Industrialization & Economic Growth
What technological innovations most directly accelerated rapid industrialization in the late nineteenth century?
The Bessemer Process, the expansion of the transcontinental railroad, and new communication technologies like the telephone and telegraph dramatically increased production capacity and national connectivity.
How did horizontal integration differ from vertical integration?
Horizontal integration merges firms in the same industry; vertical integration controls all stages of production.
What distinguished “Old Immigrants” from “New Immigrants”?
Old Immigrants came from Northern/Western Europe; New Immigrants came from Southern/Eastern Europe with different cultures and religions.
What were the main goals of the Progressive Movement?
Expanding democracy, regulating big business, improving social welfare, and promoting moral reform.
How did the Temperance Movement contribute to the 18th Amendment?
Reformers linked alcohol to poverty and crime, building support for Prohibition.
How did the Bessemer Process transform American manufacturing?
It enabled cheap, mass‑produced steel, fueling skyscrapers, railroads, and heavy industry.
Why were trusts and holding companies central to the rise of monopolies?
They allowed unified control over multiple corporations, limiting competition and manipulating prices.
How did political machines like Tammany Hall maintain power?
By trading jobs and services for immigrant votes while engaging in corruption and patronage.
How did Theodore Roosevelt’s Square Deal address corporate power?
It regulated harmful trusts, protected consumers, and promoted conservation
Why did women’s suffrage gain momentum in the early 20th century?
Strong leadership from NAWSA and militant activism from Alice Paul increased pressure for voting rights.
Why did laissez‑faire capitalism encourage rapid industrial growth?
Minimal regulation allowed corporations to expand freely and use strategies like horizontal and vertical integration.
What was the significance of the Sherman Antitrust Act of 1890?
It was the first federal attempt to limit monopolies, though initially weak and often used against unions.
What problems did rapid urbanization create for the urban poor?
Overcrowded tenements, poor sanitation, disease, limited education, and exploitative labor.
Why was the Pure Food and Drug Act significant?
It created federal oversight of food and medicine after The Jungle exposed unsafe conditions.
How did W.E.B. Du Bois’ approach differ from Booker T. Washington’s?
Du Bois demanded immediate equality; Washington emphasized vocational training and gradual progress.
How did Social Darwinism justify the concentration of wealth during the Gilded Age?
It claimed economic success reflected natural superiority, discouraging government intervention.
How did the Homestead Strike and Pullman Strike reflect tensions between labor and capital?
They showed conflicts over wages and conditions and revealed the federal government’s tendency to support business.
How did muckrakers contribute to Progressive reform?
They exposed corporate abuses, unsafe conditions, and poverty, mobilizing public support for regulation.
How did the Federal Reserve Act transform the banking system?
It created a central banking structure to stabilize currency and regulate credit.
What role did scientific management play in Progressive reform?
It aimed to increase efficiency but highlighted the need for labor protections and safety.
In what ways did the transcontinental railroad reshape the national economy?
It unified national markets, lowered shipping costs, encouraged western settlement, and boosted steel, coal, and timber industries.
Why did the Knights of Labor decline while the AFL grew?
The Knights’ broad goals and the Haymarket Riot hurt them, while the AFL’s focus on skilled workers and collective bargaining proved more stable.
What was the purpose of settlement houses like Hull House?
To provide education, social services, and community support to immigrants and the urban poor.
What Progressive reforms expanded political participation?
Initiative, referendum, recall, direct primaries, secret ballot, and the 17th Amendment.
To what extent was the Progressive Movement successful by 1920?
It achieved major reforms but failed to address segregation, protect all workers, or fully regulate corporate power.