America in Transition America in Transition Unit 1 American Expansion, Industry and Immigration at the turn of the Century.

America in Transition

Unit 1American Expansion, Industry and

Immigration at the turn of the Century

Notes #1• Identify the major characteristics that define a historical era

(US2A)• Identify the major eras in U.S. history from 1877 to the

present and describe their defining characteristics (US2B)• Analyze the effects of landmark U.S. Supreme Court decisions

such as Plessy v. Ferguson• Analyze political issues such as Indian policies (US3A)• Analyze economic issues such as the growth of railroads

(US3B)• Understand the effects of governmental actions on

individuals, industries, and communities (US14C)• Describe how the economic impact of the Transcontinental

railroad and the Homestead Act contributed to the close of the frontier in the late 19th century (US15A)

• Discuss the Americanization movement to assimilate American Indians into American culture (US26B)

How did we get here?• The task of bringing together the nation

and rebuilding the South marked the beginning of “Reconstruction”

• Reconstruction Amendments:• 13: Freed Slaves• 14: Made Blacks Citizens• 15: Gave Black MEN the right to vote

Charleston; April, 1865

It was a whole race trying to go to school. Few were too young, and none too old, to make the attempt to learn. As fast as any kind of teachers could be secured, not only were day-schools filled, but night-schools as well. The great ambition of the older people was to try to learn to read the Bible before they died.—Booker T. Washington, Up from Slavery: An Autobiography, 1901

The “Jim Crow” South• “Black Codes” were often used in the South to

continue to restrict the freedom and opportunities of Black Americans

• Segregation – Plessy v. Ferguson• Jim Crow Laws• Sharecropping & Tenant Farming• Literacy Tests & Poll Taxes• Lynchings

The Reconstruction Era lasted from [approximately] 1865-1877

Identify the major characteristics of:

(1) Industry, (2) Immigration, & (3) The Gilded Age [America in Transition] (US2A)

Industry Immigration The Gilded Age

- Political Corruption & Political “machines”

- Entrepreneurship- Philanthropy- Labor Unions- Laissez Faire

- New Inventions- Expansionism

U.S. leading in industry

- Global Market- Frontier Factory

- Poor working conditions and low pay Labor Unions & better working conditions

A need for change (mid 1800s)

►Farmers►Miners►Ranchers & Cowboys► Immigrants►Settlers►African Americans

Cultures Clash on the Great Plains

Indian Removal Act (1830): forced tribes living east of the Mississippi River to move west to Oklahoma Territory on the Great Plains

Assimilation furthered with the Dawes Act of 1887: A tribe no longer owned land – individuals were given land

The Homestead Act: provided tracts of land called homesteads to settlers in the West – 160 acres of public land for a small fee to anyone who agreed to work the land and live on it for five years

Land Rush Scene Far & Away https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yxaJY8UZxn4

Native American children were “Americanized”, sometimes taken away from their homes (traditional Native American culture) and raised in boarding schools.

America’s First Major Industry: The Railroad

• There was a population explosion in the West.

• There was a need for better communication and transportation, especially through the Great Plains and Rocky Mountains.

• Working the railroad was strenuous and dangerous.

• 4/5 of the labor force were Chinese workers who were paid lower wages than white workers and were targets of racism.

May 10, 1869- Promontory Point, Utah The handshake that united America.

Economic Issues of Railroads…

Industrializatio

n

• Industries relied on railroads for shipping

• Increased industrialization • Ranching, farming, and mining were

dependent

Expansionism

• Expanded western settlement and growth

• Created a global market

Innovatio

ns

• Innovations enabled rapid growth (i.e. steal & communication)

Production Boom!

Homestead Act!

The Government Takes Action!• The Interstate Commerce Act (1887): Ruled that

only Congress had the power to regulate interstate commerce which prohibited unfair practices by railroads, such as charging higher rates for shorter routes

• The Chinese Exclusion Act (1882): The first federal law to restrict immigration to the U.S. and banned the immigration of Chinese workers and residents for employment purposes

Notes #2► Analyze economic issues such as the battle

industry boom (US3B)► Analyze economic issues such as farm issues

(US3B)► Evaluate the impact of third parties including

the Populist Party (US5C)► Explain how specific needs result in scientific

discoveries and technological innovations in agriculture (US27B)

► Analyze economic issues such as industrialization (US3B)

The Cattle BOOM► Cattle industry boomed in the

late 1800s, as the frontier closed, the culture and influence of Plains American Indians declined

► Increased demand for beef in American cities

► Cattle drives and expansion of railroads provided access of beef to urbanized areas

► Large populations of immigrants provided industrialists with more labor

The Agrarian Movement (1870-1900)

► New urban populations and increased foreign competition caused American farmers to produce more food – overproduction

► Farmers had to ship their crops to market and were forced to pay whatever railroads charged – high costs

► Farmers had to borrow money to buy new machinery – banks charged high interest rates – farmer indebtedness

► Farmers were subject to drought, insect invasions, and floods – natural disasters

The McCormick reaper was a boon to wheat farmers; the first model could do the work of three men. As

Cyrus McCormick perfected and improved the capabilities of the new implement, more land was put

into production.

Agricultural Innovations

Refrigerated rail cars allowed butchered meat to ship

transcontinental.

Milk was first pasteurized in the 1800s (partial sterilization to

remove microorganisms)

The Grange Movement►The original purpose of the

Grange Movement was to serve as a social club for farmers to help them overcome rural isolation and to spread information began urging economic and political reforms

►The Grangers helped politically in the Interstate Commerce Act and the Interstate Commerce Commission

The Populist Party (1891-1896)

►A new national political party representing the “common man” – farmers, industrial works, and miners

► Populism was the movement to increase farmers’ political power and to work for legislation in their interest.

In 1896, the Democratic Party nominated William Jennings Bryan for President, but narrowly lost to William McKinley.

William Jennings Bryan Cross of Gold Speech- Read the 2 excerpts & Respond to the questions

• In 1896, the Democratic Party held its National Convention to pick their Presidential candidate. William Jennings Bryan’s “Cross of Gold” Speech was so powerful that he won the nomination:

“My friends, the question we are to decide is: upon which side will the Democratic Party fight; upon the side of ‘the idle holders of idle capital’ or upon the side of ‘the struggling masses’? That question the party must answer. You tell us that the great cities are in favor of the gold standard; we reply that the great cities rest upon our broad and fertile prairies. Burn down your cities and leave our farms, and your cities will spring up again as if by magic. But destroy our farms and the grass will grow in the streets of every city in the country.”

• Which groups did Bryan appeal to in his speech to the Democratic Convention?

• How did he try to show that farmers were superior?

Third Parties Third parties, like the Populist Party, have an

impact on the political process Many of their proposals have passed into law! Graduated Income Tax – 16th amendment Direct election of Senators – 17th amendment Enacting of state laws by voters themselves through

initiatives and referendums, and recall

WW

What message is the cartoonist trying to send?

Second Industrial Revolution From 1865 to 1905 America entered a second

industrial revolution emerging as a leading industrial power in the world exceeded their competitors of Great Britain, Germany, & France.

Industries and business grew with technological innovations.

Bell on the telephone in New York, 1892

Edison, 1925

1902, Glider, Kitty Hawk

In the 1850s Sewing Machines were popular in

the garment industry

Otis, passenger elevator up instead of out

1829Bessemer Process

Why was the Second Industrial Revolution So Successful?

1) Large labor force made up of immigrants2) Advanced transportation networks & raw

materials3) Businesses benefitted from government

subsidies, protective tariffs, & laissez-faire (hands off of business) approach. Europeans recognized them as a good investment.

4) Entrepreneurs emerged as 440,000 new patents creating more labor saving techniques.

Notes #3

• Describe the changing relationship between the federal government and private business, including the costs and benefits of laissez-faire, and anti-trust acts (US15B)

• Analyze economic issues such as the free enterprise system (US3B)

• Evaluate the contributions of significant political and social leaders in the U.S. such as Andrew Carnegie (US24B)

• Analyze economic issues such as the rise of entrepreneurship (US3B)

• Analyze economic issues such as the pros and cons of big business (US3B)

Industrial Growth• A new market required a

system of mass production to supply more products faster

• This impacted factories because workers didn’t need to be “skilled” or crafted

• Labor was plentiful with the influx of immigrants

• However, low capital (money) led to corporations

Corporations• When corporations are forced to compete, it’s good for the

consumer! – Laissez Faire• We live in a “free enterprise system” where individuals are free

to produce and sell whatever they wish and are free to busy and use whatever they can afford

• Decisions are influenced solely by the pressures of competition, supply, and demand

• However, if there’s no competition, prices can be set to benefit the corporations – Social Darwinism

“By 1882, Standard Oil had become a monopoly, a company that completely dominates a particular industry. It controlled 90% of the nation’s oil production. With its competitors out of the way, Standard Oil could raise its prices and reap great profits.”© History Alive, 2008 edt.

Expansion

• Horizontal Integration – joining as many firms with the same industry as possible

• Vertical Integration – Taking control of each step of production

Government Regulation

• Sherman Antitrust Act – Outlawed trusts, monopolies, and other forms of business that restrict trade

Robber Barons or Captains of Industry?

Car

negi

e

Van

derb

ilt

Roc

kefe

ller

Through large scale production, entrepreneurs like Andrew Carnegie and John D. Rockefeller lowered the prices of good, making them more affordable and improving their quality.

Andrew Carnegie• Carnegie was a steel and

railroad tycoon of late 19th century.

• Authored “The Gospel of Wealth” which promoted the ideas of philanthropic actions such as building libraries and schools

• During his lifetime, he gave over $350 million

© ephemerasociety.com

Pros and Cons of Big Business

Pros Cons

- Large businesses are more efficient, leading to lower prices

- Large amount of workers- They can produce goods

in large quantities- They can have the

resources to support expensive research and invent new items

- They have unfair competition

- They sometimes exploit workers

- They are less concerned with where they do business and pollute the area

- They have unfair influence over government policies affecting them

The Gilded Age 1878-1889(Gold on the outside, but not on the inside)

• While industrialists amassed great fortunes, society was tainted by political corruption and the gap between the rich and the poor grew.

• The business tycoons (or Founding Fathers of our economy) of the Gilded Age; Andrew Carnegie, John D. Rockefeller, Jay Gould, Cornelius Vanderbilt, & J. P. Morgan lived at a moment of riotous growth — & real violence — establishing America as the richest, most inventive, and most productive country on the planet.

• Those who worked in their mills noted "a widespread feeling of unrest and brooding revolution." Violent strikes and riots wracked the nation through the turn of the century as if they wanted a carnival revenge.

• For immediate relief, the urban poor often turned to political machines providing useful services but often stealing from their pockets.

Notes # 4 Analyze social issues affecting women,

minorities, children, immigrants, urbanization, and philanthropy of industrialists (US3C)

Analyze the causes and effects of changing demographic patterns resulting from legal and illegal immigration to the United States (US13B)

Identify the effects of population growth and distribution on the physical environment (US14A)

Describe the optimism of the many immigrants who sought a better life in America (US3D)

Discuss the Americanization movement to assimilate immigrants into American culture (US26B)

Political Machines• As the country was rebuilding after the Civil

War, political machines developed political organizations based on party patronage (spoils system)

• At the top of this corrupt scheme was the political boss who controlled the machine and it’s politicians. William “Boss” Tweed of New York’s Tammany Hall cheated the city as much as $200 million.

• Ward bosses and precinct captains offered the residents (immigrants) assistance in exchange for votes (police, fire, sanitation, schools, funeral) at election time, providing benefits (welfare) that most state or local governments did not provide.

The Immigration Process

The journey to America was often difficult, immigrant passengers traveled in steerage (a cramped, poorly ventilated area below decks).

Millions of immigrants were processed through Ellis Island in New York or Angel Island in San Francisco

Immigrants were interviewed and inspected, any immigrant with serious mental or physical health problems were deported, but most passed inspection

From 1891 to 1910, 12 million immigrants came to the US to escape poverty or persecution; many hoped to make money and return home and buy land.

Why Europeans Immigrated to the US

Approaching Ellis Island

Urbanization

► Large populations of immigrants caused urban growth in ports of entry and cities with heavy industry

► High urbanization left cities overcrowded and congested

► Problems created by growing cities lead to inadequate public services, transportation issues, overcrowding, and racial and social tensions

Life of the Poor• Life for those in poverty in the late 1800’s usually

was marked by crowded living conditions, long hours and poor sanitation.

• Most were forced to live in rundown, poorly built apartment buildings called tenements, 4-6 stories usually housing four families on each floor.

• Tenements were known for poor sanitation, terrible smell and a lack of privacy and safety, different immigrant groups created distinct ethnic neighborhoods where each group could maintain its own language, culture, church or temple, and social club.

Outdoor toilet (1903)

Population Growth►Urbanization occurred around industrial

centers►Overcrowding increased as workers

populated cities in search of jobs►Urban pollution and sanitation problems

worsened►Air pollution became an urban problem►Shifting patterns of immigration

increases nativism, Americanism, and racial tensions

The New Working Class In the Gilded Age a class system emerged

based on wealth and power. In the late 1800’s thousands of African

Americans moved north in search of jobs, but even in the north black workers were given low paying, dangerous jobs – The Great Migration

The number of American female workers doubled between the years 1870-1890 and number of laborers under the age of 16 also doubled in this time.

Throughout the 1800s child labor became a large part of the work force employing children as young as 6-8 working in coal mine and cotton fields under extreme conditions. Few laws passed to protect them.

Labor Begins to Organize In the late 1800’s , labor unions began to fight for shorter

hours, better working conditions, & higher wages for the American worker.

Must of union’s powers came from the threat of a strike, simply refuse to work until demands met. Many businesses pressured workers to sign “yellow dog contracts,” pledging not to join a union or blacklisting those suspected of being a member.

Samuel Gompers Started as a cigar maker & local union leader in NYC. Founded American Federation of Labor for 40 years. Favored cooperation over strikes & resisted socialist efforts into the AFL

Marry Harris “Mother” Jones Roamed the country helping coal miners, textile workers form unions. Known as a “hell-raiser” she was considered one of the most dangerous women in America.

Eugene V Debs Worked as a locomotive fireman. Later founded American Railway Union, & Industrial Workers World. Father of the Socialist Party. Ran for president while in prison.

National Labor Unions: Common Goal, Different Strategies

Union Year & Leader Goals Members Strategies

Knights of Labor

1869, Terrence Powderly

• 8 hr workday• Abolish child

labor• Regulate trust• Equal pay men

& women• Education for

working class

• Skilled & unskilled

• Women• African

Americans

• Arbitration• Boycott• strikes

American Federation of Labor

1886, Samuel Gompers

• Increased wages • Improved

working conditions

• Limitation of work hours

• Only skilled workers in a particular trade

• Negotiation • Boycott• Strikes

Industrial Workers of the World

1905,Eugene V Debs, Daniel De LeonWilliam Haywood

• Organization of all workers into a single union

• Overthrow capitalism

• Lumbermen• Miners• Textile

workers• Dockworkers

• Boycotts • Strikes • Sabotage

Growth of Labor Unions Labor leaders battled with company

owners and managers for reducing competition, paying lower wages and perpetuating unsafe working conditions for their employees

Factory laborers formed and joined unions in order to take part in collective bargaining with employers

Many labor unions went on strike in the 1880s

The “Great Strikes,” Homestead, Pullman, and Haymarket Riot were all significant labor disputes

Strikes Erupt Nationwide In 1886, Haymarket Affair started when nonunion workers

were brought to replace striking workers. Anarchist called for a meeting at Haymarket Square, bombing the crowd killing several police, and 4 protestors.

1884, The Pullman Strike, supported management against striking workers. The Pullman Company made fancy railcars and the entire town made up of all the workers who worked for the company (food, school,etc). During an economic depression the company cut wages. Workers reacted by linking non-working Pullman Cars to the US mail cars which was a federal offense. Federal troops sent in to stop the strike.

Urban Reforms & Social Gospel Movement Some patriotic organizations pushed for Americanization of

immigrants, pushing American values, history, and citizenship. Jane Addams Hull House lead many educated young women

on a mission to help the poor and later to press for women’s suffrage.

Many middle class women joined Protestant churches to apply Christian principles to address the problem of poverty and churches offered counseling, job training, libraries and other social services.

By 1900, most states had passes Compulsory Education Laws which required parents to send children to school; by 1900, 72% of American children were in school.

A more educated public created a demand for books and newspapers written for the average American.

The Hull House