Standard 4

Industrial development and the consequences of that development on society and politics

during the second half of the nineteenth and the early twentieth centuries.

Day 1Wednesday

4.1 6 slides

• Impact of government policy and the transcontinental railroad– Development of a national market– Culture of Native Americans

Growth of the Nation• During and after the Civil

War, government policies fostered the rapid economic growth and expansion west– Created a national market

for trade – Threatened the culture of

Native Americans living in the west

Growth of the Nation• The Civil War was a turning

point in national transportation– Prior- railroad construction

impacted the growing tension between the regions• Northerners and Southerners wanted

the route in their respective territory

– During- the absence of Southern Democrats in Congress allowed the Northern Republicans to pass laws to their benefit• The Pacific Railway Act provided land

grants to promote the building of the transcontinental railroad

Growth of the Nation• The Homestead Act granted

western farm land to settlers for free as long as they created a home there

• The transcontinental railroad fostered the development of a national market by linking all parts of the country– The railroad provided access

for farmers and ranchers to markets in the east as well as access for emerging industries to the natural resources in the west

Impact on Native Americans • Due to roaming buffalo posing a

threat to the railroad tracks on the plains, the railroad company encouraged the killing of the bison– Plains Indians who were dependent

on the buffalo could no longer sustain themselves

• White settlers were attracted to the west due to the availability of free land– Native Americans were forced to

agree to treaties that moved them onto smaller reservations

Impact on Native Americans• Some Native Americans resisted but

were relentlessly pursued in a series of Indian Wars by the US cavalry

• Others complied only to be driven from the reservation land due to the discovery of minerals

• Criticism of the US government led to policy changes– The Dawes Severalty Act attempted to

foster Native American assimilation into American society

– Tribal lands were divided into farming parcels and given to families

– This did not match the cultural habits of the Native Americans so many lost their land to whites

Impact on Native Americans• Native Americans’

attempts to revive their traditions were viewed as a threat by the US army– Resulted in the massacre at

Wounded Knee, South Dakota

• Native Americans were left in poverty and cultural decline without a voice in America’s democracy

Day 2Thursday

4.2 5 slides

• The economic growth of the United States and its emergence as an industrial power– Abundance of natural resources– Government support and protection• Railroad subsidies• Tariffs• Labor policies

– Expansion of international markets

Economic Growth• During the Civil War, the

US entered a period of rapid economic growth

• Factors of production– Land (natural resources)– Labor– Capital– Technology– Entrepreneurship

Government Support• The government helped entrepreneurs become

successful– The national bank provided needed capital and regulated

lending– Westward expansion opened up a vast region rich in natural

resources (coal and iron ore) – Native Americans who threatened to impede access to these

resources were controlled– Businesses were supported by court decisions that upheld

contracts (Dartmouth v. Woodward)– Patent laws were passed that protected the rights of the

inventor – Interstate commerce was regulated (Gibbons v. Ogden)– Protective tariffs protected infant industries– The invention of the steam engine was applied to the

steamboat, oil drilling, and the railroad

Government Support• The Republican Party promoted

economic growth• Congress passed laws which

stimulated westward expansion• War contracts stimulated the

economy• Post war, the US government

provided protection for settlers against Native Americans

• Tariffs were raised to protect industry from foreign competition

Government Support• Labor policies promoted the

interests of business• Open immigration supplied a

ready force of workers– The Chinese Exclusion Act was

passed after the completion of the transcontinental railroad

• The government supported Big Business instead of the increasing number of immigrant laborers

International Trade• Industrial growth led to a

surplus of products• Surpluses promoted the US

government to support the expansion of international markets– Foreign policy initiatives

expanded US territorial influence, protected American investments abroad, and promoted trade

Day 3Friday

4.3 9 slides

• Capitalism and its impact on democracy– New industries– Availability of consumer goods– Rising standard of living– Role of entrepreneurs– Monopolies

Role of Capitalism• Capitalism- an economic system

characterized by private ownership of property and the use of that property to make a profit for an individual or corporation

• Corporations grew larger and more powerful – Had a greater influence on the economy

and government

• Critics questioned the compatibility of large unregulated corporations and the rights of workers and consumers in democracy

Rise of Big Business• Railroads led to the

growth of the steel, lumber, meat packing, and coal industries

• New towns grew along the routes and older ones were able to specialize in particular products

Rise of Big Business• The Bessemer process helped

Andrew Carnegie control the steel industry through vertical integration– Bessemer process- cheap and efficient

process for making steel– Vertical Integration- a company’s taking

over its suppliers, distributers, and transportation systems to gain total control over the quality and cost of its product

• Carnegie controlled the steel industry from the mining of iron ore and coal to the steel mill

Rise of Big Business• John D. Rockefeller used a variety of tactics to

gain control of the oil industry– Controlled retail outlets which could only sell his

products– Undersold the market price until he drove his

competition out then increased prices– Initiated trusts to gain control of the oil refining

industry through horizontal integration• Trust- an unincorporated business organization that is

used in place of a corporation or partnership for the transaction of various kinds of business with limited liability

• Horizontal Integration- the merging of companies that make similar products

Business Monopolies• Vertical and Horizontal Integration

created business monopolies– Monopoly- complete control over an

industry’s production, wages, and prices

• The Sherman Anti-Trust Act made it illegal to form a trust that interfered with free trade between states or with other countries– Had very little impact

Business Monopolies

• Critics of these entrepreneurs and unregulated capitalism believed the interests of the “Robber Barons” were protected too much by the government

Day 4Monday

Supporting Industry• “Captains of Industry” justified

their use of cut-throat practices with the ideologies of Social Darwinism (survival of the fittest) and laissez faire capitalism (government hands off)

• Wanted the government to side with management during disputes

• Called for high tariffs to protect their monopolies

Social Obligations• Carnegie improved his public

image with his advocacy of the Gospel of Wealth and gave away millions to libraries and universities– Gospel of Wealth- describes the

responsibility of philanthropy by the new upper class of self-made rich

• Rockefeller also became a philanthropist after his business practices came under public scrutiny

Improving Society• A rise in the standard of living and new

products improved many Americans’ lives• Electricity, the typewriter, and the

telephone provided new opportunities for women in the workplace

• Mass production lowered the price of goods

• Farmers and laborers did not gain a higher standard of living– Low prices of crops and – Low wages for labor

4.4 14 slides

• Impact of industrial growth and business cycles– Farmers – Workers– Immigrants– Labor unions– Populist movement

• Government response to economic problems

Challenging Big Business• As the influence of Big

Business grew in the late 19th century, farmers and workers formed political organizations– Influence the government– Claim greater political

leverage– Economic well-being

Supply and Demand• Supply and demand influenced the

economic problems and the political actions of farmers in the 19th century– Supply- goods being sold

• How much to sell? • What price?

– Demand- people buying goods• What to buy?• What price?

• As price decreases, demand increases and supply decreases

• As price increases, demand decreases, and supply increases

Day 5Tuesday

Problems for Farmers• American farmers produced an

abundance of cash crops– Steel plow– Mechanization of the reaper– Available land

• When supply exceeded demand, the price of crops fell– Farmers were unable to make payments

on the loans

• Farmers responded by planting more crops so they could make more profit– The more farmers planted, the greater

the supply and the more prices fell

Problems for Farmers• Farmers tried to solve their

economic problems by organizing politically

• Farmers blamed their economic distress on the railroad due to the high prices they charged for transporting and storing goods– State legislatures passed the

Granger Laws which tried to regulate how much the railroad could charge

Problems for Farmers• The Supreme Court ruled

that state law could not regulate railroad rates because they crossed state lines (Munn v. Illinois)

• The US passed the Interstate Commerce Act to control railroad rates and practices

The Populist Party• Farmers attempted to influence the

national government through the Populist movement

• The Populist Party was formed in the 1890s and supported vast regulations– Railroads, Banking, Currency

• Populists believed increasing the amount of silver mined and coined would help them get higher prices for their goods (Bimetallism)

The Populist Party• The Populists advocated

government reforms to protect democracy from the influence of Big Business– Popular election of Senators– Secret ballot– Graduated income tax

• Farmers attempted to ally with the workers by advocating an 8-hour day and immigrant restrictions

Day 6Wednesday

Problems for Workers• Workers joined unions to protect

against the abuses of the market place and Robber Barons

• To increase profit, management treated workers as replaceable cogs in the wheel of production– Long hours and unsafe conditions – As more laborers became available,

each individual laborer was viewed as less valuable

• During the 1890s, only 45% of unskilled workers earned more than $500 a year

Labor Unions• Early unions advocated arbitration and

opposed strikes• Striking was typically ineffective because so

many other laborers were looking for work– ‘Scabs’ were hired to break the strikes

• Management used private security, applied economic pressure through company ownership of homes, ‘yellow dog’ contracts, and black listing to control workers– ‘Yellow dog’ Contract- in order to be hired, an

employee agrees to not be a member of a labor union

– Black List-preventing workers from obtaining jobs in certain industries due to prior disagreements with management

Government Involvement• Local and national government also

took the side of management– Protected business property, stopped

strikes, and arrested strikers

• Railroad Strike of 1877– Railroad workers were protesting two

wage cuts– Workers could not earn enough to pay

the rent on company owned housing

• Haymarket Incident– Chicago citizens were protesting police

brutality

• Pullman Strike– Railroad workers were protesting wage

cuts– The leader was arrested and imprisoned

Government Involvement• Union members were

categorized as dangerous foreign radicals, socialists, communists, and anarchists

• Nativist prejudices created hostility towards labor organizations

• The arrest and imprisonment of the leader of the Pullman strike led to the Supreme Court’s application of the Sherman Anti-Trust Act to unions

Challenges for Unions• Craft unions of skilled workers led to

some success– Used collective bargaining on the “bread

and butter” issues of wages, hours and conditions

– Skilled workers were more difficult to replace so the threat of strike was more effective

• Although wages rose and hours fell by the end of the 20th century, they were not the amount advocated by unions

• Unions remained largely ineffective because only about 4% of workers joined

1896 Election• The election of 1896 was

pivotal for farmers and workers

• Two issues divided the nation– “soft” money v. “hard” money;

bimetallism v. gold• Bimetallism- mining and coining

silver and gold to increase the amount of currency in circulation

– Which groups should the government protect: bankers and businessmen or farmers and laborers

1896 Election• William Jennings Bryan was the Populist candidate

(laborers and farmers)– “Cross of Gold” speech- the gold standard was referred

to as a “crown of thorns” and a “cross of gold” meant to hurt the common person

• William McKinley was the Republican candidate– Front porch campaign- most of his campaign was spent

near his home; gave speeches only to those who he knew would support him

• Big Business influenced the campaign through intimidation at the polls– Workers voted for the Republican party because they

feared for their jobs and did not support bimetallism due to it increasing the price of food

• President William McKinley won the election– Problems for farmers and workers continued into the 20th

century

Day 7Thursday

4.5 7 slides

• Causes and effects of urbanization– Movement from farm to city– Changing immigration– Ethnic neighborhoods– Political machines– Great Migration

From Farm to City• 19th c. immigration and growing

cities impacted democracy in the US

• Geography impacted growing cities– First as centers of trade– Then as transportation hubs– Finally, due to electricity, as centers

of industrial production

• Technological innovations such as the elevator, suspension bridges, electric trolley cars, elevated tracks, and subways allowed cities to grow both skyward and outward

From Farm to City• City populations grew due to

immigration and migration from farms– Farm technology caused a

surplus in crops leaving the only option for employment in cities

• Others were attracted to the city because of its rich cultural life and excitement

• Despite the growth of cities, the majority of Americans lived in rural areas before 1920

Changing Immigration• In the late 19th c., immigration

patterns changed as more and more immigrants came from southern and eastern Europe

• Prior to the Civil War, Irish and Germans were the predominate immigrants

• Nativism increased as Italians, Poles, Jews, and Russians came to dominate immigration

Ethnic Neighborhoods• Many immigrants were too poor to

move beyond the port – Ethnic neighborhoods grew as more

immigrants came to each city– Churches, schools, businesses, and

newspapers reflected the ethnicity of Little Italy, Greektown or Polonia

• Ethnic towns impacted city politics– Immigrants voted for those who

found them jobs – Votes were given to neighborhood

and ward bosses in gratitude

Political Machines• Urban political machines were able to solve

important problems despite corrupt bosses like New York’s William “Boss” Tweed– Political Machine- organized group that

controls a political party in a city and offers services to voters and businesses in exchange for political and financial support

– Boss Tweed- head of NYC Democratic political machine. Led a group of corrupt politicians in defrauding the city

• Increasingly crowded city conditions led to problems with housing, sanitation, transportation, water, crime, and fire

Great Migration• Most freedmen stayed in the

South immediately after the Civil War

• In the 1890s, the migration of African Americans from the South was the result of poor cotton yields– As farm prices fell, African Americans

joined other farmers in the move to the cities for job opportunities

– Jobs in mill towns of the South were not available to them

Great Migration• African Americans headed to the

West in search of land and to the cities of the North and Midwest

• African Americans faced discrimination in the cities– They were the last hired and the first

fired– Often used as strikebreakers, they

suffered resentment of striking workers

– They were relegated to the least desirable parts of the city in segregated neighborhoods

Day 8Friday

4.6 12 slides

• Accomplishments and limitations of the women’s suffrage movement and the Progressive Movement– Social and political reforms– Roles of media– Reformers:

• Carrie Chapman Catt• Alice Paul• Jane Addams

– Presidents:• Theodore Roosevelt• Woodrow Wilson

Progressive Reform• The Progressive

Movement developed in response to the problems of the city and workplace– A movement of the middle

class– Objected to paying taxes to

corrupt city governments– Desired better city services

Progressive Reform• “Muckrakers” investigated the

corporations and conditions of the late 19th c.– Corruption of political machines– Power of monopolists– Plight of Native Americans, workers,

and immigrants

• Writings were printed in inexpensive newspapers and books

• Upton Sinclair wrote The Jungle which exposed the meat packing industry

Progressive Reform• Young educated women promoted

social reform– The women’s rights movement,

initiated at the Seneca Falls Convention, focused on suffrage

• Women had the opportunity for higher education at women’s colleges and work in factories and offices

• As women moved west, more states granted them the right to vote

Women’s Suffrage• Due to their appreciation for the role

women played as pioneers, western states generally allowed women to vote before eastern states

• Middle class women were frustrated by their inability to have political influence in solving the problems of city life and the workplace

• African American women formed an association to secure their civil rights

• Carrie Chapman Catt helped found a women’s group to promote suffrage

Women’s Suffrage• Women campaigned on the idea

that they would clean up society and government– Opposed to liquor and political

bosses

• Alice Paul supported a national amendment to the Constitution

• Suffragettes were attacked by angry men, arrested and held in prison– Jailers had to force feed them

during hunger strikes

Women’s Suffrage• The 19th Amendment was

passed in 1920 as a result to activism and the contribution women made to the war effort

• Democracy was extended as women gained the right to vote– Few women ran for political

office or were treated equally in the work place

Women’s Suffrage• Jane Addams was an educated

woman who created the Hull House in Chicago– Immigrants were able to take vocational

classes and receive childcare

• Addams and other progressives advocated protection for child laborers– State laws limited hours and conditions

and a federal child labor act was passed– The Supreme Court ruled the child labor

legislation unconstitutional, limiting progress

Day 9Monday

Presidential Support• The progressive movement started

at the city and state level with progressive mayors and governors– It gained national support with the

presidency of Theodore Roosevelt

• Theodore Roosevelt was the first president to give any support to the rights of workers

• He used his office as a ‘bully pulpit’ to promote progressive reforms– Bully Pulpit- a political office or

platform used to advocate an agenda

Presidential Support• Theodore Roosevelt supported:

– Legislation enhancing the powers of the Interstate Commerce Commission over the railroads was passed

– Government regulation of the corporation through the application of the Sherman Anti-Trust Act

– Consumer protection with the Pure Food and Drug Act and the Meat Inspection Act

– Conservation of natural resources by creating national parks

– Founding of the Progressive (Bull Moose) Party in 1912

Presidential Support• Woodrow Wilson used his

presidency to promote progressive reforms– Clayton Anti-Trust Act exempted

labor unions from anti-trust laws– 16th Amendment- graduated

income tax– 17th Amendment- direct election

of Senators– Federal Reserve Act- promoted a

more elastic supply of money– More credit available to farmers– Protected 8-hour work day– Workman’s comp. for injury

Limits on Progress• World War I limited the

continuation and effectiveness of progressive reforms

• Wartime grain shortages and anti-German propaganda prompted the 18th Amendment (prohibition of alcohol)– Was impossible to enforce

• Women’s support of the war effort prompted the 19th Amendment (women’s suffrage)– Didn’t result in any significant

changes

Similarities in the Movements• Progressive Movement and

Women’s Suffrage• Both were essentially middle class

movements• Both used the talents of educated

supporters, particularly women• Both experienced significant

opposition• While presidents supported

progressive reform, they did not advocate women’s suffrage

• Women eventually took more aggressive actions and marched and picketed to achieve their goal.