pros of railroads?

Cons of Railroads

began in England in the late 1790s/early 1800s in the textile industry, led to more factories and use of machines, especially in the Northeast

created to simplify the railroad schedules

businesses where the company's #1 priority was profit. Workers often treated badly and products or prices often took advantage of consumers

owners of big business who used ruthless business tactics- mistreated workers, ripped off consumers- to profit

Owner of Standard Oil

the resources needed to begin a business (workers, a factory, machinery, raw materials)

finished in 1869 at Promontory, Utah

transcontinental Railroad

Irish Immigrants

entered at Angel Island, discrimated against due to racism, helped build railroads

government gave or sold land cheaply to RR companies, angering farmers moving west

Rockefeller's company, considered one of the nation's first monopolies

Another big business, used vertical and horizontal integration to control the steel industry

Sherman Anti-Trust Act

associated with the use of electricity and lightlbulbs in factories and eventually homes. Also known for the phonograph (record player) and "moving pictures"

invented by Samuel Morse, who also created Morse Code. Kind of like texting over a landline

invented by Alexander Graham Bell, made communication almost instantaneous

Island in New York harbor, where European immigrants entered the US to be processed

Island off of San Francisco where Asian immigrants entered the US to be processed

increase in immigration from southern and eastern Europe (Spain, Italy, Greece) during the 1800s due to conflict and increased competition for land, food, and jobs due to population growth

group of workers that organize and try to obtain better treatment of workers

founded by Samuel Gompers

workers all unite in their negotiations- instead of one person asking for a raise, all of them ask for a raise together

workers refuse to work at all, often shutting down a factory until the management would agree to better pay or conditions

belief in an economic system where the economy is driven solely on supply and demand with no government involvement or regulation

belief in an economic system where the economy is manipulated by the government in order to ensure that those born into poor families have access to the same economic opportunity as those born into wealthy families. In practice, it looks like lots of government provided services (health care, education) paid for through taxes. Often confused with communism.

Government system where the government is an autocracy, with a dictator controlling most aspects of life. The govenrment also controls the economy- manufacturing goods, distributing to the people, setting prices. Basically a dictator + a purely socialist economy. Communism tends to fail as the people involved in the government become corrupt and the people suffer.

1894 strike, example of the government siding with big business

business owners buy all steps of the process

business owners buy all competing companies

robber baron, founder of Carnegie Steel, used both horizontal and vertical integration

robber baron, founder of Standard Oil (first trust/monopoly)

muckraker, revealed Rockefeller's greed and lack of ethics

muckraker, wrote about the immigrant experience but Americans fixated on his description of the meatpacking industry

writers who tried to reveal corruption in business and government

Invented the telegraph and Morse Code

invented the telephone

belief that being native-born in the US is superior to being an immigrant to the US

organized attempt to kill all Jews in a community. Holocaust is the most well known example

founded of the AFL

Labor union of the Progressive Era

last major conflict between Native Americans and US troops; hundred of Sioux killed

Sitting Bull defeated American troops led by George Custer; led to the surrender then murder of Sitting Bull and the Wounded Knee Massacre, both possibly revenge for Little Bighorn

general name for tribes living in the Great Plains, includes tribes like the Sioux

nickname for Battle of Little Bighorn

Chief of a Sioux tribe, defeated Custer at Little Bighorn, later surrendered and then was murdered. His tribe was slaughtered at Wounded Knee

Sioux ritual that the US government outlawed because it gave the American Indians hope, they did it anyway. Contributed to the battle of Little Bighorn

period following the Gilded Age wherein reformers tried to solve a lot of the worst issues of the Gilded Age

one of the Progressive presidents; known for the Pure Food and Drug Act, the Meat Inspection Act, and the Conservation movement

Upton Sinclair's book about immigrant life that disgusted Teddy Roosevelt about the meatpacking industry. Led to the Pure Food and Drug Act and the Meat Inspection Act

place that provided help for the poor, for immigrants, and people new to city life. Hull House was the first

founder of Hull House in Chicago

1896 Supreme Court decision that confirmed segregation- "separate but equal" is allowed by this decision

aka black codes. Intended to control and oppress the black population

required people to pay a tax before they could vote. Intended to keep black men from voting as part of Jim Crow

voters had to prove they could read. Used to keep black men from voting.

civil rights supporter who encouraged black people to work hard and show that they deserved equal rights

civil rights supporter, founder of the NAACP, believed that black people should be assertive and demand their natural rights

National Associated for the Advancement of Colored People- Civil Rights Group

government reforms that impacted city and county or municipal level government

government reforms that occurred at the national level

voters can demand a new election, basically firing an elected official BEFORE his term is over

citizens suggest legislation through petitions

citizens vote on somethings suggested through an intitiative

"Direct Election of senators" - senators now elected by citizens instead of appointed by state legislatures. reform at the federal level

Prohibition! Made alcohol illegal with very few exceptions. Temperance movement finally succeeds! but most Americans ignore it. 21st Amendment repeals it after 13 years. reform at the federal level

Women's Suffrage! Women gain the right to vote in 1920. WWI quieted the suffragettes for a while but once the war ends, they demand the vote. reform at the federal level

recall, referendum, initiative

child labor laws, shorter work days, protections for worker safety

wanted to preserve natural resources and unique or beautiful American Landscapes. Associated with Theodore Roosevelt and National Parks

1870s-1890s, Mark Twain coined the name. On the surface, it looks like a Golden Age, but underneath, it was rotten with lots of social problems.