US History Unit 5: Gilded Age REVIEW

Industrialization in the US

What led to a booming economy?

Immigrants faced economic, political, and social issues in their home countries

What led to booming immigration?

Nativism

Protecting interests of native-born citizens over those of immigrants

Ellis Island

• Immigration station

• On EAST coast

• Helped European immigrants

Angel Island

• Immigration station

• On WEST coast

• Helped Asian immigrants

Andrew Carnegie

Known for STEEL

John Rockefeller

Known for OIL

JP Morgan

Known for BANKS

Robber baron

Person who becomes rich through ruthless business practices (usually monopolies)

Railroads sold government Land grants to other people/businesses rather than settles

How did Railroads upset farmers?

Railroads charged different rates (short trips were most expensive)

How did railroads make money?

Interstate Commerce Act

1st time the federal gov regulated an industry —> set precedent for future

Laissez-faire

Government has no right interfering in business as long as taxes are being paid

Social Darwinism

• Survival of the Fittest

  • fit to survive —> succeed

  • unfit —> fail

• Philosophy used to justify mistreatment of the working class

Vertical Integration

Maximizing profits by buying out all suppliers and creating a monopoly to control economy of supply

Horizontal Integration

Maximizing profit by joining together with other companies to produce the same product

Trust

Group of businesses gain control over market/industry and create a monopoly to maximize profit

The Sherman Antitrust Act

Big businesses couldn’t work together to create trusts due to this Act

Working Conditions of Central Pacific RR

• paid unfair wages

• paid immigrants (Chinese workers) substantially worse

Child Labor

What was the cheapest labor?

Triangle Shirtwaist Company

This exposed different working unions and led to safer working conditions

Laborers created unions and fought for better pay & benefits

How did workers combat working conditions?

George M Pullman

• created sleeper cars and factory town —> created stable workforce

Credit Mobilier

• Construction company

• Inflated price of building RR

• Federal officials were involved in fraud

• Led to reform in the RR industry

Political Machine

• Organized group that controlled political activities of a city

• Gave business leaders positions in gov in exchange for support of political candidates

3 positions of Political Machine

1. Party Boss (top)

2. Ward Boss (middle)

3. Local precinct workers/captains (bottom)

Tammany Hall (NY)

Helped immigrants with naturalization, housing, and jobs in exchange for vote to political bosses

Graft

After political machine exchange, they could use political candidate in office for personal gain

Progressive election reforms

• recall elections

• referendums

• secret ballots

Combating Corruption

• Federal Reserve is put to watch over the American Banking System

• Hull House

Hull House

Created by Jane Addams to provide social services to community, address social inequity, and help immigrants integrate into American society

Muckrakers

Uncovered/rose awareness about societal issues

Jacob Riis

he uncovered horrific living conditions in his work How The Other Half Lives

Upton Sinclair

He uncovered the disgusting food quality coming from factories in his work The Jungle

Progressive Movement

Focused on promoting social welfare, moral reform, and economic reform

Square Deal

Created by Roosevelt to break up monopolies

New Lands Act

Federal gov has the authority to manage freshwater resources in western states

16th Amendment

Federal gov’s right to tax

18th Amendment

Prohibited manufacturing, selling, and transportation of alcohol

19th Amendment

Women’s right to vote

Gentlemen’s Agreement

Helped regulate Japanese immigration