Westward Expansion - Application/Main Ideas

Problems of the gilded age

Mass political & social corruption

The role of minorities in the west

Construction work
- Irish: Built the eastern half of the Transcontinental Railroad
- Chinese: Built western half of the Transcontinental Railroad

Understand the relationship between an agricultural and industrial revolution

They feed into each other
- Urbanization led to industrial progression of steel and rail, which led to the expansion of the meat industry & ease of agricultural output (plow, reaper, etc.)

The role of specific immigrants in business

Slavic Immigrants: steel workers in PA
Chinese & Irish: rail and textiles

Compare the Little Big Horn and Wounded Knee

Little Bighorn: Custer went in to clear out the Indians because there was gold on the Natives' land. The Natives attack and kill Custer and his men.

Wounded Knee: Army troops captured some of Sitting Bull's followers & took them to a camp. 300 Sioux men, women, and children were killed

Compare the Central and Union Pacific Railroads

Central Pacific Railroad: Railroad begun in Sacremento, California, and headed east, meeting the Union Pacific Railroad in Promontory Point, Utah (Chinese)

Union Pacific Railroad: Began in Omaha, NE and went west (Irish)

How is steel produced?

Iron is heated up to purify/remove impurities

Explain the gospel of wealth

The belief of Andrew Carnegie; that extremely wealthy Americans have a responsibility to spend their money in order to benefit the greater good (philanthropy)

Explain the advantages of a corporation

Protects investors from the liabilities of a business, easier to raise capital, easy to transfer ownership, and certain expenses are tax deductible

Understand the business & social beliefs of Andrew Carnegie

Business: Vertical integration, determination to never be poor, and believed “watch costs, and the profits take care of themselves.”

Social: Major philanthropist, built many libraries to improve the living standard of the poor and believed that money shouldn't be inherited

Evaluate the impact of specific inventions

- Train airbrakes: increase the speed of travel
- Pullman car: easier travel & more comfortable
- Refigerated rail cars: ability to transport fresh food shipped over long distances (meat industry)
- Steel Plow & Reaper: easier & more efficient food production/crop harvest
- Barbed Wire: enclosement of the west; end of long cattle drives
- Telephone: easier communication & switchboard operators

Compare the melting pot and salad bowl theory

Melting Pot: melted into American society; giving up their heritage of their native lands

Salad Bowl: integration of the many different cultures into United States; don't give up your heritage and can see all the diverse components in the country