Industrialization, Technology & Economic Systems
How did inventions such as the telephone and the Bessemer Process transform American industry?
New inventions increased efficiency and communication. The Bessemer Process made steel cheaper, allowing railroads, factories, and skyscrapers to expand, while the telephone improved business coordination across long distances.
How did industrial leaders like Carnegie and Rockefeller build large business empires?
They used vertical and horizontal integration to control production and eliminate competition, allowing them to dominate entire industries.
Why did labor unions form in the late nineteenth century?
Unions formed to improve wages, hours, and working conditions for industrial workers.
What problems did muckrakers seek to expose during the Progressive Era?
Muckrakers exposed corruption, unsafe working conditions, political machines, and corporate abuses.
How did political machines operate in American cities?
Political machines traded jobs and services for votes, often using corruption to maintain power.
Why was mass production made possible by interchangeable parts and the assembly line?
Interchangeable parts allowed identical components to be quickly replaced, while assembly lines divided labor into simple tasks, greatly increasing speed and lowering production costs.
Explain the role of trusts, monopolies, and holding companies in the Gilded Age.
These business structures reduced competition by combining companies, often creating monopolies that controlled prices and markets.
How did strikes such as Homestead and Pullman affect public views of unions?
Violence during these strikes caused many Americans to view unions as dangerous or radical, weakening public support.
How did the work of Upton Sinclair influence government action?
His novel The Jungle exposed unsafe meatpacking practices, leading to the Meat Inspection Act and Pure Food and Drug Act.
Why did Progressives support reforms such as initiative, referendum, and recall?
These reforms increased democracy by giving citizens more direct control over government decisions.
Compare capitalism, socialism, and communism as responses to industrialization.
Capitalism emphasized private ownership and profit, socialism supported government control of major industries to reduce inequality, and communism called for complete worker ownership and a classless society.
Compare horizontal and vertical integration.
Horizontal integration involved buying competitors, while vertical integration controlled all stages of production from raw materials to distribution.
Explain how push and pull factors shaped immigration patterns.
Push factors like poverty and persecution drove immigrants out of Europe, while pull factors such as jobs and freedom attracted them to the U.S.
Why were settlement houses important to Progressive reformers?
Settlement houses provided education, childcare, and support to immigrants and the urban poor.
How effective was Theodore Roosevelt’s trust-busting policy?
Roosevelt successfully broke up harmful monopolies while allowing beneficial trusts to operate under regulation.
Why did cities grow rapidly during the period of industrialization?
Factories created jobs that attracted workers and immigrants, leading to urbanization as people moved to cities for employment opportunities.
To what extent did laissez-faire policies encourage economic growth?
Laissez-faire policies allowed businesses to expand freely, encouraging growth, but also led to abuses such as monopolies and worker exploitation.
Compare the experiences of old immigrants and new immigrants.
Old immigrants assimilated more easily, while new immigrants faced language barriers, discrimination, and harsh urban conditions.
How did the temperance movement reflect Progressive values?
Temperance supporters believed banning alcohol would reduce poverty, crime, and family abuse.
Explain how Progressive Era legislation improved consumer protection.
Laws like the Pure Food and Drug Act protected consumers from unsafe products and false labeling.
How did Adam Smith’s economic ideas influence the U.S. market economy?
Adam Smith promoted laissez-faire capitalism, arguing that free markets and competition would regulate the economy through supply and demand.
Were big business leaders more accurately described as robber barons or captains of industry?
They can be seen as both: robber barons for exploiting workers and consumers, and captains of industry for creating jobs and supporting philanthropy.
How did urbanization impact living and working conditions for the urban poor?
Urbanization led to overcrowded tenements, poor sanitation, and unsafe factory work, lowering quality of life.
To what extent did reformers succeed in improving working conditions?
Reformers achieved some success through child labor laws and safety regulations, though many problems remained.
How did constitutional amendments expand democracy during the Progressive Era?
Amendments such as the 17th and 19th increased voter participation by allowing direct election of senators and granting women the right to vote.