America at the Turn of the Century

Aspect of Society and Cleanup, Economic, Political, Social

Laissez-Faire

Laissez-Faire

Hands-off economic marketplace where the government does not regulate the economy and interfere with trade; a capitalist system.

Limits on Competition

Major businesses like the Western Union Telegraph Company, Rockefeller's Oil company, JP Morgan's domination over financial companies and some railroad businesses formed monopolies, which are large companies that combined with other industries and dominated that sector as one large company as opposed to having other small markets and companies in the same industrial sector. Less competition arose because there was only one company independent from the government that controlled everything in the industry.

by financial companies I meant taking over stocks of other companies and handling them

Robber Barons

Term used to describe a group of wealthy and powerful industrialists and business leaders in the 19th and 20th centuries. They were often criticized for their ruthless business practices and lack of concern of workers welfare. However, many of these robber barons were well known for their contributions to society such as stabilizing the economy and philanthropic efforts.

ex: Andrew Carnegie, John D. Rockefeller, Cornelius Vanderbilt. J.P. Morgan, and Leland Standford.

Credit Mobilier Scandal

Political scandal that involved Union Pacific Railroad, Credit Mobilier of America and the US Government. The scandal was result of the close relationship between railroad and the company and allowed for the company to overcharge the railroad for construction costs and pocket the difference.

Scandal came to light in 1872, when it revealed that Credit Mobilier had given government officials shares of stock in their company to influence their decisions regarding the railroad.

The scandal was major embarrassment for the U.S. government, and it helped re-elect President U.S. Grant because the Republican Party had been heavily damaged by the scandal.

Working Conditions

Women entered the workforce in this time period and experienced long hours, horrible working conditions like improper management of factory tools leading to workplace accidents, and low wages, which combined with the breadwinner's wages barely covered the cost of an average American family; Children also had to work in the coal mines and often contracted lung diseases, part of the child labor that was popular in the late 19th centuryc

Strikes

Form of worker protest against harsh conditions and low wages of industrial jobs. In the late 19th century, the rise of large corporations and industrial monopolies led to a growing diving between the wealthy elite and working class. Workers In various industries organized strikes to demand better wages shorter working hours and improve working conditions. These strikes often involve large numbers of workers and were often met with resistance from employers who use intimidation to break up the strikes.

ex:

• The Great Railroad Strike of 1877: This was the first nationwide strike in the United States, involving railroad workers in several states. The strike was sparked by a pay cut for railroad workers and quickly spread to other industries. The strike was eventually put down by federal troops and state militias, but it was a major turning point in the history of labor in the United States.

• The Haymarket affair: In 1886, a peaceful labor rally in Chicago turned violent when a bomb was thrown, killing several police officers. The incident led to a wave of anti-labor sentiment and repression, with several labor leaders being arrested and executed.

• The Pullman Strike: In 1894, factory workers at the Pullman Palace Car Company, which built railroad cars, went on strike to protest wage cuts and poor working conditions. The strike quickly spread to other industries and led to a nationwide transportation shutdown, which was put down by federal troops.

• The Coal Wars: In the 1890s, coal miners in the Appalachians went on strike to protest low wages, dangerous working conditions and poor living standards. The strikes were met with strong resistance from the coal companies, who used violence and intimidation to break up the strikes.

Sherman Anti-Trust Act

A law that forbade trust or combinations in business, this was landmark legislation because it went one of the first congressional attempts to regulate big business for public good. At first the law was mostly used to restrain trade unions, as the courts tended to cyber companies and legal cases. In 1914, the act was revised, so it could more effectively be used against monopolistic corporations.

Interstate Commerce Commission

established to enforce the Interstate Commerce Act (1887) that required railroads to express the railroad charges openly; prevented bad "rate wars," or conflicts between what amount of money to charge, and made sure competing business interests could be resolved in peaceful ways. The act was enforced by Congress.

Political Machines

Type of political organization characterized by focus on winning elections and maintaining political power. Known for their ability to deliver votes, especially from immigrant and working class communities, through a combination of patronage, intimidation and voter fraud. They would often use the power of government jobs, contracts and other forms of patronage to control the lives of citizens and maintain political power. In return, they would provide services such as food and coal to the poor during winter job placement and other forms of assistance.

ex:

• Tammany Hall in New York City led by William Tweed

• Democratic machines in chicago led by Richard J. Daley

Civil Service

System of hiring and promoting government employees based on merit, rather than political patronage. The system of established in the US as a way to reduce corruption and patronage in the government and replace workers with the proper skills and qualifications. The first Civil Service laws were passed in 1883, and were known as the Pendleton Civil Service Reform Act. The act established a system of competitive exams for government jobs, and created a Civil Service Commission to oversee the implementation of the new system.

Expansion of Democracy

Characterized by the extension of voting rights to previously marginalized groups of citizens. This era saw changes in voting laws and constitutional amendments aimed at increasing the participation of citizens in the democratic process.

Social Darwinism

Believers in the idea popular in the late 19th century that people gained wealth by “survival of the fittest”. Therefore, the wealthy had simply won the natural competition and owed nothing to the poor. And indeed, service to the poor would interfere with this organic process. Some Social Darwinists also applied this theory to whole nations and races, explaining that Powerful peoples were naturally endowed with gifts that allowed them to gain superiority over others. This theory provided one of the popular justifications for US. Imperial ventures like Spanish-American War.

Living Conditions

American standards of living were rising. Urban growth skyrocketed and more cities were formed. More employment and jobs were created. Many immigrants, mainly from European countries like Ireland and Germany, rushed to take these jobs because they faced their own issues at home like the potato famine and the housing crisis in England. More factories were created and factory jobs were in great demand. Rural American citizens and middle-to-lower class European immigrants lived their lives at the factory, meaning they had to work long hours there. Women also entered the workforce during this time and faced the same dangerous working conditions. Workers had to rely more on their employers for their wages and a lower percentage of the workers had self-paid wages.

Unions

the rise of machines, a massive influx of immigrants, the widespread recruitment of unemployed people across America, the lowering of wages all lead to the anger of many workers who wanted to do something and rise up against the big businesses. Unions were formed as a result Hundreds of thousands of workers and national unions focused on lowering the cost of living and higher wages were formed National Labor Union: aimed to unify workers across trades in the Americas and Europe to challenge their bosses

black workers and Chinese immigrants weren't included in this national labor union the racism of white unionists and the black worker's support of the Republican party prevented them from working together Knights of Labor: new organization continuing the work of the National Labor Union that aimed to include everyone except Chinese immigrants; campaigned for economic and social reform and included certain rules for safety and health of the workers that they felt should be observed

Nativism

Immigrants from Asia, mostly from China, Mexico, Canada, Ireland, Germany, and England came to America for work. This caused tensions with the "native-born" Americans. The majority of these immigrants were Protestant. European immigrants came from countries with established democracies, although they experienced shortages of land and religious persecution at home. Americans felt threatened by the immigrants because they felt the immigrants were taking their jobs. Immigrants were seen as racially inferior and the reason why people had lower wages, also why immigrants were often denied entry into many labor unions.

Consumer Protection

relatively new concept, laws and regulations were put into place to protect the rights of consumers, who were often at a disadvantage when dealing with powerful businesses.

• One of the first consumer protection laws passed in the late 19th century was the Pure Food and Drug Act of 1906, which was designed to protect consumers from dangerous and adulterated foods and drugs. This law established the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), which was responsible for enforcing food safety and drug purity standards.

• Another significant development in consumer protection was the creation of the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) in 1914. The FTC was created to investigate and prevent anti-competitive and fraudulent business practices, such as false advertising and price fixing.

• Additionally, the Sherman Anti-Trust Act of 1890, which was aimed at breaking up monopolies and promoting competition, was enforced to prevent businesses from exploiting consumers through predatory pricing and other practices.

Social Gospel

movement within American Protestantism that emerged in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. It emphasized the application of Christian principles to social and economic issues. The movement was a response to rapid industrialization and urbanization of the USA, which brought many problems such as poverty, inequality, and poor working conditions.

The movement was led by a number of prominent figures, including Walter Rauschenbusch, who wrote the influential book "Christianity and the Social Crisis," and Washington Gladden, who advocated for the application of Christian principles to labor relations and social reform.

The movement focused on a wide range of issues, including poverty, labor rights, racial equality, and immigration. It called for government action to address social and economic problems, and for the creation of institutions such as settlement houses and labor unions that would help to improve the lives of working people.

Gospel of Wealth

term used to describe a social and economic philosophy. Popularized by Andrew Carnegie and its idea is that the wealthy have a moral obligation to use their wealth for the betterment of society.

Carnegie's essay outlined several principles for the use of wealth, including:

• The duty of the wealthy to use their wealth for the common good.

• The importance of using wealth to promote self-reliance and independence in the poor, rather than creating dependency.

• The need for wealthy individuals to give away their wealth during their lifetime, rather than leaving it to their heirs.

Settlement Houses

established primarily in urban areas to provide social and educational services to immigrants and working-class communities. Idea was to create a “settlement” of middle-class, college-educated community members that would improve the lives of the residents.

The first settlement house was established in Chicago in 1889 by Jane Addams and Ellen Gates Starr, who were inspired by the work of social reformers in England. The settlement house was called Hull House, and it provided a wide range of services to the community, including educational classes, health care, and job training.

Settlement houses provided a wide range of services to the communities they served. Some of the services provided by settlement houses included:

• Educational classes and programs, such as English language classes, vocational training, and college preparatory classes.

• Health care services, such as medical clinics and health education programs.

• Social services, such as child care, legal aid, and job placement.

• Cultural and recreational activities, such as libraries, music and art classes, and sports programs.

Consumer Protection

relatively new concept, laws and regulations were put into place to protect the rights of consumers, who were often at a disadvantage when dealing with powerful businesses.

• One of the first consumer protection laws passed in the late 19th century was the Pure Food and Drug Act of 1906, which was designed to protect consumers from dangerous and adulterated foods and drugs. This law established the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), which was responsible for enforcing food safety and drug purity standards.

• Another significant development in consumer protection was the creation of the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) in 1914. The FTC was created to investigate and prevent anti-competitive and fraudulent business practices, such as false advertising and price fixing.

• Additionally, the Sherman Anti-Trust Act of 1890, which was aimed at breaking up monopolies and promoting competition, was enforced to prevent businesses from exploiting consumers through predatory pricing and other practices.

Child Labor Laws

Most of these children were children of immigrant parents. Some of them were illiterate and they grew up illiterate and without a formal education. Children worked as breaker boys, in the steel mills, coal mines, street trades, glass bottle production factories, workshops, and farms. Over time, unions and feminist movements worked together to form a crusade against child labor. Some major reforms came their way. By 1938, the Fair Labor Standards Act was passed. It established minimum wage and prohibited minors from taking part in dangerous and oppressive labor. By the early 20th century, children of lower laborer classes started working in many different industries while the children of upper class parents and businessmen had comparatively less work. The National Child Labor Committee and other small committees worked together to eliminate child labor starting from 1904. This was part of the Progressive Era reform for feminism and eliminaiton of child labor. In the late 1910s, the Supreme Court declared a law about federal child labor unconstitutional.