Populism, Progressivism and Imperialism (1890-1920)

Question 1

How many states were added to the USA throughout the years if 1867-1912

Answer 1

12 new states (mostly western states)

Question 2

Who were the republicans supported by in the 1896 election

Answer 2

Supported by Urban workers and big businesses ( due to the high tarrifs) Fewer African American voters

Question 3

Who helped McKinley in his election campagin - how much money sponsership

Answer 3

Mark Hanna, $7 million sponership

Question 4

Which populist democratic lost the election three times and in what years

Answer 4

William Jennings Bryan ( 1896,1900,1908)

Question 5

Populism

Answer 5

a political approach that strives to appeal to ordinary people who feel that their concerns are disregarded by established elite groups.

Question 6

Farmers Alliance

Answer 6

an American agrarian movement during the 1870s and ’80s that sought to improve the economic conditions for farmers through the creation of cooperatives and political advocacy.

Question 7

Knights of Labor

Answer 7

The Knights organized unskilled and skilled workers, campaigned for an eight hour workday, and aspired to form a cooperative society in which laborers owned the industries in which they worked.

Question 8

who created the Omaha Platform and in what year

Answer 8

1890 by the populists (people party)

Question 9

When was the Momreo Doctrine created

Answer 9

Early 19th Century

Question 10

Who won the 1896 election

Answer 10

Republican victory with William McKinley defeating William Jennings Bryan, securing republican conservatism and control over the federal government

Question 11

Progressivism

Answer 11

seeks to advance the human condition through social reform based on purported advancements in science, technology, and social organization.

Question 12

Issues with Big Businesses at a national and state level

Answer 12

• The power of big business to dominate politicians became increasingly resented by groups such as farmers and workers
• Increase pressure on the government to regulate big business
• It was difficult to control big business when they gave financial support to the country
• At times the federal government did try to take lead with acts such as ‘Interstate Commerce Act 1877 = which provided regulation to railroads and Sherman Anti-Trust Act = which limited the growth of powerful trusts

Question 13

What were the advantages of Trusts and Monopolies?

Answer 13

created wealth and jobs
- Ensured high quality products
- Promoted philanthropy

Question 14

Disadvantages of Trusts and Monopolies

Answer 14

• Threatens smaller businesses
• Made it harder to protect the right of workers
• Lack of competition means higher prices

Question 15

What is Vertical Integration

Answer 15

taking control of an industry through control of initial production and to sales

Question 16

What is Horizontal integration

Answer 16

The taking over of a similar company to expand your own, purchasing sales

Question 17

Problems with Monopolies/Trusts

Answer 17

• controlled governements
• Corruption eg: Tweed Ring
• Made the USA rich/ A thriving economy
• Unequal distribution of wealth
• Too powerful
• High prices set for the consumer

Question 18

What is laissez-faire?

Answer 18

Government policy of a free market, without interfering.

Question 19

Why were the people becoming resentful to big business?

Answer 19

• Farmers and workers = poor work conditions/ strikebreakers, replaced workers if went on strike, big businesses were becoming too powerful, scrupulous tactics, poor work conditions, exploitation, left farmers with no jobs, the big business became too influential

Question 20

Why was there growing tensions among the working class?

Answer 20

• 8 hr day
• poor work conditions
• unemployment
• muckraking journalism = provided accounts of political corruption
• old immigrants starting to resent new immigrants
• Rich Industrialists

Question 21

Who were the progressive presidents?

Answer 21

• Roosevelt = 1901 - 1908
• Taft = 1909 - 1912
• Wilson = 1912- 1920

Question 22

What were Roosevelt’s anti-Trust measures?

Answer 22

Roosevelt made it clear that he was going to take on big business
- Though he was criticised by the liberals for being too “cautious” and by some in the party as being too “radical”
- Some of Roosevelt’s Anti-Trust measures included the Sherman Anti-Trust Act = Roosevelt aimed to make the act created in 1890 more effective. This involved taking on powerful big businesses such as Rockefeller and J.P Morgan, using the company’s monopolies to create excess profits after a long battle the company was dissolved = success on Roosevelt’s behalf showed he was sticking to his word by targeting big business

• Roosevelt embarked on 44 trusts busting

Question 23

The Department of commerce and labor Act

Answer 23

gave the power to collect data from any business that dealt in interstate commerce, important as it showed the need to regulate business

Question 24

Hepburn Act

Answer 24

gave the federal government the power to inspect books of railroad companies and lay down the maximum rates they could charge, this once again showed the importance of regulating business but the concerns to protect the public from exploitation

Question 25

Roosevelt and Labour relations

Answer 25

• Roosevelt stood alongside the working class and trade unions
• Employers had locked out miners who went on strike for better wages and the 8hr day
• Roosevelt summoned that he would send troops in to work the mines
• Unlike previous presidents Roosevelt was determined to stand alongside the workers
• The employers settled, raised wages and offering a 9hr day
• Roosevelt had been seen to expand the role of government to obtain justice and fair play = one of the key elements of progressivism

Question 26

Roosevelt and Conservation

Answer 26

• Roosevelt was possibly the president to realise that natural resources were not infinite
• He introduced the 3 C’s = Corporation, Consumerism and Conservation
• He ordered 150 million acres of forest to be placed on federal reserves
• enforced laws concerning grazing, mining
• In 1908 he organised the National Conservation Conference = which led to many states creating commissions to look after the environment
• Roosevelt also extended the role of government in food cosumption = Pure food and Drug Act which started the process of ending food adulteration = when food products fail to meet legal standards

Question 27

What were some of Roosevelts achievements?

Answer 27

Roosevelt continued to take action against big business and also continued to support conservation measures
- He brought the presidential office of the USA firmly into the arena of economic and social reform
- But Roosevelt was unable to persuade Congress to pass more in the way of progressive reform however, he was progressive and stuck to his aims specifically tackling big business an example of this is extending the Sherman Anti-Trust Act
- He ended the conflict with miners and investigated agricultural conditions
- He tackled the combinations of wealth and eliminated unfair competition
- He demanded the ~”SQUARE DEAL” = Roosevelt’s domestic program which outlined aims such as; corporation, conservation, and consumerism
- He attacked trusts and urged the need for social reform and supported greater federal powerful

Question 28

Taft’s achievements?

Answer 28

He continued Roosevelt’s Anti-Trust policies
- Introduced an 8hr day
- Trust Busted 80, under the Sherman anti trust act
- Broke more trusts than Roosevelt
- Gave power to the Interstate Commission
- Introduced a federal Income Tax and Corporation tax
- Adopted the “Payne-Aldrich Tariff = The tariff began as a reduction of Tariffs, however the act rose much controversy as critics argued that

Question 29

Wilson’s achievements?

Answer 29

The New Freedom

• The federal reserve act of 1913 = maintained a balance between the interests of big business and the needs of the community, the act created the first central banking system in the USA
• Wilson’s Anti-Trust Measures determined to ensure that measures aimed against trusts were effective
• Federal Trade Commission = formed to investigate corporations and stop unfair practices
• Clayton Anti-Trust Act = Gave more power to those enforcing the Sherman Anti-Trust and made certain businesses practices illegal eg: monopolies
• The underwood Tariff of 1913 = re-established federal income tax
• Wilson introduced the first ever income tax

Question 30

Wilsons social reform’s?

Answer 30

Federal Child Labour Act = gave support to children for education and barred goods made by child labour from the interstate commerce
- Workmen’s Compensation Act = Gave support and funding for those injured or ill and unable to work
- Wilson however, showed little sympathy towards the trade unions an example of this was the 1913 coal miners strike Wilson sent federal troops to restore order and break up the strike