• Sinking of the Lusitania
o Transatlantic ship attacked by U-boat torpedo
o This sank the ship with time only to release 6 lifeboats.
o 128 Americans died
• War began in 1914 when Franz Ferdinand got shot in June
• Nationalism was huge everywhere, most soldiers were volunteers who expected the war to be over by Christmas
• French casualties at the end of the 1st year: 1 million dead
• Tens of thousands of young educated Germans were killed in the first months.
• The US was officially neutral in the conflict- Wilson was reluctant to get involved
• US banks were doing well by loaning money to the Brits and the French who used it to buy American weapons
• Labor shortages drove northern factories to hire blacks who moved north to fill the need for workers.
• Trenches became a huge part of war
• “War of Attrition”
• New Weapons:
o Machine gun
o Tank-invented to get through barbed wire fences
o Gigantic artillery
o Flamethrowers
o Poison Gas
• In Russia, revolution broke out and the Czars were brought down and replaced by a provisional government who tried to continue the war. Lenin was brought home and took over in Russia to create a communist state, withdrawing when he took over.
• Americans entered the war
o Because Germany tried to convince Mexico to invade the US in summer of 1917.
o They were fresh and enthusiastic, but poorly trained and badly armed.
Friday, February 29, 2008
Tuesday, February 26, 2008
Chapter 21 Notes, part II: Progressive Presidents
A. Theodore Roosevelt
1. From aristocratic Dutch New York family; Harvard educated
2. Developed appreciation for physical activity and the outdoors by spending time in Wyoming as a child. Bought and managed a South Dakota ranch after his first wife’s death (1884-1886)
3. Political career began in 1881, as a NY state assemblyman, appointed in 1889 to President Harrison’s Civil Service Commission, became NYC’s Police Commissioner in 1895.
4. Raised a small army of cowboys and ranch hands known as the Rough Riders and led them in Cuba during the Spanish-American War.
5. Elected NY Governor in 1898, selected as McKinley’s VP in 1900
6. Became President at age 42 after McKinley’s assassination in 1901.
7. Promised Americans a Square Deal- 3 C’s (control of corporations, consumer protection, conservation of national resources)
8. Gained popularity among the masses for his charm and personality as well as support for Progressive ideas
9. Supported legislation to limit and regulate the power of business trusts (enforce the Sherman Antitrust Act of 1900, Hepburn act of 1906 gave the Interstate Commerce Commission power to regulate railroad rates, filed 43 antitrust lawsuits, most famous of which led to the breakup of Standard Oil and the reorganization of the American Tobacco Company in 1911)
10. Following publication of The Jungle, TR supported various consumer protection measures such as the Pure Food and Drug Act and the Meat Inspection Acts (led to establishment of the Food and Drug Administration)
11. As an avid nature preservationist, TR took a more pragmatic conservationist approach to the environment. Established the US Forest Service, supported the Reclamation Act (to irrigate the west), set aside 200 million acres of public land as a national forest, established 63 wildlife reserves, 16 national monuments and 5 new national parks. Close friend of Gifford Pinchot (head of Forest Service) and John Muir (founder of the Sierra Club)
12. Won the Novel Peace Prize in 1906 for Latin American policies ???!!!??!?!
13. Did not run for third term, despite major public support
14. Ran for president in 1912 after four-year hiatus from politics, as nominee for the Progressive (Bull Moose) Party
15. Wrote 26 books, over a thousand magazine articles
16. Died in his sleep in 1919, at age 60
B. William Howard Taft as President (1908-1912)
1. Hand-picked successor to TR
2. Taft’s administration was active in ‘trust-busting”. Prosecuting more antitrust cases than TR’s administration. Supported the Mann-Elkins Act which gave the ICC more powers to regulate not only railroad rates but also telephone and telegraph rates
3. However, his support of tariffs and opening public land to commercial development broke with Progressive Policies and angered TR
4. Eventually became a somewhat pro-business Chief Justice of Supreme Court
5. Election of 1912: TR runs, splits Republicans and lets Wilson win
C. Woodrow Wilson (1913-1920)
1. Raised in a strict Virginia Presbyterian household, first Southern President since Andrew Johnson
2. Graduate of Princeton, U Va school of Law and Johns Hopkins
3. Princeton professor of political economy, president of Princeton from 1902 – 1910
4. Won New Jersey Governorship in 1910, selected as a reform-minded candidate by the democrats to run for President in 1912
5. Defeated Republican Taft, Progressive TR and Socialist Debs to become President
6. “New Freedom” platform included Progressive ideas such as tariff reduction, women’s suffrage, business regulation, abolition of child labor, 8-hour workday, and workmen’s compensation as well as the popular election of Senators.
7. Progressive legislation during his presidency included:
a. Underwood-Simmons Tariff- reduced Tariffs
b. Federal Reserve Act- established central bank with 12 branches, modern federal reserve system
c. Federal Trade Commission Act- created FTC
d. Clayton Antitrust Act- gave workers greater protest rights (right to strike so gov’t can’t stop it with force)
e. Narcotics Act-outlawed cocaine and opium based “medication”
f. Federal Farm Loan Act- provided low interest rate loans to farmers
g. Keating-Owen Act- Banned products made by children from interstate commerce, declared unconstitutional by supreme court
h. Adamson Act-established 8-hour workday for railway workers
i. Workmen’s Compensation Act- compensation for people injured on the job.
8. Amendments during his tenure:
a. 16th Amendment (graduated income tax)
b. 17th Amendment (direct election of Senators)
c. 18th amendment (Prohibition)
d. 19th Amendment (women’s suffrage)
9. Authored the Fourteen Points for the Treaty of Versailles ending WWI, established the League of Nations (predecessor to the UN)
10. Won the Nobel Peace Prize in 1919
11. Overworked and stressed, Wilson suffered a massive stroke in 1919 and was incapacitated for the last 17 months of his presidency
12. Lived the last 3 years of his life in retirement and died in 1924
1. From aristocratic Dutch New York family; Harvard educated
2. Developed appreciation for physical activity and the outdoors by spending time in Wyoming as a child. Bought and managed a South Dakota ranch after his first wife’s death (1884-1886)
3. Political career began in 1881, as a NY state assemblyman, appointed in 1889 to President Harrison’s Civil Service Commission, became NYC’s Police Commissioner in 1895.
4. Raised a small army of cowboys and ranch hands known as the Rough Riders and led them in Cuba during the Spanish-American War.
5. Elected NY Governor in 1898, selected as McKinley’s VP in 1900
6. Became President at age 42 after McKinley’s assassination in 1901.
7. Promised Americans a Square Deal- 3 C’s (control of corporations, consumer protection, conservation of national resources)
8. Gained popularity among the masses for his charm and personality as well as support for Progressive ideas
9. Supported legislation to limit and regulate the power of business trusts (enforce the Sherman Antitrust Act of 1900, Hepburn act of 1906 gave the Interstate Commerce Commission power to regulate railroad rates, filed 43 antitrust lawsuits, most famous of which led to the breakup of Standard Oil and the reorganization of the American Tobacco Company in 1911)
10. Following publication of The Jungle, TR supported various consumer protection measures such as the Pure Food and Drug Act and the Meat Inspection Acts (led to establishment of the Food and Drug Administration)
11. As an avid nature preservationist, TR took a more pragmatic conservationist approach to the environment. Established the US Forest Service, supported the Reclamation Act (to irrigate the west), set aside 200 million acres of public land as a national forest, established 63 wildlife reserves, 16 national monuments and 5 new national parks. Close friend of Gifford Pinchot (head of Forest Service) and John Muir (founder of the Sierra Club)
12. Won the Novel Peace Prize in 1906 for Latin American policies ???!!!??!?!
13. Did not run for third term, despite major public support
14. Ran for president in 1912 after four-year hiatus from politics, as nominee for the Progressive (Bull Moose) Party
15. Wrote 26 books, over a thousand magazine articles
16. Died in his sleep in 1919, at age 60
B. William Howard Taft as President (1908-1912)
1. Hand-picked successor to TR
2. Taft’s administration was active in ‘trust-busting”. Prosecuting more antitrust cases than TR’s administration. Supported the Mann-Elkins Act which gave the ICC more powers to regulate not only railroad rates but also telephone and telegraph rates
3. However, his support of tariffs and opening public land to commercial development broke with Progressive Policies and angered TR
4. Eventually became a somewhat pro-business Chief Justice of Supreme Court
5. Election of 1912: TR runs, splits Republicans and lets Wilson win
C. Woodrow Wilson (1913-1920)
1. Raised in a strict Virginia Presbyterian household, first Southern President since Andrew Johnson
2. Graduate of Princeton, U Va school of Law and Johns Hopkins
3. Princeton professor of political economy, president of Princeton from 1902 – 1910
4. Won New Jersey Governorship in 1910, selected as a reform-minded candidate by the democrats to run for President in 1912
5. Defeated Republican Taft, Progressive TR and Socialist Debs to become President
6. “New Freedom” platform included Progressive ideas such as tariff reduction, women’s suffrage, business regulation, abolition of child labor, 8-hour workday, and workmen’s compensation as well as the popular election of Senators.
7. Progressive legislation during his presidency included:
a. Underwood-Simmons Tariff- reduced Tariffs
b. Federal Reserve Act- established central bank with 12 branches, modern federal reserve system
c. Federal Trade Commission Act- created FTC
d. Clayton Antitrust Act- gave workers greater protest rights (right to strike so gov’t can’t stop it with force)
e. Narcotics Act-outlawed cocaine and opium based “medication”
f. Federal Farm Loan Act- provided low interest rate loans to farmers
g. Keating-Owen Act- Banned products made by children from interstate commerce, declared unconstitutional by supreme court
h. Adamson Act-established 8-hour workday for railway workers
i. Workmen’s Compensation Act- compensation for people injured on the job.
8. Amendments during his tenure:
a. 16th Amendment (graduated income tax)
b. 17th Amendment (direct election of Senators)
c. 18th amendment (Prohibition)
d. 19th Amendment (women’s suffrage)
9. Authored the Fourteen Points for the Treaty of Versailles ending WWI, established the League of Nations (predecessor to the UN)
10. Won the Nobel Peace Prize in 1919
11. Overworked and stressed, Wilson suffered a massive stroke in 1919 and was incapacitated for the last 17 months of his presidency
12. Lived the last 3 years of his life in retirement and died in 1924
Thursday, February 21, 2008
Chapter 21 Notes
I. Origins of the Progressive Movement
A. Grassroots activists
1. Progressive movement, unlike the Populists, was urban-based.
2. White collar workers (grew from 5.1 million in 1900 to 10.5 million in 1920) formed professional organizations and joined progressive groups
3. Among the white collar workers were women who accounted for over 30% of the white-collar population by 1920.
4. Middle-class housewives who felt isolated also joined progressive organizations
5. Women’s clubs, settlement houses, and urban improvement organizations were forerunners of the movement.
6. Most progressives belonged to the native-born middle class; however working class immigrants provided support and too the lead on issues.
B. Progressive Causes
1. Diverse and sometimes contradictory causes
2. Reformers were not radicals- believed that social problems could be solved through scientific study and organized effort.
3. Many reformers focused on regulating business
4. Others cared about protecting workers and the urban poor
5. Some focused on restructuring government, particularly at state and municipal level
6. A significant proportion concentrated on a variety of social control strategies- limiting immigration, temperance, imposing morality and limiting social disorder
C. Ideological underpinnings
1. Late 19th and early 20th century intellectuals began to question and promote alternatives to social Darwinism
2. Thornstein Veblen- Economist who exposed and satirized the habits of the business elite, coined the term “conspicuous consumption”, argued that workers and engineers were better equipped to lead society
3. William James- Harvard professor who emphasized the importance of action in resolving social problems (brother of Henry James).
4. Herbert Croly- called for “activist government” and for intellectuals to play a larger role, founded magazine The New Republic
5. Jane Addams- settlement house leader, argued that the middle class must unite with the working class to demand better conditions in factories
6. John Dewey- philosopher and educational reformer who promoted equal opportunity and experiential learning
7. Oliver Wendell Holmes- Law professor who became Supreme Court justice, argued that the law must evolve as soviet changes, promoted much reform legislation
D. Industrial Novelists, Journalists and Artists
1. Muckrakers- journalists and authors who focused on exposing social and political problems
2. Frank Norris- wrote The Octopus, exposing corrupt business practices in the railroad industry
3. Theodore Dreiser- wrote The Financier, exposing the dishonesty and lack of social consciousness displayed by the wealthy
4. Upton Sinclair- wrote The Jungle, exposing the disgusting conditions at meat packing plants (led to Roosevelt passing the Pure Food and Drug Act as well as the Meat Inspection Act in 1906)
5. Lincoln Steffens- The Shame of the Cities
6. Jacobs Riis
7. Ida Tarbell-History of the Standard Oil Company
8. David Grahm Phillips- Treason of the Senate
9. Articles published by myriad articles in progressive magazines
10. “Ashcan School” painters focused on portraying the harshness of urban slum
11. Photographers, like Lewis Hinse, focused on factory conditions and child labor
I. Origins of the Progressive Movement
A. Grassroots activists
1. Progressive movement, unlike the Populists, was urban-based.
2. White collar workers (grew from 5.1 million in 1900 to 10.5 million in 1920) formed professional organizations and joined progressive groups
3. Among the white collar workers were women who accounted for over 30% of the white-collar population by 1920.
4. Middle-class housewives who felt isolated also joined progressive organizations
5. Women’s clubs, settlement houses, and urban improvement organizations were forerunners of the movement.
6. Most progressives belonged to the native-born middle class; however working class immigrants provided support and too the lead on issues.
B. Progressive Causes
1. Diverse and sometimes contradictory causes
2. Reformers were not radicals- believed that social problems could be solved through scientific study and organized effort.
3. Many reformers focused on regulating business
4. Others cared about protecting workers and the urban poor
5. Some focused on restructuring government, particularly at state and municipal level
6. A significant proportion concentrated on a variety of social control strategies- limiting immigration, temperance, imposing morality and limiting social disorder
C. Ideological underpinnings
1. Late 19th and early 20th century intellectuals began to question and promote alternatives to social Darwinism
2. Thornstein Veblen- Economist who exposed and satirized the habits of the business elite, coined the term “conspicuous consumption”, argued that workers and engineers were better equipped to lead society
3. William James- Harvard professor who emphasized the importance of action in resolving social problems (brother of Henry James).
4. Herbert Croly- called for “activist government” and for intellectuals to play a larger role, founded magazine The New Republic
5. Jane Addams- settlement house leader, argued that the middle class must unite with the working class to demand better conditions in factories
6. John Dewey- philosopher and educational reformer who promoted equal opportunity and experiential learning
7. Oliver Wendell Holmes- Law professor who became Supreme Court justice, argued that the law must evolve as soviet changes, promoted much reform legislation
D. Industrial Novelists, Journalists and Artists
1. Muckrakers- journalists and authors who focused on exposing social and political problems
2. Frank Norris- wrote The Octopus, exposing corrupt business practices in the railroad industry
3. Theodore Dreiser- wrote The Financier, exposing the dishonesty and lack of social consciousness displayed by the wealthy
4. Upton Sinclair- wrote The Jungle, exposing the disgusting conditions at meat packing plants (led to Roosevelt passing the Pure Food and Drug Act as well as the Meat Inspection Act in 1906)
5. Lincoln Steffens- The Shame of the Cities
6. Jacobs Riis
7. Ida Tarbell-History of the Standard Oil Company
8. David Grahm Phillips- Treason of the Senate
9. Articles published by myriad articles in progressive magazines
10. “Ashcan School” painters focused on portraying the harshness of urban slum
11. Photographers, like Lewis Hinse, focused on factory conditions and child labor
Tuesday, February 12, 2008
Chapter 20 Notes
I. Politics in the Gilded Age
A. Presidents
1. Generally upheld the status quo and sided with big business. Major political issues included civil service reform and size/backing of money supply
2. 1876- Rutherford Hayes, Republican, known for his sense of decorum and support of temperance. Attempted to impose civil service standards to counter the spoils system. Ended reconstruction by pulling troops out of the south. (Election was a tie due to some vote pulling in the south, so he agreed to pull troops from the south in return for presidency)
3. 1880- James Garfield, Republican, last of the log cabin presidents. Also wanted to impose civil service standards, assinated by a jilted political ally (Charles Guiteau).
4. 1881- Chester Arthur, Republican, Garfield’s VP. Though known as a symbol of patronage and corruption. Arthur helped to push through civil service legislation- the Pendelton Civil Service Act that established standards, set up civil service exams, and forbade candidates from soliciting contributions from government employees
5. 1884- Grover Cleveland, Democrat. Known for fighting political bosses and spoilsmen as Governer of NY, consequently did not have support of NYC’s Tammany Hall. Still, he won with the support of NY’s immigrant population. Became contovercial for attempting to lower tariffs (to cut federal surplus) and cracking down on fraudulent Civil War veteran benefits. Opposed by entrenched business interests and the GAR (Civil War Veterans).
6. 1888- Benjamin Harrison, Republican. Backed by big business campaign contributions, enacted the McKinley Tariff, protected the federal surplus and greatly increased Civil War veteran pension ststem.
7. 1892- Grover Cleveland, (conservative) Democrat. Presided over a major depression in the 1890’s, held to a laissez-faire economics approach, used the help of JP Morgan and Belmont to save the gold standard, opposed the silver standard as proposed by William Jennings Bryan.(who would later be involved in the Scopes trial) Yeilded to high tariff proponents and attempted to push through an income tax proposal (Wilson-Gorman Tariff) which was deemed unconstitutional.
8. 1896- William McKinley, Republican. Managed to beat Democrat/Populist candidate William Jennings Bryan who espoused the silver standard, lower tariffs, and appealed to Western farmers. Morgan and other industrialists funded McKinley’s campaign.
II. Political movements, issues, and policies
A. Grangers and Alliance Movements
1. Grangers were mostly Great Plains farmers who organized to combat big business interests, particularly railroads and banks.
2. Grangers tried to organized cooperatives to keep farmersf from having to borrow money. Farming without borrowing was impossible so the movement failed
3. The Alliance Movement began in the South to protect cotton farmers trapped in the crop-lien system.
4. The National Colored Farmer’s Alliance came up at the same time to accommodate black cotton farmers.
5. The Northwestern was set up as a response to a major drought in Kansas.
6. The Northwestern and Southern Alliances created a political platform: tariff reduction, graduated income tax, public ownership of railroads, federal funding for irrigation projects, ban on “alien” landownership and free and unlimited silver coinage.
7. Alliance movements grew up quickly and boasted over 4 million members by 1890. By 1892, the alliance set up a third party: the Populists.
B. Currency and other Acts
1. Sherman Silver Purchase Act (1890)- to provide for silver coinage, repealed under Cleveland administration 1894 (when he had to ask Morgan for a loan)
2. Currency Act (1900)- passed under McKinley, commitied US to gold standard
3. Interstate Commerce Act (1887)- reaffirmed federal government’s power to regulate interstate commerce
4. Pendleton Civil Service Act (1883)- set up civil service requirements and standards
5. Willson-Gorman Tariff (1894)- imposed 2% income tax, unconstitutional
6. Dingley Tariff (1897)- Increased tariffs to an all-time highs
C. Court Decisions
1. Munn Vs Illinois (1877)- Upheld an Illinois law setting a maximum rate for railroad transportation of grain
2. Plessy vs. Ferguson (1896)- established separate but equal doctrine,
III. Depression 1893-97
A. Panic of 1893
1. Caused by overspecutation in railroad stocks
2. Railroad growth rates slowed due to agricultural stagnation
3. A London investment bank collapsed prompting it to sell American stocks and then convert dollars into gold
4. Gold reserbe dropped sharply causing confidence crisis
5. Sherman Silver Act produced in the US. Silver producers often demanded payment in gold
6. Veterans benefits and Pork Barrel projects during Harrison’s presidency lowered government reserves
7. Crisis of confidence led to collapsing stock prices and a run on gold
8. By late 1893, 74 railroad companies and 15,000 businesses had failed
B. Depression
1. Industrial unemployment of 20-25%
2. 1/3 of railroad mileage in bankruptcy
3. Farm prices dropped by 20% between 1890-96
4. Commodity prices plummeted
5. High unemployment and decreasing wages led to protests such as the Pullman strike and Coxey’s Army March
6. Morgan and Belmont bailed out the American government by perchasing $62 million in bonds (at reduced prices)
7. Debate about increasing the money supply reached a crescendo-silver advocates took over the Democratic and Populist parties
8. Setting the stage fpr the Progressive Movement, widespread poverty led reformers to look into the causes of poverty rather than simply blaming the poor for their condition.
9. The depression also set the stage for war and imperialist expansion... dun dun dun.
A. Presidents
1. Generally upheld the status quo and sided with big business. Major political issues included civil service reform and size/backing of money supply
2. 1876- Rutherford Hayes, Republican, known for his sense of decorum and support of temperance. Attempted to impose civil service standards to counter the spoils system. Ended reconstruction by pulling troops out of the south. (Election was a tie due to some vote pulling in the south, so he agreed to pull troops from the south in return for presidency)
3. 1880- James Garfield, Republican, last of the log cabin presidents. Also wanted to impose civil service standards, assinated by a jilted political ally (Charles Guiteau).
4. 1881- Chester Arthur, Republican, Garfield’s VP. Though known as a symbol of patronage and corruption. Arthur helped to push through civil service legislation- the Pendelton Civil Service Act that established standards, set up civil service exams, and forbade candidates from soliciting contributions from government employees
5. 1884- Grover Cleveland, Democrat. Known for fighting political bosses and spoilsmen as Governer of NY, consequently did not have support of NYC’s Tammany Hall. Still, he won with the support of NY’s immigrant population. Became contovercial for attempting to lower tariffs (to cut federal surplus) and cracking down on fraudulent Civil War veteran benefits. Opposed by entrenched business interests and the GAR (Civil War Veterans).
6. 1888- Benjamin Harrison, Republican. Backed by big business campaign contributions, enacted the McKinley Tariff, protected the federal surplus and greatly increased Civil War veteran pension ststem.
7. 1892- Grover Cleveland, (conservative) Democrat. Presided over a major depression in the 1890’s, held to a laissez-faire economics approach, used the help of JP Morgan and Belmont to save the gold standard, opposed the silver standard as proposed by William Jennings Bryan.(who would later be involved in the Scopes trial) Yeilded to high tariff proponents and attempted to push through an income tax proposal (Wilson-Gorman Tariff) which was deemed unconstitutional.
8. 1896- William McKinley, Republican. Managed to beat Democrat/Populist candidate William Jennings Bryan who espoused the silver standard, lower tariffs, and appealed to Western farmers. Morgan and other industrialists funded McKinley’s campaign.
II. Political movements, issues, and policies
A. Grangers and Alliance Movements
1. Grangers were mostly Great Plains farmers who organized to combat big business interests, particularly railroads and banks.
2. Grangers tried to organized cooperatives to keep farmersf from having to borrow money. Farming without borrowing was impossible so the movement failed
3. The Alliance Movement began in the South to protect cotton farmers trapped in the crop-lien system.
4. The National Colored Farmer’s Alliance came up at the same time to accommodate black cotton farmers.
5. The Northwestern was set up as a response to a major drought in Kansas.
6. The Northwestern and Southern Alliances created a political platform: tariff reduction, graduated income tax, public ownership of railroads, federal funding for irrigation projects, ban on “alien” landownership and free and unlimited silver coinage.
7. Alliance movements grew up quickly and boasted over 4 million members by 1890. By 1892, the alliance set up a third party: the Populists.
B. Currency and other Acts
1. Sherman Silver Purchase Act (1890)- to provide for silver coinage, repealed under Cleveland administration 1894 (when he had to ask Morgan for a loan)
2. Currency Act (1900)- passed under McKinley, commitied US to gold standard
3. Interstate Commerce Act (1887)- reaffirmed federal government’s power to regulate interstate commerce
4. Pendleton Civil Service Act (1883)- set up civil service requirements and standards
5. Willson-Gorman Tariff (1894)- imposed 2% income tax, unconstitutional
6. Dingley Tariff (1897)- Increased tariffs to an all-time highs
C. Court Decisions
1. Munn Vs Illinois (1877)- Upheld an Illinois law setting a maximum rate for railroad transportation of grain
2. Plessy vs. Ferguson (1896)- established separate but equal doctrine,
III. Depression 1893-97
A. Panic of 1893
1. Caused by overspecutation in railroad stocks
2. Railroad growth rates slowed due to agricultural stagnation
3. A London investment bank collapsed prompting it to sell American stocks and then convert dollars into gold
4. Gold reserbe dropped sharply causing confidence crisis
5. Sherman Silver Act produced in the US. Silver producers often demanded payment in gold
6. Veterans benefits and Pork Barrel projects during Harrison’s presidency lowered government reserves
7. Crisis of confidence led to collapsing stock prices and a run on gold
8. By late 1893, 74 railroad companies and 15,000 businesses had failed
B. Depression
1. Industrial unemployment of 20-25%
2. 1/3 of railroad mileage in bankruptcy
3. Farm prices dropped by 20% between 1890-96
4. Commodity prices plummeted
5. High unemployment and decreasing wages led to protests such as the Pullman strike and Coxey’s Army March
6. Morgan and Belmont bailed out the American government by perchasing $62 million in bonds (at reduced prices)
7. Debate about increasing the money supply reached a crescendo-silver advocates took over the Democratic and Populist parties
8. Setting the stage fpr the Progressive Movement, widespread poverty led reformers to look into the causes of poverty rather than simply blaming the poor for their condition.
9. The depression also set the stage for war and imperialist expansion... dun dun dun.
Wednesday, February 6, 2008
I. Immigrants and the New American City
A. Immigration facts and figures
1. 11 million immigrants entered the US between 1870-1900. During that time period, US Population exploded from 40 million to 79 million.
2. Between 1860-1890, most immigrants were from northern Europe. Of the 10 million that arrived, 3 million were German, 2 million from Great Britain and 1.5 million were Irish. 800,000 French Canadians also moved to New England and nearly one million Scandinavians moved to the upper Midwest. 81 thousand Chinese were present on the West coast.
3. Beginning in the 1890’s, most immigrants were from Southern and Eastern Europe. These new immigrants were mostly Italian, Slaves, Greeks, and Eastern European Jews.
4. In 1890, 4 out of 5 New Yorkers were either foreign born or second-generation immigrants!
5. Push factors for immigrants included overpopulation, crop failure, famine, religious persecution, violence, and industrial depression in their home countries.
6. Pull factors included more job opportunities, personal freedoms as well as abundant and cheaper land
7. Wealthier immigrants from Germany and Scandinavia tended to settler further west, where land was cheaper. Poorer immigrants from Italy and Ireland tended to remain in East Coast cities. Few Immigrants settled in the South.
8. Immigrants tended to cluster not only among people of their country, but more specifically people of their region.
9. Most immigrants were single young men, although single Irish women also came. Immigrants tended to establish themselves in the US until they could afford to bring families.
10. Grueling ocean trips caused immigrants to frequently arrive ill. Immigrants were checked for disease and disabilities. Immigrants with serious infections were returned, some were quarantined upon entry.
11. Major ports of entry were Ellis Island in NY and Angel Island in San Francisco
12. Many immigrants had their names Anglicized upon admittance to the US
13. Large immigrant groups like the German and Irish quickly acquired political clout in cities where they represented a substantial pert of the population. These groups tended to exclude other newcomers from desirable jobs
14. Northern Europeans were unlikely to face racial discrimination. Southern and Eastern Europeans, however were viewed and treated as non-white
B. Urban Life
1. Between 1860 – 1900, American cities grew tremendously. The percentage of urban population increased from 20% to 40%
2. By 1890, Philly, NY, and Chicago had over 1 million residents and West Coast cities like San Francisco, Seattle and LA grew exponentially
3. New residents included not only immigrants but also Americans migrating away from rural areas in search of better wages and more job opportunities
4. A leading group of American migrants were young farm women, particularly in the Northeast
5. Class distinctions were quite apparent in cities. Most immigrants lived in squalid tenement row houses closer to the center while wealthier inhabitants tended to live in large houses on the outskirts. Fashionable suburbs began during this period.
6. Immigrants and minorities tended to live in clustered neighborhoods. While this was mostly by choice, some immigrant groups and minorities were purposefully segregated into ghettos. These tended to be noisy and dirty
7. As transportation systems improved (trolleys and trains) cities began to sprawl and develop more suburbs
8. Spatial separation along with divergent living conditions for rich and poor led to greater ethnic racial cultural and class divisions
A. Immigration facts and figures
1. 11 million immigrants entered the US between 1870-1900. During that time period, US Population exploded from 40 million to 79 million.
2. Between 1860-1890, most immigrants were from northern Europe. Of the 10 million that arrived, 3 million were German, 2 million from Great Britain and 1.5 million were Irish. 800,000 French Canadians also moved to New England and nearly one million Scandinavians moved to the upper Midwest. 81 thousand Chinese were present on the West coast.
3. Beginning in the 1890’s, most immigrants were from Southern and Eastern Europe. These new immigrants were mostly Italian, Slaves, Greeks, and Eastern European Jews.
4. In 1890, 4 out of 5 New Yorkers were either foreign born or second-generation immigrants!
5. Push factors for immigrants included overpopulation, crop failure, famine, religious persecution, violence, and industrial depression in their home countries.
6. Pull factors included more job opportunities, personal freedoms as well as abundant and cheaper land
7. Wealthier immigrants from Germany and Scandinavia tended to settler further west, where land was cheaper. Poorer immigrants from Italy and Ireland tended to remain in East Coast cities. Few Immigrants settled in the South.
8. Immigrants tended to cluster not only among people of their country, but more specifically people of their region.
9. Most immigrants were single young men, although single Irish women also came. Immigrants tended to establish themselves in the US until they could afford to bring families.
10. Grueling ocean trips caused immigrants to frequently arrive ill. Immigrants were checked for disease and disabilities. Immigrants with serious infections were returned, some were quarantined upon entry.
11. Major ports of entry were Ellis Island in NY and Angel Island in San Francisco
12. Many immigrants had their names Anglicized upon admittance to the US
13. Large immigrant groups like the German and Irish quickly acquired political clout in cities where they represented a substantial pert of the population. These groups tended to exclude other newcomers from desirable jobs
14. Northern Europeans were unlikely to face racial discrimination. Southern and Eastern Europeans, however were viewed and treated as non-white
B. Urban Life
1. Between 1860 – 1900, American cities grew tremendously. The percentage of urban population increased from 20% to 40%
2. By 1890, Philly, NY, and Chicago had over 1 million residents and West Coast cities like San Francisco, Seattle and LA grew exponentially
3. New residents included not only immigrants but also Americans migrating away from rural areas in search of better wages and more job opportunities
4. A leading group of American migrants were young farm women, particularly in the Northeast
5. Class distinctions were quite apparent in cities. Most immigrants lived in squalid tenement row houses closer to the center while wealthier inhabitants tended to live in large houses on the outskirts. Fashionable suburbs began during this period.
6. Immigrants and minorities tended to live in clustered neighborhoods. While this was mostly by choice, some immigrant groups and minorities were purposefully segregated into ghettos. These tended to be noisy and dirty
7. As transportation systems improved (trolleys and trains) cities began to sprawl and develop more suburbs
8. Spatial separation along with divergent living conditions for rich and poor led to greater ethnic racial cultural and class divisions
Friday, February 1, 2008
Chapter 18 Notes, part II
I. The Industrial Workforce
A. The factory system
1. Assembly line method of production was adopted in most industries making work tedious and repetitive.
2. Simple work could be done by lower-paid unskilled workers- increased use of women, children, and immigrants
3. More rigorous schedules, working conditions and focus on efficiency
B. Plight of the factory worker
1. Use of unskilled and child workers led to frequent accidents
2. Workers who were injured received few if any benefits
3. Very long hours, often 12 hours a day 7 days per week
4. Low wages $1.30/ day for unskilled male workers ($.84 in South) women as little as $5 for a 70-hr week
5. Instability- could be laid off whenever demand for factory’s products declined.
6. Illnesses- Black and Brown lung diseases, TB
II. Workers Strike Back
A. National Labor Union
1. Formed in 1866 by William Sylvis
2. Advocated 8 hour workday, higher wagers and limits on immigration
3. Welcomed women but believed in racially segregated unions
4. Has as many as 300,000 members but disintegrated soon after Sylvis’ death in 1869
B. Knights of Labor
1. Founded in 1869 by a group of Philadelphia tailors but grew explosively after Terence Powderly became its leader in 1880
2. Under Powderly, the union welcomed unskilled workers, blacks and women (no Chinese)
3. Though Powderly opposed strikes, the Knights gained prominence after the successful Wabash strike against Jay Gould’s railroad in 1885
4. Opposition to Chinese immigration which culminated in the Chinese Exclusion Act (1882)
5. Advanced socialist ideals-worker ownership of companies
6. Began to decline after failed strikes as well as the Haymarket Riot in 1886
C. American Federation of Labor
1. Led by Samuel Gompers starting in 1886
2. Accepted only skilled laborers and excluded blacks and women
3. More pragmatic than the Knights, they fought to improve factory conditions, higher wages and the 8 hour workday
4. Grew to 1.6 million members by1904, still exists as the AFL-CIO. Largest labor union in the US
D. Strikes and Labor Violence
1. 37,000 strikes between 1881- 1905 involving 7 million workers
2. Railroad Strike of 1887- first instance of government using troops to end a strike
3. Fearing unions, management began to demand “yellow dog” contracts (prevent and hire Pinkerton agents and other private security
4. May Day Strike of 1886- 340,000 workers walked off jobs in support of 8 hour workday
5. Haymarket square (1886)- confrontation between McCormick Harvester workers and police ends in casualties. Workers widely blamed by media
6. Coeur d’Alene (1892)- in response to wage cut, miners blew up mill and captured guards, Idaho Natal guard ended the strike, breaking up the union
7. Homestead Strike (1892)- Managers lowered wages and locked out union workers at a Carnegie Steel Mill. Workers fought with Pinkerton agents leading to casualties. Nat’l guard ended strike, breaking up the union
8. Pullman Strike (1894)- Railroad workers led by Eugene Debs paralyzed major railroads by refusing to switch Pullman cars. Workers refused a court order to return to work. Debs was arrested and federal troops sent in; a riot broke out in which 13 people died and 700 railroad cars were burned.
9. Manipulating the media, corporate leaders used strike violence as an example of anarchy and mobocracy to discredit unions
10. Union’s negative public image allowed government to generally side with corporations
A. The factory system
1. Assembly line method of production was adopted in most industries making work tedious and repetitive.
2. Simple work could be done by lower-paid unskilled workers- increased use of women, children, and immigrants
3. More rigorous schedules, working conditions and focus on efficiency
B. Plight of the factory worker
1. Use of unskilled and child workers led to frequent accidents
2. Workers who were injured received few if any benefits
3. Very long hours, often 12 hours a day 7 days per week
4. Low wages $1.30/ day for unskilled male workers ($.84 in South) women as little as $5 for a 70-hr week
5. Instability- could be laid off whenever demand for factory’s products declined.
6. Illnesses- Black and Brown lung diseases, TB
II. Workers Strike Back
A. National Labor Union
1. Formed in 1866 by William Sylvis
2. Advocated 8 hour workday, higher wagers and limits on immigration
3. Welcomed women but believed in racially segregated unions
4. Has as many as 300,000 members but disintegrated soon after Sylvis’ death in 1869
B. Knights of Labor
1. Founded in 1869 by a group of Philadelphia tailors but grew explosively after Terence Powderly became its leader in 1880
2. Under Powderly, the union welcomed unskilled workers, blacks and women (no Chinese)
3. Though Powderly opposed strikes, the Knights gained prominence after the successful Wabash strike against Jay Gould’s railroad in 1885
4. Opposition to Chinese immigration which culminated in the Chinese Exclusion Act (1882)
5. Advanced socialist ideals-worker ownership of companies
6. Began to decline after failed strikes as well as the Haymarket Riot in 1886
C. American Federation of Labor
1. Led by Samuel Gompers starting in 1886
2. Accepted only skilled laborers and excluded blacks and women
3. More pragmatic than the Knights, they fought to improve factory conditions, higher wages and the 8 hour workday
4. Grew to 1.6 million members by1904, still exists as the AFL-CIO. Largest labor union in the US
D. Strikes and Labor Violence
1. 37,000 strikes between 1881- 1905 involving 7 million workers
2. Railroad Strike of 1887- first instance of government using troops to end a strike
3. Fearing unions, management began to demand “yellow dog” contracts (prevent and hire Pinkerton agents and other private security
4. May Day Strike of 1886- 340,000 workers walked off jobs in support of 8 hour workday
5. Haymarket square (1886)- confrontation between McCormick Harvester workers and police ends in casualties. Workers widely blamed by media
6. Coeur d’Alene (1892)- in response to wage cut, miners blew up mill and captured guards, Idaho Natal guard ended the strike, breaking up the union
7. Homestead Strike (1892)- Managers lowered wages and locked out union workers at a Carnegie Steel Mill. Workers fought with Pinkerton agents leading to casualties. Nat’l guard ended strike, breaking up the union
8. Pullman Strike (1894)- Railroad workers led by Eugene Debs paralyzed major railroads by refusing to switch Pullman cars. Workers refused a court order to return to work. Debs was arrested and federal troops sent in; a riot broke out in which 13 people died and 700 railroad cars were burned.
9. Manipulating the media, corporate leaders used strike violence as an example of anarchy and mobocracy to discredit unions
10. Union’s negative public image allowed government to generally side with corporations
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