Industrial American: Corporations and Conflicts Flashcards
Management Revolution
Executives were no longer responsible for day-to-day operations. Developed efficient systems
Vertical Integration
Company controlled all production from raw material to finished good
Gustavus Swift
Worked in meat industry (cattle slaughter houses), created vertical integration, and used aggressive tactics like predatory pricing.
Horizontal Integration
Merge competitors into one mega company
Trust
Small group of people hold stock from combined firms and manage them as a single company.
Deskilling of Labor
Relied less on skilled labor (more on technology or assembly line).
Mass Production
Mechanized production, produce many at once.
Scientific Management
Manual labor should not require any thinking, only managers should do that.
Chinese Exclusion Act
(1882-1943) Prevented Chinese laborers (and almost all women) from entering America.
Great Railroad Strike of 1877
Workers walk off to protest wage cut in Great Depression, gets major support, and US creates National Guard to respond/keep order at home.
Green Back Labor Party
Wanted to protect votes, make work safe, cut out middlemen, and print more money.
Producerism
True “top” of society is the laborers. Everyone else benefits on their hard work.
Granger Laws
Economic regulations passed between 1875 and 1880.
Knights of Labor
Labor union of garment workers, thought workers should have control over the place they worked. Open to race and gender (other than Chinese). Leaders wanted to avoid strikes, but they helped the movement.
Anarchism
Advocacy of state-less/lawless society.
Haymarket Square
Labor rally where a bomb was thrown at police and police opened fire. Lead to conviction of anarchists. Connected anarchists to labor movement, which lead to their demise.
Farmers Allience
Based on harsh conditions for farmers against corruption, wealth, and power. Proposed price supports and get rid of middlemen. Eventually lead to populist party.
Interstate Commerce Act
Gave states authority to regulate railroad and created commission to investigate issues. Signed by President Grover Cleveland. (1887)
Closed Shop
All jobs in an industry or company were reserved for union members.
American Federation of Labor (AFL)
Wanted workers to get a bigger share of the capitalist pie. Focused on strengthening union, rather than political battles. Largely successful, but not inclusive which hurts them later.
