Industrial America, 1865-1900

Question 1

Name some reasons what the U.S. economy rapidly grew post Civil War.

Answer 1

1. Plentiful natural resources/raw materials.
2. Abundant labor supply/immigrants.
3. Advanced transportation network.
4. Capital and investment was available.
5. New technologies.
6. Business friendly government policies.

Question 2

This was the nation’s first big business, which created a market for goods and sparked the growth of other industries like coal and steel. Began the modern stockholder corporation.

Answer 2

Railroads

Question 3

This wealthy businessman used his millions to merge local railroads into trunk lines (a major route between large cities).

Answer 3

Cornelius Vanderbilt

Question 4

Western railroads connected which areas, creating one great national market.

Answer 4

Great Plains linked with the West and East

Question 5

The federal government provided railroad companies with huge federal land grants which led to poor construction and led to widespread corruption in government. What construction company is the best example of this corruption.

Answer 5

Credit Mobilier

Question 6

These railroads would go across the U.S. and connect the Union with California. Thousands of Irish and Chinese immigrants were used to build these railroads.

Answer 6

Transcontinental Railroads

Question 7

This wealthy speculator made millions by buying railroad companies and inflating the value of their stock.

Answer 7

Jay Gould

Question 8

This wealthily banker bought bankrupt railroads and consolidated (merged) them to create railroad companies. This created very powerful men and corporations.

Answer 8

J.P. Morgan

Question 9

This wealthy individual inherited his father’s transportation empire. Customers often felt they were the victims of financial schemes and ruthless business practices.

Answer 9

William Vanderbilt

Question 10

Early factories in the U.S. produced textiles, clothing, and leather products. During the Second Industrial Revolution (after the Civil War) which industries began to dominate?

Answer 10

Heavy industries: Steel, Oil, Electric Power, Industrial Machinery

Question 11

This individual founded the Bessemer Process, which was a technological breakthrough when he figured out how to cheaply produce high-quality steel.

Answer 11

Henry Bessemer

Question 12

This individual was a business genius that worked his way up from being a poor Scottish immigrant to a wealthy entrepreneur. He used vertical integration to control every stage of the industrial process from the raw materials to shipping the product. He bought out his suppliers. Founded U.S. Steel.

Answer 12

Andrew Carnegie

Question 13

This individual drilled the first oil well in 1859.

Answer 13

Edwin Drake

Question 14

This individual founded Standard Oil a monopolistic oil trust. He temporarily cut his prices to force his rivals to sell out. Eventually he would control 90% of the oil refinery business. Used horizontal integration, when a business buys out all of its competitors.

Answer 14

John D. Rockefeller

Question 15

This federal law in 1890 was an attempt to oppose monopolies by prohibiting any contract, trust, or conspiracy in restraint of trade or commerce.

Answer 15

Sherman Antitrust Act (1890)

Question 16

This economic system is when there is no government regulation of business.

Answer 16

Capitalism (Laissez-Faire)

Question 17

This individual wrote The Wealth of Nations (1776), where he explains that businesses should be regulated, not by the government, but by the “invisible hand” of the law of supply and demand. Competition would provide the regulation. Businesses, on their own, would improve goods and services at low prices.

Answer 17

Adam Smith

Question 18

Herbert Spencer used Charles Darwin’s ideas of natural selection and applied survival of the fittest to business. What is the term used to describe Darwin’s theory in the business world.

Answer 18

Social Darwinism

Question 19

Some Americans found religion more convincing than Social Darwinism to justify great wealth. John D. Rockefeller and Andrew Carnegie used God to explain why they were rich. What is idea called?

Answer 19

Gospel of Wealth

Question 20

This individual wrote novels about a young man from a poor background that became rich through honesty and hard work. Rags-to-riches story was uncommon.

Answer 20

Horatio Alger

Question 21

Most Americans worked 10 hours a day, 6 days a week and barely made enough to support a family. Families depended on the income of who else?

Answer 21

Women and children

Question 22

Frederick W. Taylor emphasized speed and efficiency in the workplace and eliminated wasted motion. Workers worked like machines. This term is used to describe the scientific management used in factories. Later, assembly lines would be introduced.

Answer 22

Taylorism (scientific management)

Question 23

Factory work was repetitive and monotonous. Workers began to unite to fight for what three things?

Answer 23

1. Higher wages.
2. Shorter hours.
3. Safter conditions.

Question 24

In the 19th century, the country experienced the most violent labor conflicts in the nation’s history. Many feared class warfare between which two groups?

Answer 24

Capital and Labor

Question 25

What were some tactics that employers used to defeat unions?

Answer 25

1. Strikebreakers (scabs).
2. Lockout, close the factory.
3. Blacklists, prounion workers not hired.
4. Yellow-dog contracts, workers agree not to join a union.
5. Private guards/milita to put down strikes.
6. Protrayed unions as un-American

Question 26

This was the first attempt in 1866 to organize all workers in all states. Skilled and unskilled workers in agriculture and industry. Wanted higher wages and an 8-hour day. Equal rights for women and blacks.

Answer 26

National Labor Union (1866)

Question 27

This labor union began as a secret society to avoid detection by employers. Terence V. Powderly was the leader and welcomed women, African Americans, immigrants, and the skilled and unskilled. Believed in a cooperative society in which laborers not capitalists owned the industries. (Socialism)

Answer 27

Knights of Labor (1869)

Question 28

This strike in 1877, was one of the worst outbreaks of labor violence. Railroad workers joined with workers from other industries to strike nationwide. President Hayes used troops to end the labor violence.

Answer 28

Great Railroad Strike (1877)

Question 29

This violent strike occurred in Chicago in 1886, where 80,000 Knights of Labor gathered to gain an 8-hour day. 200 anarchists also attended and someone threw a bomb, killed 7 police officers. Americans concluded unions were radical and violent.

Answer 29

Haymarket Bombing (1886)

Question 30

The American Federation of Labor (AFL) was founded by this labor leader. They wanted higher wages and improved working conditions. Made up of skilled workers only. Promoted collective bargaining and rejected the Knights view of workers owning the factories.

Answer 30

Samuel Gompers

Question 31

This strike occurred at the Homestead Steel plant, because wages were cut by 20 percent. Guards and scabs were used to defeat the workers.

Answer 31

Homestead Strike (1892)

Question 32

George Pullman built a model company town where his workers lived and built train cars. After Pullman cut wages and fired union leaders, Eugene V. Debs led a boycott of Pullman cars. President Cleveland sent in troops to crush this strike.

Answer 32

Pullman Strike (1894)

Question 33

This union leader of the American Railroad Union turned to socialism and founded the American Socialist party in 1900.

Answer 33

Eugene V. Debs

Question 34

This union was similar to the old Knights of Labor union in that they wanted to unite all laborers, including unskilled blacks. They spoke about class conflict, violence, and socialism. These “Wobblies” were involved in many bloody strikes. Collapsed during WWI.

Answer 34

Industrial Workers of the World (IWW)

Question 35

What is the term used to describe negotiations between an employer and the workers (union)?

Answer 35

Collective Bargaining