gradual, long-term, and methodical process.