Industrialization & Big Business
What is the process of changing from producing goods by hand to producing goods using machines and factories?
Industrialization
What is a labor union?
An organization of workers who join together to demand better wages, working conditions, and rights.
What is immigration?
The process of moving to another country to live permanently.
What is urbanization?
The process of people moving into cities, causing cities to grow in population and size.
In what year did the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory fire occur?
1911
What form of transportation helped factories move raw materials and finished products across the United States?
Railroads
What is a strike?
When workers refuse to work to protest working conditions or demand changes from their employers.
What is nativism?
The belief that people born in a country should receive preference over immigrants, often leading to opposition to immigration.
What were tenements?
Crowded apartment buildings where many immigrant and working-class families lived, often with poor living conditions.
What happened at the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory on March 25?
A devastating factory fire broke out in New York City, killing 146 workers, many of whom were young immigrant women.
What is a monopoly?
When one company controls most or all of a market for a product or service, limiting competition.
Identify two dangerous or unfair working conditions factory employees experienced during industrialization.
Long working hours, low wages, unsafe machinery, poor ventilation, or dangerous factory environments.
Identify two reasons immigrants came to the United States during the late 1800s and early 1900s.
Job opportunities, escaping poverty, religious or political persecution, or seeking a better life.
Identify two problems caused by rapid urbanization during the late 1800s.
Overcrowding, pollution, poor sanitation, inadequate housing, or the spread of diseases.
Identify two safety problems that prevented workers from escaping the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory fire.
Locked or narrow exits, a collapsing fire escape, inadequate firefighting equipment, or ladders that could not reach the upper floors.
How did mass production benefit consumers during industrialization?
It allowed factories to produce large quantities of goods more quickly and cheaply, making many products more affordable.
Why did factory owners often hire children during industrialization?
Children could be paid lower wages than adults, allowing factory owners to reduce labor costs.
How did immigrant communities help newcomers adjust to life in the United States?
They provided support through shared languages, cultural traditions, religious centers, ethnic businesses, and organizations that helped immigrants find jobs and housing.
How did new transportation systems, such as electric streetcars and elevated railways, change life in American cities?
They made it easier for people to travel across cities and allowed workers to live farther away from their jobs.
What changes in workplace safety were encouraged by the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory fire?
Stronger fire safety regulations, improved emergency exits, automatic sprinkler systems, and better workplace inspections.
Explain one benefit and one drawback of the growth of big businesses during industrialization.
Benefit: More jobs, cheaper goods, or increased production.
Drawback: Dangerous working conditions, low wages, or reduced competition from monopolies.
Why were workers willing to risk losing their jobs by participating in labor strikes?
Workers hoped to improve dangerous working conditions, increase wages, or reduce long working hours. Many believed organizing together gave them a better chance of convincing employers to make changes.
What was the Chinese Exclusion Act of 1882, and how did it reflect nativist attitudes?
A federal law that prohibited most Chinese laborers from immigrating to the United States. It reflected nativism because it restricted immigration based on nationality and anti-Chinese prejudice.
Why did overcrowding and poor sanitation make diseases more likely to spread in tenement neighborhoods?
Many people lived close together, often sharing bathrooms and water sources. Poor waste disposal and contaminated water increased the spread of infectious diseases.
How did the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory fire show that stronger government workplace safety laws were needed?
The fire exposed dangerous factory conditions and inadequate safety protections. The deaths of 146 workers increased public pressure for stronger government regulations to protect employees and prevent similar disasters.