Chapter 18 Review Flashcards
What conditions spurred the growth of industry as the nation expanded westward?
Government policies, new technology, and new sources of energy
Government policies helped business grow, new technology allowed railroads and cities to expand, and new sources of energy supplied industry needs.
What technology made steel the main building material of American cities and industries?
The Bessemer process
The Bessemer process was a method to make stronger steel at a low cost.
How did the government support business?
Land grants, subsidies, and high tariffs
The government gave generous land grants and other subsidies to railroads and other businesses, while keeping high tariffs on imports.
What was ‘black gold’ and how did it get that name?
Oil; it was extremely valuable, similar to gold
Black gold was a nickname for oil because it was so valuable for the industrialization of machinery.
Why was Thomas Edison’s power plant important?
It provided reliable energy for homes and factories
Edison’s power plant powered homes, city streetcars, and enabled factories to replace steam engines with safer electric ones.
Why did the cost of automobiles decrease after 1913?
Introduction of the assembly line by Henry Ford
The assembly line sliced production time in half, allowing lower production costs and prices.
Fill in the blank: The invention considered most important to modern life is _______.
Thomas Edison’s electrical power plant
Edison’s electrical power plant is crucial because other inventions rely on a reliable source of energy.
True or False: The electrical power plant was essential for the development of other inventions like light bulbs and the phonograph.
True
The electrical power plant started the modern age of electricity, making other inventions possible.
What is an entrepreneur?
Someone who sets up a new business to make a profit
Entrepreneurs take on financial risks in the hope of profit.
A business owned by many investors is also known as a…
corporation
Corporations can raise capital by selling stock.
What defines a monopoly?
When a company controls most or all business in a particular industry
Monopolies can limit competition and raise prices.
… founded the steel company that produced more steel than all the mills in England combined in 1882.
Andrew Carnegie
Carnegie was a key figure in the American steel industry.
Who was John D. Rockefeller?
He formed the Standard Oil Trust, thus ending competition in the oil industry
Rockefeller is often associated with monopolistic practices.
True or false: A trust is a group of corporations run by a single board of directors.
True
Trusts are used to control a market and reduce competition.
What is free enterprise?
The system in which privately owned businesses compete freely
Free enterprise is a fundamental principle of capitalism.
What did Samuel Gompers found?
the American Federation of Labor (AFL) in 1886
Gompers was a key labor leader advocating for workers’ rights.
What is collective bargaining?
When unions negotiate with management for workers as a group
Collective bargaining aims to improve working conditions and wages.
How did trusts benefit the nation?
They created jobs and built up the economy
Trusts can lead to economic growth through increased efficiency.
How were trusts detrimental to the nation?
They had the ability to become a monopoly and get rid of free enterprise
Trust leaders could influence politicians and crush competition.
What dangers did factory workers face?
They breathed in fibers and dangerous dusts, risking lung disease
Steelworkers faced burns and death from molten metal, with employers often not liable for injuries.
What were the goals of labor unions?
To provide better working conditions, higher wages, and shorter hours
Labor unions aimed to improve the lives of industrial workers.
What methods did the AFL use for fair working conditions?
Remember: Samuel Gompers was the founder of the AFL
Collective bargaining and strikes as a last resort
The AFL focused on negotiating for skilled workers.
Fill in the blank: The Triangle Shirtwaist Factory Fire could have been avoided by improving _______.
[safety standards]
The fire highlighted the need for better workplace safety regulations.
After the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory Fire, what safety features were implemented across factories nationwide?
fire alarms, fire extinguishers, and hoses
Andrew Carneige’s steel company was named what?
it’s very obvious
Carnegie Steel Company
After being provided the description, name the person:
- called his philosophy the Gospel of Wealth
- donated hundreds of millions of dollars to build libraries and support other charities
Andrew Carnegie
After being provided the description, name the person:
- did not hesitate to buy out direct competitors
- one of the most hated and admired figures of his time
John D. Rockefeller
After being provided the description, name the person(s):
- gained the nickname: Robber Baron
Carnegie and Rockefeller
Social Darwinism applied the idea of … to human affairs.
survival of the fittest
Big business leaders used Social Darwinism to justify efforts to limit competition. They were the “fittest” and deserved to survive.
When and where did the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory fire occur?
March 25, 1911 in NYC
Before the AFL, what workers union was predominant throughout the country?
the Knights of Labor
Terence Powderly, who rejected the use of strikes, was the president of the Knights of Labor. They admitted women, African Americans, immigrants, and unskilled workers, in constrast to the AFL who admitted skilled workers only.
Women played leading roles in building unions. Mary Harris Jones tirelessly traveled the country, campaigning for unions and giving support to striking miners.
What did people begin calling her?
Mother Jones
One of the worst worker strikes occured in _______. George Pullman, a manufacturer of railroad cars, cut his workers’ pay by __ percent.
Chicago, 25
Urbanization is the rapid growth of ____ populations.
city
Why were people attracted to cities?
they attracted industry, which attracted people
To meet the needs of shoppers, merchants developed…, which offered all varieties of goods in different sections of the same store.
A. wholesale stores
B. department stores
C. fine homes
D. steel bridges
B. department stores
List some possible (2-3) leisure places you could visit in a city.
- Musuems
- Theaters
- Circuses
- Orchestras
- Art galleries
New technology, such as subways, ________, and ___________ helped cities grow.
streetcars, electric trains
Public transportation gave rise to new living areas called ________.
suburbs
_____________ helped speed up the growth of suburbs.
Steel bridges
As cities began to expand upward as well as outward, a new type of building named _____________ emerged.
skyscrapers
To be classified as a skyscraper, a building has to be __ stories or higher.
10
In _____, architects in _______ constructed the first 10-story building (skyscraper).
1885, Chicago
- _____ families lived in the oldest sections at cities’ centers.
- ____________ lived in fine homes on outskirts of cities.
- ___________ lived away from city centers in row houses and apartments.
word bank: upper class, middle class, poor families
- poor families
- upper class
- middle class
_____ was a constant threat in _______ packed neighborhoods.
Fire, tightly
Tenement life was _____, and slum streets were littered with _______.
bleak, garbage
Disease was caused by poor living conditions. List an extremely common disease in the late 19th century.
cholera
To solve urban problems, cities provided ___________, _____________ departments, and __________.
street lights, fire and police, sanitation
Religious groups served the ____. Mother _______, a Catholic nun, set up _________ and clinics for people who could not afford a doctor.
poor, Cabrini, hospitals
The Salvation Army was founded by a _________ minister. It gave food, clothing, and ________ to the homeless.
Methodist, shelter
Reformers created settlement houses that offered help to the urban ____. They taught _______ to immigrants, sponsored ______ and sports for young people, and provided _________ for children of working mothers.
poor, English, music, nurseries
What was the first professional sports team?
The Cincinnati Red Stockings
After the Civil War, professional sports teams began to spring up in cities. The most popular sport was baseball.
Why did many people leave their homelands?
- Religious persecution
- Political persecution
- Better job and land opportunities in the United States
What hardships did immigrants face?
- An intolerable journey to America
- The chance of being deported if carrying disease
- Assimilation into a new culture
How did immigrants assimilate?
- They would learn English
- Play American sports and music (baseball)
- Dress like Native-born Americans
- Educate themselves
Why did nativists oppose immigration?
They felt that immigrants were different from Native-born Americans and would not assimilate but instead resort to crime and anarchy
What do Andrew Carnegie and Alexander Graham Bell both have in common?
they were both born in Scotland
Most immigrants coming from Europe landed in New York, via the receiving center on _______ Island. In contrast, Asian immigrants entered through _______ Island.
Ellis, Angel
Once admitted to the United States, immigrants would settle near other people from the same country. What were these neighborhoods known as?
ethnic (immigrant) neighborhoods
Who was the inventor of the telephone?
Alexander Graham Bell
Who was the inventor of the lightweight camera?
George Eastman
The Knights of Labor (and pretty much all other labor unions) pushed for an __ hour workday and an end to _____ labor.
8, child
The exclusive right to manufacture or sell an invention is also known as a…
patent
Which labor union is being described?
- focused on skilled workers
- aimed for higher wages and better working conditions
- was fine with using strikes as a last resort
the American Federation of Labor (AFL)
What was the nickname given to Thomas Edison due to his numerous inventions?
The Wizard of Menlo Park
Who is being described?
Pioneers of air travel who developed the first successful airplane.
Wright Brothers
John D. Rockefeller would MOST likely agree with…
A. competition in the marketplace is good for business owners
B. competition in the marketplace is costly for business owners
C. competition in the marketplace doesn’t affect business owners
D. All of the above
B. competition in the marketplace is costly for business owners
Rockefeller directly bought out his competition, allowing him to have a monopoly with the Standard Oil Trust.
Which labor union is being described?
- Elected Terence Powderly as president
- Rejected the use of strikes as a tool
- Admitted women, African Americans, immigrants, and unskilled workers
Knights of Labor
Did Rockefeller or Carniege use vertical integration1?
1 A business strategy where a company owns multiple stages of item production.
Carniege
Carniege purchased all levels of production, including iron ore mills and transportation services.
Evaluate whether industrialists such as John D. Rockefeller and Andrew Carnegie should be considered as robber barons due to their businesses practices or captains of industry. Provide significant evidence to support your argument.
{rate yourself based on how many times you want this to appear; there is a provided answer for you to study}
- John D. Rockefeller - A Robber Baron: Rockefeller’s Standard Oil Company revolutionzed the oil industry but at the cost of free enterprise. By 1880, Standard Oil owned or controlled 90 percent of the U.S. oil refining business, making it the world’s first great monopoly. Rockefeller strongly opposed labor unions and collective bargaining, and tolerated no strikes and crushed attempts at worker organization. Additionally, in the 1870s, Rockefeller negotiated secret rebates on railroad shipments for Standard Oil, giving him an unfair advantage in shipping costs. Those secret discounts helped him put rivals out of business. He also bought out competitors directly, and if they refused, he would force them out of business by undercuting his prices and wiping out most competition.
- Andrew Carnegie - Captain of Industry: Carnegie’s impact on the economy was mainly positive and transformational. He built Carnegie Steel Company into the largest steel producer of its time, fueling American industrial growth. Through technological innovation (adopting the Bessemer process) and cost-cutting, Carnegie expanded U.S. steel output. His vertical integration strategy allowed him to own all levels of steel production, including the iron ore mines, coal fields, and railroads and steamships, cutting costs dramatically. This was a genius, captain of industry move, as it allowed him to avoid dependence on other companies. On the philanthropy aspect, Carniege believed that “the man who dies rich dies disgraced.” Arising from poverty himself, he believed that he had a duty to serve society. In his Gospel of Wealth, he declared that the rich should live without extravagance and give away their wealth for the public good. He lived by his words, donating 90% of his fortune in the last 18 years of his life. He also began founding thousands of libraries around the world, providing free knowledge to thousands of people internationally.
John D. Rockefeller donated $____ million dollars to charitable institutions across the span of his whole life.
540
