Unit 6 Short Answer
a) Briefly explain the connection between the Social Gospel movement and religious beliefs. b) Briefly explain TWO other ways religion or religious organizations influenced reforms or reform movements of the period.
a) The Social Gospel advocated social justice for the poor and the application of Christian principles to solving social problems. The Social Gospel movement was often led by Christian ministers, such as Walter Rauschenbusch. b) Religious organizations that were involved in various reforms included the Salvation Army that worked with the poor and homeless, Catholic leaders, such as Cardinal Gibbons who supported the labor movement, and the Moody Bible Institute who helped to adapt evangelism to urban conditions.
Briefly explain the goals and methods of THREE of these labor movements listed below. ¥ National Labor Union ¥ Knights of Labor ¥ American Federation of Labor ¥ American Railway Union
The National Labor Union attempted to organize both skilled and unskilled, and industrial and farm workers. Besides organizing to increase wages and achieve an Eight-hour workday, it had a broad reform agenda that included equal rights for women and African Americans. The movement collapsed after a series of unsuccessful strikes and the effects of the 1873 depression. The Knights of Labor also attempted to include all workers and races and advocated a wide variety of reforms, such abolishment of child labor and monopolies. It was started as a loosely organized secret society to protect workers from being fired and blacklisted. It grew rapidly but the Haymarket Bombing turned the public against unions, and just as rapidly lost membership.
Use the image above and your knowledge of United States history to answer parts A, B, & C. A) Explain the point of the political cartoon B) Explain how the point of view identified in part A helped to shape ONE specific United States government action between 1865 and 1898. C) Explain how the point of view identified in Part A helped to shape ONE OTHER specific United States government action between 1865 and 1898.
another one with no answer provided :-(
Briefly explain how a development in THREE of the five areas in the years 1860-1900 had an impact on American culture. ¥ architecture ¥ education ¥ literature ¥ music ¥ visual arts
Architecture developments of the period include Henry Richardson's introduction of the Romanesque style used in the design of massive and stately public buildings, Louis Sullivan's simplified design of the tall, steel-framed "skyscraper" with his "form follows function" design philosophy, and Frank Lloyd Wright's horizontal "prairie style" designs influenced residential construction. Education developments included the growth of the tax-supported comprehensive high school to better prepare citizens for the jobs of the industrial age, the establishment of public land-grant colleges under the Morrill Act of 1862 to teach scientific farming and applied sciences, and the reform of college and university curriculums to place more emphasis on the sciences, modem languages, advanced graduate education, and the New social sciences, such as psychology, sociology, and political science. Visual Arts, much like literature, move from romantic subject matter to the greater realism of everyday life and urban subjects, while styles of painting were influenced by impressionism, the "Ashcan School," and later abstract art.
Briefly explain the impact of industrialization and growth of corporations on THREE of the following. ¥ middle class ¥ working class ¥ working women ¥ consumers
The middle class increased in numbers and wealth as large scale industries and corporations needed more skill managers, factory superintendents, salespeople, and a variety of other "white collar" salaried employees to help conduct business operations. These higher paid workers in turn demanded more services from other middle-class professions in law, medicine, education, and government. The growth of industry and corporations also expanded the number and types of jobs for women. The low-paying work in textile, garment, and food processing industries were seen as an extension of women's skills as homemakers. Women also took over former male dominated work as secretaries, bookkeepers, and typists, often at lower wages
"One-third of the population of the south is of the Negro race. No enterprise seeking the material, civil or moral welfare of this section can disregard this element of our population and reach the highest success . . . "The wisest man my race understands that the agitation of questions of social equality is the extremist of folly, and that progress in the enjoyment of all privileges that will come to us must be the result of severe and constant struggle rather than of artificial forcing. No race that has anything to contribute to the markets of the world is long in any degree ostracized. It is important and right that all privileges of the law be ours, but it is vastly more important that we be prepared for the exercises of these privileges. The opportunity to earn a dollar in a factory just now is worth infinitely more than the opportunity to spend a dollar in an opera house." -Booker T. Washington, Speech at Cotton States and International Exposition, Atlanta, September 18, 1895 Using the excerpt, answer a, b, and c. a) Based this excerpt and your knowledge, briefly explain ONE argument made by Booker T. Washington to improve race relations in the South. b) Briefly explain TWO forms of discrimination that African Americans experienced at this time in the South.
a) Among the arguments made by Booker T. Washington were that given the political and social segregation in the South, the most productive approaches for the betterment of African Americans included practical education in skilled Occupations, such as offered at Tuskegee Institute, and the development of black_ owned businesses, such as promoted by the National Negro Business League. He also argued that economic cooperation and harmony of the races would lead to eventual acceptance by whites and ultimately equal political rights. b) The forms of discrimination against African American during the late 19th century included the widespread loss of the right to vote, serve on juries and hold public office, economic discrimination in securing jobs and buying property, segregated and inferior public education, and prejudiced treatment in the court and the use of violence and lynching to terrorize the black community.
(a) Explain the point of view reflected in the image above of one of the following: Newly Arrived Immigrant Men in Top Hats People in Shadows (b) Explain how ONE element of the image expresses the point of view you identified in part a (c) Explain how the point of view you identified in part a helped to shape ONE specific United States government action between 1900 and 1924
(a) This cartoon points out the hypocrisy of men in top hats and the other garb of the rich, who themselves are the sons of immigrants (see the shadowy figures in the background) and who have made it in America. Their hypocrisy is that they are now denying new immigrants the same opportunities that they had when they arrived earlier in America. (b) The hands being raised by three of the top hats indicate stop or halt and are definitely not welcoming gestures to the newly arriving immigrants. (c) The gestures of the "top hats" in stopping the new immigrants from entering were enacted into law with the restrictive Immigration Act of 1921. This law restricted immigration by establishing quotas that discriminated against immigrants from Southern and Eastern Europe who arrived in large numbers between 1890 and 1915. It limited the annual number of immigrants who could be admitted from any country to 3% of the number of people from that country who were already living in the United States in 1890. This was modified to be even more restrictive by the Immigrant Act of 1924. It was based on the 1890 census that established a 2% quota.
(a) Explain how the political cartoon describes the Senate (b) Explain how the political cartoon describes the Monopolists (c) Explain how the political cartoon describes the People (d) Provide at least one specific piece of evidence from 1880 to 1920 that supports the point of view in the political cartoon RESPONSE:
A. These Lilliputian figures, diminutive compared to the monopolist who hover over them are depicted as inattentive school children turning around in their desks in awe of the giant figures behind them who are going to manipulate or intimidate the Senators. B. The monopolists are shown to be these large and over bearing men in the caricature of money bags lording over the tiny figures of the U.S. Senate. The Brobdingnagian size of the monopolists in the picture show both their power as well as the intimidation that they had over the smaller shown Senators. The Senate was called a millionaires club that helped to further spread the influence that the monopolies had over the United States as a whole. Above the bloated figures of the monopolists is a quote that has been changed from the Gettysburg Address, "This Senate of the monopolists, by the monopolists, and for the monopolists." C. The people are notable because of their absence. There is a door where the people would be able to come into the Senate and watch the preceding, however, in the cartoon it is closed off showing a door to the gallery, the "people's entrance," bolted and barred. The galleries stand empty while the special interests have floor privileges,. This shows how the people of the United States have lost their right and power to say what they felt about the senate. With the doors closed off to the public the Senate as been transformed into a house of monopolists, changing the government for their personal benefits. D. The high tariff policy adopted by the Senate carried out the monopolists program in both the McKinley tariff of 1890 and the Dingley tariff of 1897, raising tariffs to levels higher than any time since the Civil War. The late 1800s was a time when federal legislation protected domestic businesses from foreign competitors, usually by imposing high tariffs on imported products. Tariffs were used to pay government expenses and to protect businesses from foreign competition. Among the major industries protected by tariff legislation included steel, iron, sugar, glass, furniture, leather, paper, coal, woolen goods and silk. Many businesses profited as a result of this policy of limiting foreign competition. Protection also contributed to the emergence of large enterprises-cartels, pools, trusts, holding companies, and monopolies-all enterprises that could cause high prices by limiting production.
Passage 1 This, then is held to be the duty of the man of wealth: First, to set an example of modest, unostentatious living, shunning display or extravagance; and, after doing so, to sconsider all surplus revenues which come to him simply as trust funds, which he is called upon to administer to produce the most beneficial results for the community- the man of wealth thus becoming the mere trustee and agent for his poorer brethren, bringing to their service his superior wisdom, experience and ability to administer, doing for them better than they would or could do for themselves. -From Wealth, by Andrew Carnegie, North American Review, 1889 Passage 2 In an age of free struggle and fierce competition for power, this old buccaneer, who was almost a septuagenarian at the break of the Civil war, was admired most of all for his unflagging aggressiveness. One incident Gentlemen: You have undertaken to cheat me. I will not sue you, the law takes too long. I will ruin you. Sincerely yours, Cornelius Van Derbilt And he did. A characteristic expression of his, in another emergency, also became celebrated. What do I care about the law? he had exclaimed. Hain't I got the power? Based on the two passages referring to industrial capitalists of the mid to late 19th century, complete the following three tasks: a) Briefly explain the main point made by Passage 1. b) Briefly explain the main point made by Passage 2. c) Provide ONE piece of evidence that is from the mid to late 19th century that is not included in the passages, and explain how it supports the interpretation of either passage.
There was no answer provided ;-; <- (it's a face)
a) Briefly explain ONE change in the South between 1877 and 1900 that reflected the policies of the New South agenda. b) Briefly explain ONE way the Southern economy did not change during this era. c) Briefly explain ONE factor that kept the South from making more progress during this period.
a) Changes in the South during this period included that railroads were built across the South and integrated with the rest of the nation; Birmingham, Alabama, became one of the nation's leading steel producers, and cities such as Richmond and Memphis grew as centers of commerce related to tobacco and lumber; and textile mills moved from the North into states such as Georgia, North and South Carolina. b) The ways the South did not change included that cotton remained the main product driving the southern economy; most southerners, white and black, remained poorly educated working in agriculture and low-paying jobs ; and racial segregation governed relations between blacks and whites. While industrialization came to the South during this period, it still lagged far behind the North by 1900. c) Factors that kept the South from making more progress included the lack of capital for investment within the South after the Civil War, agriculture dominated the economy, poorly trained workforce, the education lagged behind much of the nation, and Southern society lacked a large middle class.
"The farmers of the United States are up in arms. They are the bone and sinew of the nation; they produce the largest share of its wealth; but they are getting, they say, the smallest share for themselves. The American farmer is steadily losing ground. His burdens are heavier every year and his gains are more meager; he is beginning to fear that he may be sinking into a servile condition. He has waited long for the redress of his grievances; he purposes to wait no longer." -Washington Gladden, minister, Forum, November 1890 Using the excerpt, answer a, b, and c. a) Briefly explain an event from the Gilded Age that supports that "the farmers were up in arms." b) Briefly explain what evidence would support the statement about farmers in this era that "His burdens are heavier every year and his gains are more meager." c) Explain what the writer most likely had in mind when he stated, "he is beginning to fear that he may be sinking into a servile condition."
a) Events that reflected farmers' discontent included the formation of the National Grange movement, which defended farmers against profit-taking "middlemen," trusts, and railroads. The growth of Farmers' Alliances with more than a million white and black members also signaled that the dissatisfaction was widespread. The discontent of American farmers came together at the meeting of the National Alliance of farm organizations in 1890, which produced the Ocala platform of influential reforms. b) Farmers were burdened by a deflationary era after the Civil War, in which prices for com, wheat, cotton, and other farm commodities declined, while interest rates increased. U.S. farmers suffered from increased competition from Canada, Argentine, and Russia, as the markets become internationalized. Farmers also felt victimized by high charges of the railroads, grain elevators, equipment suppliers, and banks. c) The writer most likely meant that farmers feared losing their farms and becoming tenant farmers or sharecroppers that resulted in a life in poverty. While farm failures had many causes, it became a widespread event on the Great Plains, and more than half of farmers in the South were tenants or sharecroppers. Farmers feared that the Jeffersonian ideal of a nation of independent family-owned farms would disappear.
"An electric light man met with a horrible death at the corner of Centre and Chambers streets . . . he died on a network of wires, in mid-air, while the ádeadly fluid actually made his body sizzle and blood poured out on the side_ walks and over the cloths of the horrified spectators . . . The man's body lay limp and motionless over the mass of wires attached to the crosstrees of the poles . . '. every few seconds the blue flames spurted out from various parts of his body. Hundreds of people stood shivering as they looked at the awful sight overhead. No one dared to go near; even the firemen's faces blanched with horror. "Immediately after the accident Mayor Grant was notified. The mayor gave orders that the wires which caused the accident be cut at once. His secretary said that the mayor would act promptly in the matter and it is possible he may order the cutting of all electric light wires above ground tonight, where_ upon a large part of the city will be in darkness." Using the excerpt, answer a, b, and c. a) Briefly explain ONE reason why the death of linemen in New York City become a national news event at the time. b) Briefly identify and explain ONE other innovation of this era from 1865 to 1900 that had both positive and negative impacts on American society at the time. c) Briefly analyze ONE way the problems in this excerpt resulted in an increased role for city governments.
a) In the 1880s, electric power and electric lighting were new technologies that created both interest and accidents. News reports about the sensational deaths related to the electric power were of widespread interest across the country in this period, much like reports of airline accidents are today. b) Among the innovations of the 19th century that illustrated the advantages and dangers of new technologies are: safety and economic issues related to rail travel, the impact improved communications by cable and telephone had on markets And small producers and the mass production of canned and processed foods that could sicken or kill. The main idea from the excerpt is that often, new technologies include dangers and unforeseen consequences that take time to be corrected by industry and government. c) In the laissez-faire economic climate of the late 19th century, local, state, and federal governments were slow to regulate new industries. As in the case of electric power lines New York City, the business remained unregulated until major accidents and deaths forced the local government to take action, often only after the problem became so serious that the only solution appeared to be to shut down the whole system.
"After all, the country club is nothing more than a rendezvous for a colony of congenial spirits. . . . Spring opens with polo, lawn tennis and yachting. . . . Turn your back on the racecourse and you well might fancy yourself at a huge garden party. . . . There is a shooting box where clay pigeons are used, a toboggan slide, golf course, and good tennis courts. . . . "Who shall deny the country club to have been a veritable blessing, what with its sport and pleasure and health-giving properties that have brushed the cobwebs from weary brains, and given us blue sky, green grass and restful shade in exchange for smoke-laden atmosphere, parboiled pavements and never ceasing glare and racket of the city?" -Caspar Whitney, sportwriter, Harper 's New Monthly, 1894 ''The saloon was the only club the workingmen had then. For a few cents we could buy a glass of beer and hours of congenial society. Talk in these meeting places has a peculiar freedom from formality that engendered good-fellowship . . . . The saloon rendered a variety of industrial services. Frequently, wages were paid there-in checks which the saloonkeeper cashed. Of course, it was embarrassing to accept that service without spending money with him. "All too frequently the saloonkeeper also served as an employment agent. But on the other hand the saloonkeeper was often a friend in time of strikes and the free lunch he served was a boon to many a hungry striker." -Samuel Gompers, Seventy Years of Life and Labor, 1925 4. Using the excerpts, answer a and b. a) Briefly explain TWO economic developments during this period that contributed to the social divisions reflected in these excerpts. b) Briefly explain the significance of leisure time activities during the Gilded Age.
a) Industrialization, increased profits from large-scale corporations and occupation specialization contributed to wider income gaps and more inequality, which fostered and hardened economic divisions among the upper, middle and working classes, and the very poor. Housing patterns in city neighborhoods and suburbs contributed to physical separation and social divisions of the classes. b) The Gilded Age not only increased wealth but more leisure time and access to public transportation, which in turn increased access to popular amusements, including vaudeville shows, traveling circuses and amateur and spectator sports, such as baseball and boxing. The country club became the oasis for the wealthy and upper middle classes to play golf and tennis, while in urban areas the neighborhood tavern served the workingman's "club."
a) Select ONE of the choices below, and explain why your choice best demonstrates the often-hostile attitude toward immigration seen throughout United States history. b) Contrast your choice against ONE of the other options, demonstrating why that option is not as good as your choice. c) Provide ONE piece of evidence involving one of the choices provided that either supports or contradicts the above statement
a) Nativism became a recognized movement against immigration in the 1840s with riots and the organization of a secret society and the Know-Nothing Party. The movement was revitalized following World War I, leading to quota laws and the resurgence of the Ku Klux Klan. The KKK expanded its violence to immigrants. b) Immigration quotas were not absolute, since Canadians and Latin Americans were exempt and almost 500,000 Mexicans migrated legally to the Southwest during the 1920s. c) Nativism 's limited appeal is reflected in the fact that its efforts to create influential organizations, while visible, were also short-lived. For example the Know-Nothing Party was a force in national elections only briefly in the 1850s, and the Ku Klux Klan, which grew nationally after World War I, saw its influence and membership decline rapidly after 1925.
"[Frederick Jackson] Turner insisted that the presence of regional difference was no cause for concern. The varied regions complemented one another and together composed a varied, but nonetheless functional and united , nation . . . He began his best know essay on the topic, 'The Significance of the Section in American History' with the claim that the post-frontier United states was now 'more like Europe, and our sections more and more becoming the American version of the European nation.' He closed the essay with the powerful assertion that 'we must shape our national action to the fact of a vast and varied union of unlike sections."' -David M. Wrobel, historian, "Regionalism and Sectionalism in American Historical Writing," 2010 1. Using the excerpt, answer a and b. a) Briefly explain TWO regional characteristics of either the South or the West that support Turner's assertion that United States was "a vast and varied union of unlike sections." b) Briefly explain ONE reason why Turner was concerned with the closing and disappearance of the frontier that was not stated in the above excerpt.
a) Regional characteristics of the South included the long recovery after the Civil War, the region lagged the North in industrialization and education and remained the poorest region, remained heavily reliant on agriculture, especially cotton, and legal segregation limited the participation of African Americans, one-third of the population. Regional characteristics of the West included a boom-and-bust economy energized by railroad construction, mining, cattle, and farming, a successful effort to marginalize American Indians onto small reservations , the larger role of federal government in the West, and the destruction of the environment that sparked a conservation movement. b) The closing of the frontier concerned Turner, because he believed that open lands acted as a safety value to relieve the discontent in society. He also feared that ending the frontier experience that had shaped the American identity would also weaken American independence, individualism, and inventiveness. He predicted that the passing of the frontier would result in the United States becoming more divided by economic and class differences like Europe.
a) Briefly explain how TWO of the following influenced political party identification and loyalty between 1865 and 1900. ¥ region or location ¥ social class ¥ ethnicity ¥ religion b) Briefly explain ONE reason that voter turnout was very high during this era.
a) Regional identity was particularly important in the "Solid South" that voted Democratic from before the Civil War until mid-20th century. Social class was not the strongest predictor of party affiliation, but the wealthy and the middle class outside the South tended to vote Republican. The "new" immigrants, Irish and other poorer ethnic groups who settled in large cities tended to support political machines that were dominated by the Democrats, while African Americans during this period remained loyal to the party of Lincoln, the Republicans. b) High turnout was fueled by strong party identity, the patronage system, and popular campaign tactics. For the all male electorate in an era before mass entertainment, politics was often the most interesting game in town.
"Standard Oil was thus presented as the antidote to social Darwinism, a way to bring about brotherhood to a fractious industry. . . . In a state of ungoverned competition , selfish individuals tried to maximize their profits and thereby impoverish the entire industry. What the American economy needed instead were new cooperative forms (trusts, pools, monopolies) that would restrain grasping individuals for the general good . . . . It was an ingenious rationalization." -Ron Chernow, historian, Titan: the Life of John D. Rockefeller, Sr., 1998 1. Using the excerpt, answer a and b. a) Briefly analyze the author's conclusion that Rockefeller's defense of the Standard Oil trust as "the antidote to social Darwinism" was an "ingenious rationalization ." b) Briefly explain how TWO of the four operated as forms of "cooperation" among businesses. ¥ pools ¥ trusts ¥ monopolies ¥ interlocking directorates
a) Rockefeller's solution to the unrestrained markets was to control competition through "cooperative forms," such as his Standard Oil Trust. It was an "ingenious rationalization," according to the author, while Rockefeller criticized his competitors for their tactics, he achieved "survival of the fittest" through a well_ organized trust that controlled 90 percent of the oil market and then defended the monopoly as an "antidote to social Darwinism." b) Forms of "cooperation" among business included: Pools were informal agreements among competitors to fix prices and share the market among themselves. Since they were infom1al, these agreements were easily and often broken. Trusts were formal agreements in which competitors turned over their business operations and/or stock for trust certificates, and a board of trustees would manage the former competitors to control the market and maximize profits for its members.
Using the cartoon, answer a, b, and c. a) Briefly explain the point of view of the artist about ONE of the following: ¥ Western Farmers ¥ New York's Wall Street b) Briefly explain ONE development in the period from 1865 to 1900 that supported the point of view of the artist. c) Briefly explain ONE development in the period from 1865 to 1900 that challenged the point of view expressed by the artist.
a) The author illustrated the belief that western farmers were the real producers that feed the economy, while Wall Street and eastern bankers were the ones who took the profits. b) Support for this point of view includes the gold standard that benefited the wealthy and bankers, while the limited money supply hurt farmers and debtors, high tariff policies hurt consumers and farmers while lack of competition enriched eastern corporations, and unfair railroad rates targeted western producers and helped eastern investors. C) Support against the point of view includes the arguments that the problems of the farmers were mostly the result of international markets that reduced the price paid for farm products, the impact of natural forces such as bad weather, and the poor business decisions made by farmers such as overproduction and borrowing too much money.
a) Explain with supporting evidence ONE factor that determined the outcome of the 1896 election. b) Briefly explain TWO significant consequences from the 1896 election.
a) The candidacy of populist William Jennings Bryan and the "free silver" platform drove some Democrats to support the Republicans who supported the gold standard. However, the Republicans also make effective use of money and the mass media to promote their candidate, William McKinley. b) The results of the 1896 election included that the Republicans became the dominant political party for decades to come, modem industrial and urban America triumphed over the agrarian heartland, and the pattern was set for future elections for the funding use of mass media.
Using the cartoon, answer a and b. a) Briefly explain the illustrator 's point of view on immigration expressed in this political cartoon. b) Briefly explain TWO federal immigration policies or actions taken during the late 19th century, and whether each supported or opposed the point of view in the cartoon. teehee you can't see the cartoon because quizlet won't let me add pictures :')
a) The cartoon opposes the passage of the Chinese Exclusion Act of 1882, and "closing the Golden Gate" to the Chinese. It also argued that unlike hard-working Chinese immigrants, other immigrants largely from Europe that were welcomed brought into the country radical ideas such as socialism and communism that caused discord. b) Actions of the Congress that opposed the point of view of the cartoon were the Chinese Exclusion Act of 1882 that banned all immigration from China, and the Contract Labor Law of 1885 that restricted temporary workers. Both laws were design to protect American workers from foreign competition. However, the author of the cartoon may have supported the 1882 bans on the immigration of so called "undesirable persons" such as paupers, criminals and convicts or, as the cartoon identifies them, "hoodlums."
"Drawing on both traditional aspirations for economic autonomy and local self-government, and a sense that only the national state could curb the power of corporations and make American society a 'united brotherhood of free men,' Populists sought to rethink the meaning of freedom to meet the exigencies of the 1890s. . . . Like the labor movement Populists rejected the era's laissez_ faire orthodoxy. . . . Populists hardly envisioned the massive programs of state-sponsored social provision the Progressive era and the New Deal would come to see as the antidote to economic inequality. Yet a generation would pass before a major party offered so sweeping a plan for governmental action on the behalf of economic freedom as the Omaha platform." -Eric Foner, historian, The Story of American Freedom, 1998. Using the excerpt, answer a and b. a) Briefly explain Eric Foner's interpretation of the Populist movement. b) Briefly explain TWO ways the Omaha platform can support Foner's statement that "a generation would pass before a major party offered so sweeping a plan for governmental action."
a) Unlike some historians who saw the Populists as reactionary, Foner viewed the movement as a necessary curb on the corporate power and corrupt politics, and an early advocate of the use of government to protect people from economic domination. b) The Omaha platform set the reform agenda for the next generation which included the direct election of senators, graduated income tax, popular use of initiatives and referendums, workers' rights, and regulation of transportation, communications, and banking.
Complete the following three tasks: a. Identify THREE different challenges that farmers contended with from 1875 to 1900. b. Explain how ONE of the examples from Part A impacted the condition of farmers. c. Explain ONE 20th-century impact of the challenge explained in Part B on U.S. government policy or American society.
a. Possible responses include the following: Falling prices for basic crops, the gold standard resulting in a lack of currency, and the widely fluctuating rates charged by railroads to ship their crops, political powerlessness that farmers faced because of the undemocratic nature of the political system (e.g., no direct election of U.S. senators) b. Possible responses include the following: Falling prices and the crop-lien system (in the South) ensured the continuing poverty of farmers. Banks charged farmers exorbitant interest rates on their mortgages and kept farmers poor by supporting the gold standard. The railroads fixed prices and often charged higher rates to transport products shorter distances. They also engaged in price fixing and offered rebates to shippers who charged higher rates. Many politicians were deaf to the needs of American farmers and supported the railroads and banks. c. Possible responses include the following: The 17th Amendment to the Constitution provided for the direct election of senators. The Elkins Act of 1903 imposed fines on railroads that offered rebates and on shippers that accepted the rebates. The Hepburn Act (1906) gave the Interstate Commerce Commission the power to set maximum rates for railroads. The Federal Reserve System, established by Congress in 1913, sought to control inflation, stabilize wages, and facilitate moderate loan-interest rates.
During the years 1870 to 1900, labor and management battled for control over wages and working conditions. a. Explain ONE governmental policy or practice that contributed to this conflict. b. Explain ONE cultural or intellectual movement that contributed to this conflict. c. Provide ONE new piece of outside evidence and explain how it supports your response in either Part A or Part B.
a. Possible responses include the following: Often federal or state governments would side with management during strikes, sending in federal troops or supporting business owners' use of private police forces. The federal government also often deferred to states in matters of labor and kept to a general policy of laissez-faire in regard to the economy. Even legislation designed to curb the excesses of big business, such as the Sherman Anti-Trust Act of 1890, was used by the U.S. Supreme Court in declaring the Pullman strike illegal. b. Possible responses include the following: The theory of Social Darwinism argued that laborers were simply part of the struggle for survival of the fittest on a social level. Business owners justified low wages by arguing that laborers were not deserving of better. By contrast, the Social Gospel, followed by many middle-class reformers, held that it was the duty of those who were better off to provide and care for those who did not have the ability or resources to do so on their own. c. Possible responses include the following: One piece of evidence for Part A is the use of federal troops during the Great Railroad Strike of 1877. Another is the ruling in the Supreme Court case In re: Debs against the strikers of the American Railway Union. One piece of evidence for Part B is the growth of the Progressive movement, beginning in the 1890s, in which middle-class reformers found common cause with the lower classes and attempted to ameliorate the effects of the industrial economy.
Passage 1: The promise of freedom and prosperity seemed to have been revoked for those who labored, as opposed to those who owned and managed the nation's resources and industrial enterprises. Fundamental decisions about their lives—from whether they worked and for how much, to whose influence would shape their control. Pain and bewilderment led to outrage and action. Unionizing workers called for industrial democracy, Populist farmers for a cooperative commonwealth. Indeed, if corporate capitalists saw themselves as champions of a free market version of American democracy, organized labor and other advocates for the poor and dispossessed saw themselves as vindicating an egalitarian version of that same democracy. Passage 2: rom the beginning, it seems, businessmen have run the American economy. They can take the credit and the blame for many of its achievements and failures. They, more than [any] other group in the economy, have managed the production, transportation, and distribution of goods and services. No other group—farmers, blue-collar workers, or white-collar workers—has ever had much to do with the overall coordination of the economic system or its adaptation to basic changes in the population and technology. In the past, businessmen have devoted their energies to economic affairs, giving far less attention to cultural, social, or even political matters. Precisely, because they have created an enormously productive economy and the most affluent society in the world 1. Based on the two interpretations above regarding late 19th-century industrialization, complete the following three tasks: a. Briefly explain the main point made in Passage 1. b. Briefly explain the main point made in Passage 2. c. Provide ONE piece of evidence from 1865 to 1900 that is not included in the passages, and explain how it supports or refutes the interpretation of either passage.
a. Possible responses include the following: Passage 1 argues that laborers were left out of the American promise of Òfreedom and prosperityÓ and that basic decisions about their lives were made by others. This marginalization led to the union movement among industrial workers and the Populist movement among farmers. This passage takes a sympathetic view toward workers. b. Possible responses include the following: Passage 2 argues that businessmen, for better or worse, are responsible for the economic advances and productivity of the country. It expresses a sympathetic view of business. c. Possible responses include the following: From the perspective of laborers, there is evidence of the rise of unions and of socialism in the late 19th century. Workers expressed their frustration through strikes, such as the Great Railroad Strike of 1877 and the Pullman Strike of 1893. The success of the Populist Party in the 1890s suggests the appeal of its perspective. From the perspective of business and industry, the late 19th century witnessed tremendous advances in industry and technology, including the development of electricity. And, indeed, the American economy was quite productive and expansive in the last decades of the 19th century.
