The Machine Age

The Machine Age1877-1900

Age of Invention & Economic Growth Thomas A. Edison (New Jersey) Light bulb power plants some of the most important inventions

of the century. *Extends workday Age of Invention (last quarter of 19th century) Technological advances mass production tremendous growth *“captains of industry” “robber barons” (rich and powerful

political machines)

Industrialization, Corporate Consolidation and Gospel of Wealth Economics of Scale: Newer more efficient technology more production cost per unit

decreases buying MORE raw product cheaper selling price keeping machines and electricity up to date lower costs (bills) cheaper price of products made sales go higher

Assembly line production: positive side- allows for faster production and sometimes better quality. Negative- tedious (14 + hours a day) Factories were very dangerous. (500,000 injuries per yr.) No laws around to protect workers at the time.

Continued…Monopolies.. HOWEVER: concern for businessmen was not the safety of their workers but in the profits coming in.

Continued to increase government regulations (uncertain as to HOW) Corruption existed (even with those in charge of enforcing the so-called

regulations Government was extremely PRO business which means little to no

regulation corruption and more opportunities for the “economies of scale” larger businesses corporate consolidations (new forms of business)

Holding companies (monopolies)- complete control of an entire industry *Horizontal: example- Standard Oil, Rockefeller. Combining several small same industry companies (buying them legally OR illegally) and making them into one large business. (trusts). *No room for competition. * Illegal today.

Continued…Monopolies and Issues Vertical Integration: *Legal today *One company owns ALL the factors of production *Still allows for competition Issues: 1. Fast growth (seems GREAT at first) requires lots of money business

men borrow money business occasionally failed unable to pay back money bank failures

2. Monopolies extremely wealthy & powerful men conflicting interests class conflict

As a response to the public’s growing complaints and resentment toward the wealthy business men: Sherman Antitrust Act (1890) back and forth with regulations between governments and courts. (open interpretation)

Continued…Andrew Carnegie

Open interpretations: *In some cases outlawed labor unions because they “restrained free trade” * U.S v. E.C Knight Co, 1895: did NOT violate Sherman Anti-trust because

local manufacturing NOT subject of congressional regulation of interstate commerce.

Another response: Andrew Carnegie- philanthropist and believed in giving back (Gospel of Wealth) Built libraries, museums, funded medical research Charles Darwin- Survival of the fittest through healthy competition Social Darwinism seemed doubtful, not consistent. Carnegie’s stance

against government regulation clashed when he also supported government assistant to business

Factories & City Life In an effort to reduce costs, manufactures hired: Women and children Immigrants Many in the cities lived in poverty crime, diseases, dirty & unhealthy

Cities growing in population, not enough hosing available (tenements)

growing number of ethnic neighborhoods (ghettos) Horrible working conditions Latinos and blacks got the worse end of the stick Poverty increased in cities those who could afford it, moved away due to advances in mass transportation. (lead to a growing middle class)

Continued… Municipal Governments Virtually none existent no garbage pick up, no local police

departments, no water and sewage, etc… Municipal services, not provided by the government were provided by political bosses (political machines). In return, they expected community members to vote for them.

Resorted to criminal activity to provide these services

Continued…Change Seekers:

Labor Unions: Often seen as radical Created in an effort to do something about the horrible working conditions Business and Courts hostile towards labor unions Knights of Labor (Uriah Stephens): One of the FIRST national labor unions in U.S 8 hour workday Equal pay (men and women) Child labor laws Safety and Sanitary Codes Federal income tax. 1880s begin to decline (leader: Terrence Power) Haymarket Square Riot (bomb)

Continued… Many of the earlier unions socialist philosophies As a result, begin to focus on issues such as shorter work days & higher wages

American Federation of Labor (AFL); Samuel Gompers: did not include unskilled workers. Trade unions (exclusively open to workers of a single trade) Women: Efforts at urban reform. Jane Addams- Settlement houses Schooling, childcare, cultural activities Assimilation? Increased government services in the urban areas

-Life for the Wealthy-Journalism Rich continued to get richer; life generally improved for upper and middle classes.

Access to luxuries and leisure Sports, theaters, vaudeville, etc… Popular Novels and Newspapers Public begins to read the above more and more Joseph Pulitzer and William Randolph revolutionize the industry Introduce “yellow journalism”: Catchy headlines, scandals,

interesting reads

Jim Crow Laws & Other DevelopmentsSouth

Agriculture remained a major form of labor. HOWEVER, Reconstruction produced SOME industrious results Textile mills reduced reliance on the North Tobacco processing plants Sharecropping crop lien system Jim Crow Laws Plessy v Ferguson De Jure segregation (reversed Civil Rights Act of 1875)

Booker T. Washington (M.L.K)- economic independence – Tuskegee Institute – accommodationist

W.E.B Du Bois (Malcom X)

Railroads & Developments in the West Ranching and mining: growing industries. Ranchers: ignored property rights of the Native Americans Individual Miners: lacked resources prospected (sell their rights to companies) Lincoln’s challenge: Transcontinental Railroad (one side of the country to the other)

Built mostly by former farmers, immigrants, freed slave & Civil War vets Railroads: *Owned privately but “paid for” by the public (directly and indirectly)

governments provided funding and grants *Ironically owners did not want any government regulation whatsoever. *Overcharged and undercharged where beneficial *Farmers suffered the most from this practice (list of grievances)

Railroads continued… Buffalo Massacre by Railroad Companies: Would literally get in the way of the trains virtually extinct Very important resource for Native Americans Influences battles (Sioux tribe makes first move government

sends in army) Little Big Horn/ George Custer Other changes: *Transforms small depot towns into vigorous cities (easier travel) *Causes other industries to grow too *Time zones (standardized method of time telling) *Pushes the country west

Moving West America moves West: New states “Frontier” Era gone (Frederick Turner’s Frontier Thesis) 1st period

in U.S history over. Great Plains: Farming & Ranching- main source of employment New machinery, mail & catalogue shopping Standardizes mass culture- still very lonely Homestead Act (1862) Morrill Land Grant Act (1862) agricultural science

Continued… Native Americans suffered the most *Originally considered, however, treaties made between settlers &

Native Americans were immediately broken warfare * New approach: reservations system fails - lowliness of land - different tribes unable to get along - no self government - some settlers IGNORED reservations and took that land too! Helen Hunt Jackson: A Century of Dishonor reform Dawes Severalty Act Similar to the Homestead Act Assimilation Humanitarian Solution to the “Indian Problem” Resisted Poverty sell to speculators homeless

National Politics Gilded Age (Mark Twain) beautiful on the outside, rotten on the inside

U.S seemingly entered a period of prosperity *The wealthy relied heavily on the poor’s labor (horrible, unsafe

conditions) Politics also seemed to be an example of a perfect democracy heavy corruption

Political machines ran the cities Business men bought votes in Congress little protection of the

laborers Important to note: U.S Presidency, generally NOT corrupt. Rutherford B Hayes, James Garfield, Chester Arthur CIVIL

SERVICE REFORM Including Sherman Anti-Trust & Morrill Land-Grant Colleges Act Grover Cleveland v Benjamin Harrison Billion Dollar Congress

Continued…Response to Corruption & Other Political Issues

Railroad Regulation Munn v. Illinois (1877) state law in Illinois regulating railroads is upheld (only Congress was allowed to regulate) Wabash case (1886) states could NOT establish $$ involving interstate commerce. (precedent for business regulation)

Interstate Commerce Act (Interstate Commerce Commission I.C.C) supervise railroad activates

Women’s Suffrage Susan B. Anthony (trying to convince congress to pass amendment)

American Suffrage Association; 1890 right to vote on school issues

Silver Issues & the Populist Movement Post Civil War production generally increased on all fronts. Farmers face trouble: Greater supply dropped prices trouble for farmers silver standard

(inflation) value of money drops (makes paying back debts easier/ affordable) opposed by Northern banks

*Silver mined in the West (influenced support of miners, Midwestern and southern farmers)

* class strife Leads to the Grange Movement (1867): campaigning for the allowance of farmers to buy machinery, sell crops as a group reap the benefits of the economies scale (remember the first few slides?) movement dies out due to lack of money.

Farmers’ Alliance (even more successful) People’s Party Populist movement

People’s Party- Populist Movement Populist Convention in 1892- James Weaver Coinage of silver Government ownership of railroads & telegraphs Graduated income tax Direct election of U.S Senators Shorter workdays Did not win election 1 million votes catches Washington DC’s attention (particularly Democrats) Cleveland takes office & country enters a 4 yr. financial crisis (1893-1897) Makes the Populist goals easier and more attractive easy money! Radical movements also take popularity (Eugene V Debs, Socialist Party)

Continued… 1896 Election: Democrat William Jennings Bryan VS Republican William McKinley

Bryan finds a political voice for the farmers. Free Silver Cross of Gold Speech “Having behind us the producing masses of this nation and the

world, supported by the commercial interests, the laboring interests, and the toilers everywhere, we will answer their demand for a gold standard by saying to them: "You shall not press down upon the brow of labor this crown of thorns; you shall not crucify mankind upon a cross of gold.“

Lost campaign economy improves ends the Populist movement (until the Progressives)

Foreign Policy: Tariff and Imperialism 1900: U.S leading industrial nation in the world Tariffs Major Controversy but dominated national policies due to the U.S market expanded to international markets (protect domestic markets) (also hurts farmers and of course the laborers)

1890: McKinley Tariff: duties on imported good raised 50% & also had major impacts on foreign land- Hawaii & Cuba

Since many American’s faced poverty, not many able to purchase the items they made at work. SO this leads to America’s search for new markets (along with nationalism) imperialism

Continued… William H. Seward set this precedent during Lincoln and Johnson’s presidencies. (Alaska, Monroe Doctrine)

American businesses production and facilities in Latin America political power Expansionism VS Imperialism Captain Alfred T. Mahan, The Influence of Sea Power Upon History (1890) Success of foreign trade New Navy Hawaii searching for routes to Asia 1800s missionary work 1870s (sugar) 1890 Hawaii’s economy collapses due to McKinley Tariff U.S presence overthrows native government 1898 Annexed Japan outraged (WWII)

Cuba revolts again Spanish control instigated by U.S (high tariffs) Maine attacked U.S gets involved drives Spain out of Cuba & Philippines Treaty of Paris (3rd one by the way) Independent Cuba & we get the Philippines, Puerto Rico & Guam.

* yellow journalism

Continued… Cuba: Teller Amendment U.S presence in Cuba for a few yrs. following their independence Platt Amendment (gives U.S control of Cuba’s foreign affairs) to “protect Cuba’s political

and social stability and independence”. Philippines: Should the U.S annex or grand independence? Annexation excuse: U.S has obligation to Christianize the nation. Guerilla War ensued Independence granted after WWII – 1946 Should the native population of the newly acquired lands be protected under the Constitution?

Supreme Court rulings: Insular Cases (1901-1903) – Constitution protection did NOT apply Open Door Policy- U.S hoped to gain entrance to Asian markets European nations already colonized in China Boxers (Chinese nationalists) rise up against European imperialist U.S sends troops

Germany , France & England grew more receptive to U.S foreign policy.

Review… Pg. 185-186