Lesson 4 Flashcards
Q: How did Carnegie develop a new business strategy to become dominant?
A: Carnegie utilized vertical integration to acquire suppliers and horizontal integration to reduce competition.
Q: What is a trust?
A: A trust is an arrangement where two or more companies come together under a Board of Trustees, managing the enterprises as a single corporation.
Q: How are profits from a trust dispersed?
A: Profits, usually in the form of stock earnings, are distributed among the businesses that are part of the trust.
Q: What is philanthropy?
A: Philanthropy is the act of giving back to the community or aiding workers, often through charitable donations or social programs.
Q: What is an example of philanthropy?
A: Andrew Carnegie donated 90% of his fortune to various causes, and John D. Rockefeller gave away $500 million. Carnegie also funded the construction of Carnegie Hall, which is still in use today.
Q: What is the Sherman Antitrust Act?
A: The Sherman Antitrust Act actually made it illegal for companies to form trusts or monopolies that restrained trade. It was initially a weak act but was strengthened over time.
Q: How did J.P. Morgan use holding companies?
A: J.P. Morgan used holding companies to purchase stocks in other firms, thereby gaining control over industries like steel, railroads, and farm equipment.
Q: What days did steel mills operate?
A: Steel mills operated 7 days a week.
Q: How many hours did steel mill workers work in a given day?
A: Steel mill workers often worked 12 hours or more per day.
Q: What type of benefits did steel workers have?
A: Steel workers generally had no benefits, such as vacation time, sick leave, unemployment compensation, or injury reimbursement.
Q: Between 1890 and 1910, what demographic doubled in the workforce?
A: The number of female workers doubled, and the number of child workers also increased.
Q: What is the salary example of a child during this time?
A: A child could earn 27 cents for a 14-hour workday, equivalent to about $3.78 in today’s rates.
Q: What is the salary example of a woman during this time?
A: A woman could earn $267 per year, equivalent to about $7,233 in today’s rates.
Q: What is the salary example for a man during this time?
A: A man could earn $498 per year.
Q: What is the Colored National Labor Union?
A: Isaac Myers founded the Colored National Labor Union to include African Americans who were excluded from the National Labor Union.
Q: What is the Knights of Labor?
A: Founded by Uriah Stephens, the Knights of Labor focused on individual workers and was open to all, regardless of race, gender, or skill level.
Q: What is the American Federation of Labor (AFL)?
A: Founded in 1886 by Samuel Gompers, the AFL focused on skilled laborers and craftsmen and advocated for collective bargaining.
Q: What is the American Railway Union (ARU)?
A: Founded in the early 1890s by Eugene V. Debs, who would later become a socialist, the American Railway Union represented railway workers.
Q: What is the Great Strike of 1877?
A: The Great Strike of 1877 began on the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad (B&O) when workers struck in response to wage cuts.
Q: What was the Haymarket Affair?
A: The Haymarket Affair occurred in May 1886 (not 1866) during a protest against police brutality in Chicago. A bomb was thrown into a line of police officers, leading to multiple deaths and injuries.
Q: What was the first national labor union?
A: The first national labor union was the National Labor Union, founded in 1866 by William H. Sylvis.
Q: What did the National Labor Union accomplish for government workers?
A: The National Labor Union advocated for an 8-hour workday for government workers.
Q: Who was the head of the Industrial Workers of the World (IWW)?
A: The IWW was led by William “Big Bill” Haywood.
Q: Who was part of the Industrial Workers of the World (IWW) in 1905?
A: The IWW in 1905 was open to both skilled and unskilled laborers, including African Americans.
Q: Who were the Wobblies in the IWW?
A: The Wobblies were members of the IWW and many were socialists.
Q: What was the Homestead Strike?
A: The Homestead Strike occurred in June 1892 due to poor working conditions and wage cuts at a steel plant in Homestead, Pennsylvania. The Pennsylvania National Guard was called in to quell the strike.
Q: What was the Pullman Strike?
A: The Pullman Strike occurred when the Pullman Company laid off 3,500 of its 5,000 workers and reduced the salaries of the remaining workers, while keeping rents in company-owned housing the same.
Q: Who was Mary Harris Jones?
A: Mary Harris Jones, also known as Mother Jones, supported the Great Strike of 1877 and organized the United Mine Workers. In 1903, she led a march of child laborers to the home of President Roosevelt, pushing for child labor laws in some states.
Q: Who was Pauline Newman?
A: Pauline Newman organized the International Ladies’ Garment Workers’ Union (ILGWU) in 1909.
Q: What was the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory?
A: In 1911, a fire broke out at the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory in New York City, killing 146 workers. The fire spread through the 8th to 10th floors of the building.
Q: What were yellow dog contracts?
A: Yellow dog contracts were agreements that companies forced workers to sign, often pledging not to join a union.
Q: What did companies use to fight unions?
A: Companies often used the Sherman Antitrust Act against unions. This tactic sometimes succeeded in ending strikes, but generally did not stop efforts to unionize.
Q: What is a scab in relation to work or strike?
A: A scab is a worker who replaces a striking employee.
