Industrialization & Gilded Age

Thomas Edison

American inventor best known for inventing the electric light bulb; more than 1000 patents for new inventions

Louis Pasteur

Invented Pasteurization & Vaccinations

Samuel Morse

Invented the telegraph (Could send messages in a short amount of time through the use of signals transmitted by wire. The signals moved a marker to produce written codes on a strip of paper)

Henry Bessemer

Invented the Bessemer Process

Bessemer Process

A new process which made manufacturing steel faster and cheaper and more efficiently.

Eli Whitney

Invented the Cotton Gin (Sped up cotton production by separating fibers from the seeds)

James Watt

Invented the Steam Engine (Provided an efficient source of industrial power. Used to run factory machines, trains, and steamboats)

Henry Ford

Invented the Model T (First automobile that was affordable to the average person due to an efficient assembly line)

Alexander G. Bell

Invented the telephone (provided people with instant verbal communication)

Industrial, Urban Nation

Center of commerce & finance: New York

Second largest city by 1900: Chicago

Leader in Oil Refining: Cleveland

Center of Iron & Steel Production: Pittsburg

Patent

exclusive rights over an invention; copyright

corporation

A business owned by stockholders (a group of owners) who share in its ownership.

monopoly

Exclusive control of a product or business by one person or company over an entire industry

John D. Rockefeller

an oil tycoon who made deals with the railroads to increase his profits

horizontal integration

A system of consolidating many firms in the same business to lower production costs. A type of monopoly Ex. Rockefeller

trust

A group of separate companies that are placed under the control of a single managing board in order to form a monopoly

Andrew Carnegie

Major steel tycoon, controlled all aspects of production. Used vertical integration to increase his power.

vertical integration

Practice where a single entity controls the entire process of a product, from the raw materials to distribution

Social Darwinism

...the belief held by some in the late 1800's that certain nations and races were superior to others and therefore destined to rule over them.

Interstate Commerce Commission

First government agency organized to oversee railroad commerce, created in 1887.

Sherman Antitrust Act

1890 law banning any trust that restrained interstate trade or commerce

Knights of Labor

first labor union that combined both unskilled and skilled workers. Focused on social reforms. Headed by Terrence V. Powderly

Terence V. Powderly

Leader of the Knights of Labor, opposed strikes, producer-consumer cooperation, temperance, welcomed blacks and women (allowing segregation)

Samuel Gompers

Head of the American Federation of Labor - United skilled workers

American Federation of Labor

A loose organization of skilled workers from many unions devoted to specific crafts or trades.

Eugene V. Debs

Leader of the American Railway Union and supporter of the Pullman strike; he was a Socialist

Ellis Island

A small island in New York Harbor. It served as a processing center for most immigrants arriving on the East Coast after 1892.

Angel Island

a small island in San Francisco Harbor. Served as a processing center for Asian immigrants on the West Coast.

Tenements

Multi family apartment, Types of residence that were found in inner city slums

Nativism

preference for native-born people and the desire to limit immigration.

William Boss Tweed

leader of New York City's corrupt Tammany Hall political organization during the 1860s and early 1870s.

Americanization

This was a process in which immigrant school children were taught the English language as well as culture. The purpose was assimilate ethnic immigrant groups into the dominant culture

Social Gospel Movement

From about 1870 to 1920, religious reformers strove to improve conditions in the cities according to the biblical ideals of charity and justice.

Tammany Hall

a very famous political machine

Political Machine

an informal political group designed to keep power. They provided essential services for immigrants.

Ethnic Enclaves

Most immigrants settled in cities. They lived in neighborhoods that were separated into ethnic groups. Here they duplicated many of the comforts of their homelands, including language and religion.

Settlement House

a neighborhood-based organization that provides services designed to assist the urban poor.

Chinese Exclusion Act

Banned entry to Chinese except students, teachers, merchants, tourists, and government officials in 1882. Congress extended the law for another 10 years. In 1902, Chinese immigration was restricted indefinitely; the law was not repealed until 1943.

Gentleman's Agreement

an informal agreement between the United States and the Empire of Japan whereby the U.S. would not impose restriction on Japanese immigration or students, and Japan would not allow further immigration to the U.S. (1907)

Gilded Age

1870s - 1890s; time period looked good on the outside, despite the corrupt politics & growing gap between the rich & poor

Captain of Industry

a business leader whose means of amassing a personal fortune contributes positively to the country in some way.

Robber Baron

A wealthy person who tries to get land, businesses, or more money in a way that is dishonest or wrong. They don't care about their employees they just want money

Tenement

a rundown apartment house barely meeting minimal standards poorly built, overcrowded housing where many immigrants lived

Philanthropy

Charitable donation to public causes

JP Morgan

an American financier, banker, and art collector who dominated corporate finance and industrial consolidation during his time

Cornelius Vanderbilt

American business man and largest railroad owner

James Garfield

He was elected to the presidency in 1880 by a very small margin. He was assassinated only a couple months after he came to office by a mentally distubed man who felt he was wrongly passed over for a job. This brought about reforms in the spoils systems.

Chester Arthur

He became the 21st President after the assassination of James Garfield. He sought to reform the spoil system and so was able to get the 'Pendleton Civil Service Act' passed.

Grover Cleveland

He was the 22nd and 24th president of the United States. He was known for being Honest and hardworking and for fighting corruption. He achieved the Interstate Commerce Commission and civil service reform.

Benjamin Harrison

He was the 23rd President who introduced the McKinley Tariff, and increased federal spending to a billion dollars.

Settlement Houses

Community centers in slum neighborhoods that provided assistance to the people in the area, especially immigrants

Jane Addams

Influential in creating Settlement Houses and famously created the hull House in 1889

Graft

illegal use of political influence for personal gain

Peddleton Civil Service Act

Authorized a bipartisan civil service commission to make appointments to federal jobs through a merit system based on performances on examination.

Civil Service Act of 1883

Established the Civil Service Commission and marked the end of the spoils system. Prompted by Garfield's assassination by a disgruntled office-seeker, created a merit system for 10% of federal employees, who were chosen by competitive examination, rather than political favoritism.

Populist Party Plan

•Sub-Treasury Plan, which didn't exactly happen, although the deal farmers ended up with was probably better for them;

•government ownership of railroads, which sort of happened if you count Amtrak;

•graduated income tax, which did happen after the passage of the 16th Amendment;

• government control of the currency, which happened with the creation of the Federal Reserve System;

•recognition of the right of laborers to form unions, which happened both at the state and federal level;

•and free coinage of silver to produce more money, which we'll get to in a second.

Causes of Industrial Age

- abundant natural resources

- harnessing of early power sources such as water and coal

- invention of the steam engine

- construction of roads, canals, and railroads in early 1800s

- expansion of railroads in late 1800s

- cheap labor supply provided by increasing immigration

- burst of technological innovation

- new management techniques and business strategies

- investment capital

Effects of Industrial Age

- growth of large corporations

- new & plentiful manufactured goods

- poor working conditions in factories & sweatshops

- increased labor activism

- regional economies are linked

- labor movement wins shorter workweek

Haymarket Affair

during may day labor movement. labor violence broke out - bomb thrown. eight anarchists were tried for crime and seven sentenced to death - even tho bomb thrower was never found. Knights Of Labor deemed too radical and violent - lost popularity and membership

Railroad Strike of 1877

railroad companies cut wages to reduce costs.Railroad strike spread and shut down 2/3 of nation's rail trackage. Hayes brought in the fed troops.

Homestead Strike

cut wages nearly 20% at Carnegie's homestead steel plant. Because he precipitated a strike, Henry Clay Frick used weapons of the lcokout, private guards, and strike breakers

Pullman Strike

Pullman's railroad sleeping cars. general cut in wages -- workers ask for help from Eugene V. Debs who tells his workers not to handle pullman cars.cleveland orders injunction - interfered with the maila

Credit Mobilier

Involved the construction company that did most of the road building for the Union Pacific Railroad. They overcharged the public for construction costs and bribed Congressmen.