HISTORY EXAM

John D. Rockefeller

• Founded Standard Oil and became extremely wealthy by controlling much of the oil industry. He was successful because he used efficient business methods, bought competing companies, and expanded his company across the country.

Andrew Carnegie –

Built Carnegie Steel into one of the largest steel companies in the U.S. He was successful because he invested in new technology, controlled many parts of production, and kept production costs low.

Cornelius Vanderbilt –

Built a transportation empire through railroads and shipping. He was successful because he expanded railroad networks, improved efficiency, and aggressively competed with other businesses.

womens suffrage problem

Women’s Suffrage

• Problem: Women could not vote or participate equally in the political system.

womens suffrage, solution

• Solution: Activists such as Susan B. Anthony and Alice Paul fought for women’s right to vote. Their efforts helped lead to the 19th Amendment in 1920, which gave women the right to vote.

child labor problem

Child Labor

• Problem: Children worked long hours in dangerous factories and mines for very low pay.

child labor solution

• Solution: Reformers pushed for child labor laws that limited working hours and set minimum ages for workers.

wages and working conditions, problem

Wages and Working Conditions

• Problem: Factory workers often earned low wages and worked long hours in unsafe conditions.

wages working conditions solution

• Solution: Progressives supported labor unions, minimum wage laws, shorter working hours, and workplace safety regulations to protect workers

muckraking

Muckraking was investigative journalism during the Progressive Era that exposed problems such as corruption, unsafe working conditions, and poverty. Newspapers, magazines, photographs, and books helped these journalists reach large audiences and create pressure for change.

Upton Sinclair:

In The Jungle (1906), Sinclair investigated Chicago’s meatpacking industry and described unsanitary conditions, contaminated meat, and dangerous factories. His work shocked the public and helped lead to the Meat Inspection Act and Pure Food and Drug Act of 1906, which created stronger safety regulations for food.

Ida Tarbell:

In her series “The History of the Standard Oil Company” (1902), Tarbell investigated John D. Rockefeller’s Standard Oil and exposed unfair business practices, including using its power to eliminate competitors. Her reporting increased public support for antitrust action against large trusts.

Jacob Riis:

In How the Other Half Lives (1890), Riis used photographs and detailed descriptions to show the overcrowded and unsanitary tenements where many poor immigrants lived in New York City. His work helped convince people that urban housing conditions needed to improve.

how this era’s mass media helped highlight their “causes.”

Mass media was important because newspapers, magazines, books, and photographs allowed these stories to reach a huge number of Americans. Seeing real evidence of these problems increased public awareness and pressured politicians to pass reforms.