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A Party of Patches

40

Awakening to Reform: Settlement houses, Hull House, Jane Addams

30.

Election of 1896: William Jennings Bryan, Cross of Gold

52.

That's What's The Matter

Employing questionable counting procedures, Boss Tweed controlled local politics in New York City. This political cartoon features him leaning on a ballot box which has an engraving, "In Counting There Is Strength."

Impact of Industrialization: Working Women

Women began to work in industries due to the need to cultivate wealth to live comfortably (as in, avoid becoming lower class again.) This relates to period 6 as an impact of industrialization.

What Does Labor Want?

Written by Samuel Gompers, 'What Does Labor Want?' is a speech delivered to the American Federation of Labor. This is important in period 6 because it gives an example of a poor man's viewpoint on social darwinism.

Laissez-faire Capitalism: 'Gospel of Wealth'

Written by steel industrialist Andrew Carnegie, 'Gospel of Wealth' supported laissez-faire markets and argued that massive wealth was god-given and a social benefit for everyone. This is relevant to period 6 as an upper-class point of view, like his previous writing, "On Wealth."

Impact of Industrialization: The Expanding Middle Class

Due to the concentration of wealth involving an extreme lower class and extreme upper class, the middle class grew with wage-earning Americans (including women and children.) This relates to period 6 as an impact of industrialization.

The Struggle of Organized Labor: Industrial Warfare, Scab, Lockout, Blacklist, Yellow-dog contract, Injunction

Industrial warfare were the struggles between employee and employer; "the struggle of organized labor." A scab was someone who was hired to replace a striker, therefore undermining the purpose of a strike. A lockout was a method of breaking up workers before they could organize by closing the factory. A blacklist of pro-union workers would circulate through employers to ensure they didn't hire employees who would unionize. A yellow-dog contract was an agreement between employer and employees stating that as a condition of employment a worker can't join a union. An injunction was an authoritative measure used by employers against unionized employees; it was intended to restrain them on legal grounds. These relate to period 6 as impacts of industrialization and a free market.

Industrial Empires: Oil Industry; horizontal integration

John D. Rockefeller exemplified horizontal integration in the oil industry where he reduced expenses by prioritizing a specific part of the production chain. By beating competition through horizontal integration, Rockefeller grew a strong oil monopoly, and his Standard Oil Trust began to make Congress nervous. This is relevant to period 6 because it leads to the Sherman Anti-Trust Act that outlawed 'monopolistic practices.'

Laissez-faire Capitalism: Social Darwinism

Laissez-faire capitalism was the idea that government should not regulate trade in any way, promoting what is known as a 'free market.' In a free market, there are conditions which create a poor class. This promoted social darwinism, which was the belief that the rich were rich because they deserved to be, and the poor were poor for the same reason. This relates to period 6 where divides in social classes began showing.

The Business of Railroads

Railroads hastened all facets of industry in America and became the first monopolized business of its time. It became the main mode for transportation of goods. Period 6 is influenced by railroads leading to strives in political reforms such as the Grange Movement.

The Chinese Question

The Chinese Question is full sized cartoon published in Harper's Weekly, February 18, 1871. Accompanying this cartoon was a short, but powerful Harper's editorial, "The Heathen Chinee" which decried the fear-mongering and blame placed upon the Chinese for labor displacement. This is relevant to Period 6 because it shows how labor distribution (racially) was a frequently debated issue and that job loss and economic depressions were blamed on other races -- mostly immigrants.

Fighting Back: National Grange Movement, Munn v. Illinois

The Grange Movement was a nationwide movement founded in 1867 that supported farmers economically and socially by promoting advances in agriculture. Munn v. Illinois (1867) was a Supreme Court case that argued the state of Illinois could not regulate grain elevator costs. The Court ruled in favor of the state, saying that the fourteenth amendment could not prevent the state from regulating grain elevator costs. This influenced period 6 by furthering the farmers' struggle.

The Struggle of Organized Labor: Strikebreaking in the 1890's: Homestead Strike; Pullman Strike, Eugene V. Debs, In re Debs

The Homestead Strike was a strike against the Carnegie Steel Company lead by the Amalgamated Association of Iron and Steel (a union) in protest of wage cuts. However, after a struggle, the union was defeated. This is significant to period 6 in that it was a failed strike. The Pullman Strike was a conflict between employer and employees of the Pullman Car Company, which impacted the nation. The strike involved refusing to run trains that contained Pullman cars, intending to force the company to negotiate. Eugene V. Debs led the Pullman Strike. Unfortunately, the strike provoked executive intervention and Grover Cleveland sent troops to get the rails back in order. This is significant to period 6 because it is yet another failed strike, honing the struggle of organized labor.

Fighting Back: Interstate Commerce Act; Wabash v. Illinois

The Interstate Commerce Act of 1887 was a federal law intended to regulate the railroad monopoly; it called for railway rates to be "reasonable and just." Wabash v. Illinois was a Supreme Court case that introduced extreme limits on the rights of states to control interstate commerce. This impacted period 6 by helping the Grange Movement by fighting the railroad monopoly.

Fighting Back: Ocala Platform*

The Ocala Demands (later adopted by the People's Party) was a call to social and economic reform developed in 1890 by several unions in Ocala, Florida. Demands included abolition of national banks, reclamation of land held by railroads or other corporations, and legislation to ensure that one industry was not be built up at the expense of another.

Antitrust Movement: Sherman Antitrust Act

The Standard Oil Trust controlled 95% of the refineries in the US and thus beat competition by being a strong monopoly. It stated that trusts operating "in restraint of trade" were illegal. However, this act was not clarified, nor was it enforced. This relates to period 6 because those who supported monopolies and wealth developed the idea of laissez-faire capitalism and social darwinism.

Changes in Agriculture: Falling Prices; Rising Costs*

The railroad monopoly disadvantaged farmers by raising prices on transporting goods. Changes in agriculture in period 6 that occurred included co-ops (operations owned by a collective) and unions.

Impact of Industrialization: Wage Earners

Wage earners were working-class people who had income (this also included women and children at the time.) This relates to period 6 as an impact of industrialization.

On Wealth (excerpts)

Written by steel tycoon Andrew Carnegie, 'On Wealth' is an article that entails the 'responsibility of the rich to give back to the poor.' This was a part of the growing concept of social darwinism; the rich were meant to be rich and the poor were meant to be poor. This is important in period 6 because it gives an example of a rich man's viewpoint on social darwinism.

The Grange Awakening the Sleepers

A political cartoon depicting civilians under the rails of a train-track. There is an oncoming train with coaches labelled consolidation, extortion, and bribery, and a farmer (Granger) is shown trying to warn the people. The Grange (Patrons of Husbandry) was an organization that supported farmers and educated communities; they were against railroads due to being 'anti-farmer.'

How the Other Half Lives (excerpt)

An book about the lives of immigrants and the poor, those who lived in tenements, written by Jacob Riis

Industrial Empires: Steel Industry; vertical integration

Andrew Carnegie exemplified vertical integration in the steel industry by expanding to control different aspects of production such as supplier and distributor. Carnegie grew a powerful industry through owning all aspects of steel production. This is relevant to period 6 because Carnegie's steel was widely used for the increasingly-popular railroads.

The Struggle of Organized Labor: Attempts to Organize Labor Unions; Knights of Labor; American Federation of Labor, Samuel Grompers

Attempts were made to organize labor unions to support the worker. Organizations like the Knights of Labor (1869) were unionized in secrecy to prevent losing their jobs / not being hired, since it was a threat to employers. The American Federation of Labor was formed in 1886, with a make-up of 25 unions. The AFL is known for using strikes as their main tactic towards goals, including better wages, better hours, and better working conditions. Samuel Grompers lead the AFL and developed a policy of "pure and simple." Pure, meaning unions only consisted of workers, and simple, meaning clear and concise goals. These relate to period 6 as impacts of industrialization and a free market.

Impact of Industrialization: The Concentration of Wealth; Horaito Alger myth

Concentration of Wealth refers to the growing divide in socio-economic classes; upper, middle, and lower. Horatio Alger was a writer during the Gilded Age who wrote stories of young men who experienced a 'rags to riches' life, where they were poor and worked their way to great wealth. This is relevant to period 6 because Americans are beginning to have different values due to industrialization.