Innovation Boosts Growth
Describe the idea of "rags-to-riches".
The idea that anyone can achieve the "American Dream" if they work hard.
What did the Interstate Commerce do?
It monitored the rates charged by railroads.
How did workers organize themselves in order to fight for better working conditions in factories?
Labor unions
Describe the relationship between opportunity and risk that immigrants faced when deciding to immigrant to the U.S.
Opportunities > Risk
Which economy grew quicker after the Civil War: north or south?
The North
Though the South had plenty of natural resources, what two major categories did they lack that prevented their industrialization?
1) educated and willing labor force
2) Capital investment
Describe an illegal action under the Sherman Antitrust Act.
Creating a large business that aims to eliminate market competition (or a monopoly)
What three conditions did workers endure in factories that eventually led to labor strikes?
long hours, poor conditions, low wages
What is nativism?
The preference for white, native-born Americans, rather than immigrants
What was tenement life like in cities?
Overcrowded, dirty, unsanitary
How did the railroad industry affect other industries and other aspects of American life in the late 1800s?
A robber baron is someone who gained near control of an industry and became incredibly wealthy, while the term "captain of industry" indicates leadership and role modeling.
Describe the relationship between immigration, industrialization and urbanization.
Industrialization + immigration = urbanization
New immigrants: Southern and Eastern Europe
What three problems did rapid urbanization cause in cities?
1) Public Health was threatened
2) Horrible housing conditions
3) Dangers - fires, crimes and conflict
Why did Mark Twain call this period in America the "Gilded Age"? Use an example.
Mark Twain called this period the Gilded Age because though it appeared sparkly and splendid on the outside, it actually was riddled with hardship and struggle.
Examples: Robber barons, Working Conditions, Horrors of City Life, Discrimination.
Describe at least one pro and one con of big business.
Pros:
- Job creation, U.S. became a world power, philanthropy from big businessmen
Cons:
- Poor working conditions, businessmen possessed an unfair business advantage over consumers, vast wealth discrepancies
How did the Haymarket Riot hurt the labor movement?
Many Americans came to believe that union members were violent anarchists.
What are two examples of push factors for immigrants deciding to leave their countries to come to the U.S.?
Natural Disaster, Civil War, Famine/Disease, Religious persecution, Poverty, Overpopulation, Political and Economic Instability
Which aspect of mass culture is credited most with shaping American's views on things like politics, world conflicts, sports, etc.?
Newspapers and journalists
Name the important invention of each of the following men: 1) Thomas Edison 2) Alexander Graham Bell 3) Henry Ford
1) Light bulb
2) Telephone
3) Automobile
How did Big Businessmen use the concept of "social darwinism" to justify their business actions?
They believed that you will either adapt, or cease to exist... it's all a game of survival of the fittest.
How did employers in the late 1800s use company towns to control their workers?
They enacted "wage slavery" by forcing employees to live in overpriced company towns near their workplace which was owned by the business. They also forced workers to buy groceries and products at company stores, which overcharged for the items and charged interest. By the time workers were paid, they owed their entire paycheck back to the business.
How did immigrants positively impact the U.S.?
1) fueled industrial growth (which helped the U.S. become a world power)
2) added traditions to American culture
3) participated in the democratic process
How did economic change in the Gilded Age lead to a culture of consumerism?