Valuable Vocabulary
Sweatshop
A crowded workshop where workers are paid low wages.
In the late 1800's, what was the fastest way to travel and move goods?
By train.
True or False?
Railroads brought change to New York by allowing farmers to plow fields and harvest crops more quickly.
FALSE.
This had nothing to do with railroads/trains.
Tell me a hardship faced by many immigrants in New York City.
There was a shortage of housing.
What was the term used for young children in cities who worked as newspaper sellers.
Newsies.
Labor union
How did Lewis Latimer improve Thomas Edison's invention of the first working light bulb?
He invented a light bulb that lasted longer.
True or False?
Many immigrants came to New York because they had many rights at home.
False.
One of the reasons they came to New York is because they DIDN'T have many rights at home.
Fix this sentence.
A hardship faced by many immigrants in the workplace was that they worked in unhealthy tenements.
TENEMENTS should be SWEATSHOPS.
In 1900, how long did it take by train to travel from New York City to Chicago, Illinois?
20 hours!
Tenement
A crowded, poorly built apartment building.
What did Kate Mullany and a group of shirt collar workers do when business owners refused to give them better pay?
They went on strike until the owners met their demands.
True or False?
Labor unions tried to improve life for workers in New York by passing laws against child labor.
False.
Labor unions were trying to get higher wages, shorter working hours, and improve the safety of working conditions. Child labor laws came after this.
They meant that they hoped to find the chance to make a better life for themselves and their families.
When child labor laws began to pass, an 1889 law said that children less than how many years old could no longer work in factories?
14.
Reservoir
A place where water is collected and stored for later use.
Why did more immigrants settle in New York than in any other state?
New York had more factories and more jobs than other states.
True or False?
Cornelius Vanderbilt bought his first boat when he was 21 and used it to start his own business.
FALSE.
He bought his first boat when he was 16, not 21.
Which New York construction project did John, Washington, and Emily Roebling help complete?
The Brooklyn Bridge.
Name the author who wrote How the Other Half Lives.
Jacob Riis.
Capitol
The building in which the government meets.
How did subways improve life for New Yorkers?
Subways made it easier for New Yorkers to get around big cities.
True or False?
George Eastman invented the air conditioner.
If FALSE, tell me who did.
FALSE.
Willis Carrier.
How did the "forever wild" amendment improve life for New Yorkers?
AND
How did the "forever wild" amendment help protect water for New Yorkers?
It protected the Adirondacks and Catskills for future generations to enjoy.
AND
It protected the many lakes in "forever wild" areas that serve as reservoirs for New Yorkers.
How old was George Eastman when he started to work?
14 years old.