HIST 12 - the rise of industrial capitalism

Washington B. Duke

wanted to compete w/ W.T. Blackwell & Company (change tobacco industry), used immigration to create more workers, became a philatrophist

James B. Duke

Duke’s son, marketed products to be more masculine using trading cards

What does Buck do w/ a booming business?

1) moves to New York 2) transformed company into tobacco monopoly

Duke’s company legacy

eventually became the American Tobacco Company, controlled about 90% of the tobacco industry

consumer abundance cycle

more workers (men, women, children) → more products/goods made → department stores established → shopping catalogues

shoe making 1840s

independent shoe making shops: relatively small, valued quality over quantity, one person that learns from skilled shoe maker

shoe making 1850s

model of shoe working started to change, process being broken down into steps, more people in charge, shoe maker no longer making 1 shoe start to finish

shift in 1880s

moment where mechanization starts to take over, skilled artisans outdated (very replaceable), workers stuck in monotonous system

workers in 1880s…

had less control of their work day, worker autonomy starts to diminish, not paid for their products but for their time

emergence of cyclical cycles

workers laid off → workers leave to go to another city → transient workers

industrial working conditions

12hrs/day, 6days/wk, $1-2/day, high rate of workplace accidents

how did industrial workplace conditions impact workers?

children very vulnerable, could die by age 20 due to black lung, families got no compensation for deaths (beliefs of laissez-faire liberalism, “that’s on you”)

Railroad industry dates

july 1888 - june 1889

railroad industry info

railroad nationally employed 700,000 workers, 2000 died, 1 out of 53 workers died on job

What was prominent about the 1800s?

the people working in industry changed, a huge period of immigration in the US (between 1860-1920: 32 million immigrants entered the US)

Ist wave of immigration dates

1830s-1890

Ist wave of immigration info

many folks coming from Ireland, Northern & Western Europeans (England, Scotland, Germany), Scandinavians, majorly protestant, some from Ireland(catholic)

2nd wave of immigration dates

1890s-1920

2nd wave of immigration info

mostly southern & eastern Europe (Italy, Greece, Russia, Armenians), mostly catholic, lots of Jews

Why did people immigrate to US?

1) push factor: war, economic downturn, political chaos, famine, disease 2) pull factor: work/promises of better economic opportunities

Where did most immigrants end up?

in cities (ex: new York, Boston, San Francisco)

How did immigrants live in US?

housing not great, lived in lodging houses - 5 cents/night, crowded, poor ventilation, spread disease easily

What were the obstacles immigrants faced from nativists in both waves of immigration?

nativism/xenophobia, nativists saw immigrants as threats

What obstacles were faced by immigrants esp in 1st wave of immigration?

Irish not seen as white, saw Irish as loud and drunk/obnoxious, Armenians endured a lot of prejudice

What obstacles were faced by immigrants esp in 2nd wave of immigration?

people believed everyone from Italy is part of mafia - “these people are not Americans, they are the very scum of Europe”

How did Congress react to acts of nativism against new immigrants?

passed the Chinese Exclusion Act (1882)

Chinese Exclusion Act (1882)

targeted the chinese, no more chinese immigration for 10 years, after 10 yrs, it was renewed for another 10 yrs, people believed chinese immigrants take jobs and bring disease

The Great Strike of 1877

strike started in Matinsburg, West Virginia on July 16, 1877, Baltimore & Ohio Railroad announced they will cut wages by 10% to all employees (wages overall down 20%), result: workers stopped working until full pay was restored

What contributed to Great Strike of 1877?

economic depression during mid 1870s, 25% of workers out of work in New York, many people fired or wages cut

What happened during strike of 1877?

governor sent in troops, 2/3 of railroads shut down, similar strikes across multiple states

How did the Great Strike of 1877 escalate in some places?

climaxed in union depot of Pittsburg, PA: troops killed 20 people in 5 min, strikers fought back by destroying railroad cars/engines

What was the result of the strike of 1877?

lots of property damage, owners became afraid of labor unrest (created armies), owners wanted workers to sign a pledge to not join a union

AFL labor union

American Federation of Labor, supported changing idea: modern capitalism should be fair, conservative, accepted capitalism, specialized trade/craft unions

IWW labor union

Industrial workers of the World, less conservative than AFL, wanted to organize workers along lines of industrial unions