Second Test questions Flashcards
What visions of freedom did the former slaves and slaveholders pursue in the postwar South?
Former slaves had a vision of a reconstructed South, emancipated blacks, enjoying the same opportunities for advancement as northern workers, would labor more productively than they had as slaves.Former slaves tried to find their loved ones that they had been separated from during slavery. Former slaves also wanted to own their own land. They also desired education. Former slaves sought out their political freedom as well and pushed for their freedom to vote.
What were the competing visions of Reconstruction?
Andrew Johnson, Lincoln’s successor shared different views on the roles that African Americans should have in society than Lincoln did. He believed that they had no role to play in reconstruction. Johnson offered a pardon to all white southerners who took an oath of allegiance. This excluded Confederate leaders and wealthy planters whose prewar property had been valued at more than $20,000. He also appointed provisional governors and ordered them to call state conventions, elected by whites that would establish loyal governments in the South. Johnson granted the new governments a free hand in managing local affairs. Most of the Republican North turned against Johnson because of the way he handled the southern governments. White voters returned prominent Confederates and members of the old elite to power. The most controversial decision to Johnson’s Reconstruction policy were the Black codes. They so completely violated free labor principles that they called forth a vigorous response from the Republican North.
What were the social and political effects of Radical Reconstruction in the South?
Though Radical Reconstruction was an improvement on President Johnson’s ineffective way of Reconstruction, it had its ups and downs. The daily lives of blacks and poor whites changed very little. While Radicals in Congress successfully passed rights legislation, southerners all too advantage of the laws for their good. Southern governments were then formed The newly formed southern governments established public schools, but they were still segregated and did not receive enough money to assist them. Black literacy rates improved but not drastically.
Why did ownership of land and control of labor become major points of contention between former slaves and whites in the South?
Land: Slaves idea of freedom directly related to land ownership and the opportunity to build up communities free of white control. African Americans felt they deserved land because they were the ones who kept the land alive which led to some cases of slaves claiming to be “join heirs” and seizing land. The fight for land was part of the continual, open ended process to obtain the same sorts of freedom White people were simply and undeniably given at birth.
Labor: Whites used and implemented a very narrow definition of labor that supported their interpretation of freedom that is tied to them being able to create hierarchy and be “masters” of their own land and the people on it. African Americans interpreted labor freedom as economic autonomy in addition to civil/political equality but were not granted this freedom due to Whites continuous battle to keep “free labor” as close to slave labor as possible.
What factors combined to make the U.S. a mature industrial society after the Civil War?
- Railroads and Telgraph
- Middle class instituted business and mass production in new built factories
- Concentration on economic power by people such Andrew Carnegie and Rockefeller
- People move from farms into cities
- Immigrants provided a huge labor force
What events demonstrate their influence on society and politics as well as the economy?
- creation of national brands
- various laws and regulations established for railroads and how prices were negotiated for transport of goods/services
- strikes and protests against rising cost of railroad took place because shipping was a crucial part of farmers livelihood
Describe the involvement of American family farmers in the global economy after 1870 and its effects on their independence.
after 1870, the depression struck. This meant that the goods the farmers produced would be at a lower price, and since there was no farmers insurance, families could easily lose their farms. there was no stability or security owning a farm.
was the gilded age successful in its goals?
Yes and No. Still dominated by undemocratic governments
- Political corruption was wide spread/harmful/boss tweed
- Corruption at national level- credit Mobilier
- Little effort to mobilize public opinion or exert executive leadership.
- Some ways it seemed remarkably healthy-tariff policy was debated-returned to gold standard in 1879
- Republican policies favored interest of eastern industrialist and bankers
- Civil service act of 1833-merit system for federal employees
- Congress established the ICC in 1887- Sherman Anti-Trust act
- State governments expanded responsibilities to the public
- farmers responded to railroad policies by organizing the grange
- some states passed 8 hour working day laws
How did economic development of the Gilded Age affect American freedom?
- American’s struggled to make sense of the new social order
- American’s sensed something gone wrong with nation social development
- American’s view concentration of wealth as inevitable, natural and justified by progress
- Feared lower class groups use government to advance own interests
- Democracy becoming a threat to individual liberty and the rights of property.
- Social Darwinist William Sumner believed that freedom required frank of inquality
- Labor contracts reconciled freedom and authority in the work place
- Misuse of political power posed a threat to freedom
- State regulation of business as insult to free labor
- Courts generally sided with businesses that complained of loss of economic freedom.
- State Law establishing 10 hours a day or 60 hours per week as max. infringed upon individual freedom.
Carnagie vs. Rockefeller
Carnagie
-used vertical integration to control iron industry
-worked with railroad
Rockefeller
-used horizontal integration to control oil industry
-lowered his prices so that other companies went out of business
