fight against big business

Question 1

give 4 problems caused by big business controlling markets

Answer 1

• large monopolies and fixed prices
• corruption and bribery
• no workers rights or safety measures
• lack of competition means lack of innovation

Question 2

who passed and what was the act was made in 1890 to fight against big business

Answer 2

Harrison passed the Sherman Anti Trust Act

Question 3

what did the Sherman Anti Trust Act do and when was it

Answer 3

1890; limit growth of large industrial trusts by making them illegal so the market could not be monopolised

Question 4

who started the Granger Movement

Answer 4

Oliver Hudson Kelly

Question 5

how did the Granger Movement start

Answer 5

Patrons of Husbandry set up to educate farmers in south who had medieval methods of farming compared to north

Question 6

what was the national membership of the Granger Movement by the mid 1870s

Answer 6

approx 800,000 a grange in each state

Question 7

why was the Granger Movement needed

Answer 7

for unified action against monopolistic railroads and grain elevators that charged farmers extortionate rates for transporting goods

Question 8

what was a winning case for the Granger Movement in 1887

Answer 8

Muni v Illinois

Question 9

when was Munn v Illinois and what happened

Answer 9

1887; Munn and Scott grain warehouse firm found guilty of violating the law by charging above the max rates for transport of goods; after appeal the Supreme Court sided with National Grange

Question 10

give the 3 main farmers alliances

Answer 10

North- Western Alliance
Southern Alliance
Coloured Farmer’s Alliance

Question 11

what was the political agenda of farmers alliances (4)

Answer 11

• wanted graduated income tax
• nationalisation of transport of goods
• free unlimited coinage of silver
• checks on the discriminatory power of big business

Question 12

did the farmers alliances have any political success ?

Answer 12

in 1890 elections alliance candidates took control of legislature in Kansas and Nebraska

Question 13

where else was there political success for farmers alliances

Answer 13

• held balance of power in South Dakota and Minnesota
  -south had 4 pro alliance governors and 7 pro alliance legislatures

Question 14

give two social influences that came from laissez faire

Answer 14

social darwinism- survival of the fittest for people and companies alike
rugged individualism- self reliance making it through your own hard work

Question 15

give 4 reasons why laissez faire is good

Answer 15

• economy grows large very quickly and is self sufficient by bringing infrastructure to industry
• allows for manifest destiny and image if american dream
• big business are allowed to monopolise and gov likes this as it boosts the economy

Question 16

give two groups that opposed laissez faire

Answer 16

Knights of Labour

American Federation Labour

Question 17

when were the Knights of Labour founded and what were their aims

Answer 17

1869; to unite workers of all roles, genders, ethnicities and occupations

Question 18

what did the Knights of Labour lobby the government for (3)

Answer 18

8 hour work days, child labour restrictions, better labour management relations

Question 19

how many members did the Knights of Labour have in 1885 and 1886

Answer 19

100,000 in 1885

750,000 in 1886

Question 20

what was the biggest controversy of the Knights of Labour

Answer 20

the Haymarket Bombings

Question 21

what happened during the Haymarket Bomb

Answer 21

protest at Haymarket turned violent; police opened fire on crowd and bomb thrown and killed a policemen 60 others injured police retaliated wounding hundreds more; supporters of 8 hour work day blamed

Question 22

what occurred due to the Haymarket Bomb

Answer 22

public opinion became too negative; KoL died out ; membership halfed within a year

Question 23

when was the American Federation of Labour set up and by who

Answer 23

Samuel Gompers in 1885

Question 24

who did the American Federation of Labour admit to their organisation

Answer 24

skilled white men

Question 25

what did the American Federation of Labour aim for

Answer 25

achieving higher pay and shorter working day only for its members

Question 26

how many members did the American Federation of Labour have by 1892

Answer 26

250,000

Question 27

how did the American Federation of Labour differ from the Knights of Labour

Answer 27

aimed to avoid KoL’s mistakes by being more peaceful ; win recognition and secure agreements with employers via bargaining and if that didn’t work strike hard

Question 28

give 3 academic responses to opposition groups to laissez faire

Answer 28

• Mark Twain wrote Gilded Age 1873
• Henry George wrote the Progress of Poverty 1879
• satirists and cartoonists made fun of big bosses and shaped public opinion

Question 29

give 2 political responses to laissez faire opposition groups

Answer 29

• 27 states (mainly south and west) passed laws curbing safety and trusts
• 1887 Congress passed Interstate Commerce Act which outlawed restrictive monopolies and set up interstate commerce commission to investigate railroad companies