Why was the late nineteenth century an age of rapid industrialization?
Henry Bessemer Developed
The Bessemer process which simplified the production of steel making it in higher amounts and quality.
Some popular corporations were
The Standard Oil Company: John D. Rockefeller
Carnegie Steel company: Andrew Carnegie
J.P Morgan & Co.: J.P Morgan (helped build the steel company, and helped form the General Electric Company by merging some Edisons company with others)
New York Central Railroad: Cornelius Vanderbilt
Pullman Company: George Pullman (produced luxury railroad carts)
Temperance movement
Anti-Saloon League: sought to combat the perceived social evils associated with alcohol, particularly saloons. Wanted to unite people against alcohol
18th Amendment: Banned the selling and production of alcohol
Prohibition: No alcohol
Dry state/Wet state: Dry(no alcohol), Wet(Yes alcohol)
Federal Reserve Act
The Federal Reserve Board was to oversee the banking systems, ensuring there was sufficient money available at all times. This act increased federal power to stabilize the economy and prevent financial crises.
Urbanization
The process by which a population shifts from rural areas to cities, this was driven by the job opportunities and the arrival of New Immigrants.
Muckrakers gathered information on Robber Barons allowing them to expose all their sinister ways to remain in office. eg. Ida Tarbell Exposing all the the mishaps of the Standard Oil Company which helped with its breakup
What were Robber Barons? name a popular one.
What is wealthy and powerful American industrialists and financiers who amassed vast fortunes through exploitative and monopolistic ways. eg. Andrew Carnegie, and Boss Tweed
Womens Suffrage
Women fought for their right to vote first in local then in national elections-> 19th Amendment
Federal income tax
Introduced a federal income tax to fund government programs fairly. It gave the federal government more resources to regulate the economy and reduce reliance on tariffs, changing power from states to the national government.
Monopoly
A single company has control over a single industry. Eg, the Standard Oil company
Vertical and Horizontal Integration
Business strategy that allowed monopolies to expand.
Horizontal: Increasing the production of goods to outcompete others
Vertical: You control every step in the making of a good
The Panic of 1873
Began on September 18, 1873, when Jay Cooke & Company, a major investment bank heavily invested in railroad construction, declared bankruptcy. This collapse triggered a chain reaction: the New York Stock Exchange closed for ten days, banks failed across the country, and over 18,000 businesses shut down within two years.
Meat packaging industry? What was wrong, how did they know, and how did they try to solve it?
The meat packaging industry was incredibly unsanitary and held terrible working conditions. Upton Sinclair infiltrated it and gathered enough evidence to write a book, "The Jungle", bringing light to the industrys' discrepancies. This angered the middle and upper classes (progressives), who were unaware of the faults in the industry they called for this to be solved. The Food and Drugs Act and the Meat Inspection Act were pushed, ending food adulteration and mislabeling of ingredients. Moreover, all food intended for interstate or foreign trade must be investigated by the USDA.
Through the Sherman Anti-trust Act various monopolies and trust were able to be broken, which protected labor unions and workers.
Social Darwinism
People believed survival of the fittest applied to human society and business, which justified the concentration of wealth in individuals.
Why did immigrants come to America and how did they live?
After suffering terrible conditions in their country, many people from their country found a great job opportunity in America. They were offered terrible jobs with equally bad conditions and low pay, as they could not find anywhere else to work. These were the new immigrants.
The Pullman and Haymarket strikes were
Pullman: occurred in the Panic of 1983 when workers in the Pullman company got their wages cut, but the company refused to decrease their rent in the town owned by the company.
Haymarket Riot: It began as a peaceful rally of about 1,500 workers, organized by labor radicals to protest the killing of two strikers the previous day during a clash at the McCormick Reaper Works, but when police threw a bomb to separate the crowd, many were injured and killed, including policemen. No one knows who threw the bomb, but many were found guilty and killed. Established May 1 as workers day.
17th amendment
Established direct election of U.S. Senators by popular vote. People could now vote for both of their Senators through the voters, eliminating direct primaries and corruption.
Compulsory school attendance
Required children to attend school within specific age ranges, with variations by state. Generally, attendance is mandatory from age 6 or 7 until age 16 to 18, depending on the state. Parents, guardians, or custodians are legally responsible for ensuring compliance.
Initiative, referendum, recall
I: Voters could propose new amendments or laws through the collection of signatures.
Referendum: Voters could reject or approve laws passed by the legislature.
Recall: Voters could remove an elected official from office before their term ended.
What were some major inventions, who invented them, and what were they for?
Telephone -> Alexander Graham Bell, allowed people to communicate
Telegram: Enabled near-instant communication across vast distances, fundamentally altering how information was shared.
Light-bulb -> Thomas Edison: Enabled extended work hours, driving industrial productivity, and reshaping urban and domestic life, fueling both economic growth and urbanization.
Impacts on Human Health
The meat packing industry: Sold spoiled food to the people who lived in the slums resulting in the outbreak of various diseases. Exposed in "The Jungle" by Upton Sinclair leading to the Pure Foods and drugs act which ended food aldulteration
Poor sewage systems: People would dump trash and feces on the street spreading Cholera, and Typhoid
Overcrowding
The settlement house movement was ... (provide an example of a settlement house and what it did)
What were the child labor laws?
People of higher classes lived in the slums to observe the issues and provide help to the movement, which wished to end overcrowding and the poor living conditions. eg, Jane Adams Hull House in Chicago, which provided children with an education ad recretional programs.
Child labor laws: banned children from under the age of 16 to work.
The Secret ballot
Allowed voters to cast their votes in private, which further eliminated the power of Political Machines since they could not manipulate elections anymore. Eg, Tammany Hall
Pendleton Act of 1881
Federal Jobs were now awarded based on merit/ qualifications, which replaced the spoils system, where positions were given based on political loyalty or favors.