Industrialization & Urbanization (1860-1900s)

Vocabulary flashcards covering key terms, definitions, and concepts from the lecture notes on 19th-century industrialization, urbanization, immigration, and labor movements.

Agriculture

Main source of the economy in 1860.

Industrial shift (early 1900s)

A move toward manufacturing, rise of big business, large capital, and cheaper factory-produced goods.

Midwest resources

Iron and other natural resources supported industry in the Midwest.

Northern light industry

Textiles, clothing, and leather industries in the North.

Southern textile industry

Growth of textile industry in the South.

Bessemer Converter

Innovation that transformed iron into steel.

Andrew Carnegie

Pioneer of steel manufacturing in a single mill in the 1870s.

Carnegie steel process impact

Significantly lowered the price of steel.

Electricity (industry)

Key power source that helped industry through better machines and lighting.

Thomas Edison

Inventor of the electric lightbulb and ticker tape; founded an electric generation company.

Edison’s electric company

Company for electric generation/station.

Railroads and capital needs

Railroads required large capital and debt but enabled faster movement of goods.

Pools (railroads)

Informal agreements to set uniform rates, not always followed.

Cost-cutting in industry

Reducing employee wages to lower costs.

McCellum system

Division of responsibilities in railroads.

Vertical integration

Adding operations before or after production stages (Carnegie).

Horizontal integration

Combining companies in the same industry to create a monopoly (Rockefeller).

Stock investments risk

Buying stocks and dealing with investment bankers was risky but spurred growth.

Depositions in economics: Dl and D2

Dl: 1873–1879; D2: 1893–1897 (economic depressions).

Interdependence of industries

Industries were largely interconnected and mutual dependencies grew.

Pollution

A new problem accompanying industrialization.

Business cycle

Recurring pattern of economic expansions and contractions.

Steam power and cities

Steam power helped fuel urban growth in the 1800s.

Industrialization & urban expansion

Industry spurred expansion of cities and urban areas.

Urban growth in the South

Cities in the South grew dramatically, not just in the North.

Urban health issues

Health problems for children; child death rates were 2× higher in urban cities.

Immigrants to cities

Factories attracted immigrants; machines on farms reduced rural workers.

Wages vs cost of living in cities

Manufacturing wages were higher than farm wages, but higher cost of living reduced take-home pay.

Urban lure

Urban life seemed more exciting and full of opportunities.

Great Migration (African Americans)

Movement to the North and West; segregation persisted.

Old immigrants

From the British Isles, Germany, and Scandinavia (about 60%).

New immigrants

From Southern and Eastern Europe.

Push factors for immigrants

New technology and persecution driving emigration.

Chain migration

Being recruited through reports from predecessors.

Irish immigrants families

Irish immigrants often came in family groups.

Mexican migrants: return rate

About one-third returned home.

Mexican migration after Civil War

Migration to the U.S. increased.

Chinese immigrants’ jobs

Took the most undesirable, unskilled jobs.

Chinese women’s work

Many Chinese women forced into prostitution.

Why immigrant men worked in cities

To earn money and send it home to their families.

Worker protests (forms)

Slowing down, absenteeism, quitting, drunkenness on the job.

Railroad Strike of 1877

Railroad workers struck for wage cuts; spread nationwide and caused destruction.

Number of strikes (1881–1905)

36,757 strikes occurred.

Upper class response to strikes

Sought government intervention to stop strikes.

Strike dynamics

Strikes often began in neighborhoods and spread to workplaces.

National Labor Union (1866)

Supported temperance and 8-hour workday; ultimately short-lived.

Knights of Labor

Founded in 1869 as a secret society open to all; promoted cooperative efforts and 8-hour day; failed after strikes.

Haymarket Riot

1886 bombing incident; linked to Knights of Labor and damaged their reputation.

AFL (American Federation of Labor)

Founded by Samuel Gompers; focused on skilled laborers, higher wages, shorter hours, better safety.

AFL focus

Skilled laborers, higher wages, shorter hours, better safety.

1890s setbacks for workers

Idaho miners replaced by machinery; strikes failed; owners used strikebreakers and spies.

Homestead Strike (1892)

Steelworkers vs. Henry Clay Frick; violent clash; government intervened; Frick nearly assassinated.

Pullman Strike (1894)

Wages cut; workers joined ARU; strike spread; federal troops; union collapsed.

Chinese Exclusion Act (1882)

Banned unskilled and skilled Chinese laborers from immigrating.

Life for most workers

Little leisure; many lived near work; some social mobility; immigrant children often did better.

Education vs. income values

Different groups placed different emphasis on education versus income due to cultural factors.