Since 1877 Test 1 People Flashcards
1
Q
- John D. Rockefeller
A
- began as a clerk for a Cleveland merchant
- Dominated the Oil industry; started buying out other oil company (horizontal expansion); soon established a vertically integrated monopoly which controlled the drilling, refining, storage,and distribution of oil
- (used deceiving methods) drove out rivals through cutthroat competition, arranging secret deals with railroad companies, and fixing prices and production quotas
- by 1880s, his standard Oil Company controlled 90% of the nation’s oil industry
- He gave much of his fortune away, establishing foundations to promote education and medical research (hook worms disease in the south)
- despite his good deeds, he also bitterly fought his employee’s efforts to organize unions
2
Q
- Booker T. Washington
A
- Born a slave in 1895, he urged blacks not to combat segregation
- he worked his way up (studied at Hampton Institute)
- started a school called the “Tuskegee Institution” (Alabama) which focused on giving skills (rather than broad learning) of mechanics/bricklaying, jobs in which blacks could get
- his approach to racism was to work hard and prove to whites that blacks were good
- his speech “Atlanta Compromise” was well liked by many Whites; he gain the support of black politicians and newspapers
3
Q
- William Mckinley
A
- Won election of 1896 (25th president)
- Term President 1897-1901 (republican): for his campaign,he held speeches from his front porch in Ohio
- Got lucky during his presidency b/c the economy rose; right after his election a huge amount of gold was discovered in the Yukon (canada), thus more money could be printed (passed the Gold Standard Act)
- Runs for a second election and wins, but gets assassinated, 6mths into 2nd term (3rd pres. killed)
- biggest issue during his presidency was foreign affairs (US gets very involve in everybody’s business):
responsible for the Spanish-American War (sent Maine); responsible for the Annexation of Hawaii in 1898
4
Q
- Theodore Roosevelt
A
- in 1898, he helped form the Rough Riders and gained fame during the war in Cuba (victory @ San Juan Hill)
- was elected Governor of New York
- Republican nominee for Vice President with William McKinley; became President after McKinley was assassinated in 1901 (inaugurated at age 42, the youngest person to become president)
- tried to move republicans toward Progressivism, including trust busting and increased business regulation
- passed acts such as: Elkins act (railroads discriminator rates); Hepburn Act (RR set by ICC); Pure Food & Drug Act (regulate use of ingredients & list items on package)
- Big Conservationist: set aside large amount of forest as “protected area” for future generations
- 1904 reelected in a landslide against Alton B Parker
- Big accomplishment was he ordered the construction of the Panama Canal
- slogan, “Speak softly and carry a big stick” referring to war and building the US Navy (the great white)
- tried to block Taft’s renomination, by running for the Republican Party but lost, so he
- then launched the Progressive (“Bull Moose”) Party, which split the Republicans allowing Wilson to win
5
Q
- William Taft
A
- 27th President in the 1908 election (hand picked as Roosevelt’s Successor (1909–1913) and later the tenth Chief of Justice
- In his only term, he accomplished passed many progressive laws:
1. Elkins Act - passed by TR, but Taft also gave the ICC control over communications
2. the 16th amendment; congress given power to establish a national income tax (lowing tariff)
3. 17th amendment; US senators are elected b popular vote (the people) rater than by state legislators - sadly, most known for being over weight and got stuck in a white house bath tub
- TR felt he was not being progressive enough and challenge him for the Republic nomination, in which Taft got, but ultimately was defeated for a second term in the election of 1912
- after presidency, became a Justice of the United States (1921–1930) (only person serve both of these offices)
6
Q
Rutherford B. Hayes
A
- 19th president (republican) won with 185 votes against Samuel Tilden
- Only served one term 1877-1881
- best known for the end of reconstruction
7
Q
Henry Ford
A
- an American industrialist
- the founder of the Ford Motor Company, and sponsor of the development of the assembly line technique of mass production
8
Q
J.P. Morgan
A
- an American financier, banker, philanthropist and art collector who dominated corporate finance and industrial consolidation
- arranged the merger of Edison General Electric and Thomson-Houston Electric Company to form General Electric.
- in 1901 he created the United States Steel Corporation by combining 8 large steel companies into the 1st billion dollar economic enterprise
9
Q
Cornelius Vanderbilt
A
- an American business man who built his wealth in railroads and shipping
- He provided funds to create the Vanderbilt University, which is named in his honor
10
Q
Andrew Carnegie
A
- immigrated from Scotland
- he established a “vertically integrated” steel company (controlled every phase of the business from raw materials to transportation, manufacturing, and distribution)
- he believed the rich had a moral obligation to promote the advancement of society and donated much of his wealth to various philanthropist, and creation of public libraries
- despite his good deeds, he ran his companies with a dictatorial hand; his factories operated nonstop, with two 12 hour shifts everyday
11
Q
Samuel Gompers
A
- President of the American Federation of Labor from 1886 to 1924
- this was a Union group much friendlier to workers (focused on skilled workers)
- this Union group had specific limited goals (unlike the Knights of Labor)
12
Q
Frederick Law Olmsted
A
- an American landscape architect, journalist, social critic, and public administrator
- popularly considered to be the father of American landscape architecture
- famous for co-designing many well-known urban parks -including Prospect Park and Central Park in New York, Elm Park (Worcester, Massachusetts) - considered to be the first municipal park in America
13
Q
James G. Blaine
A
- ran as the Republican candidate from Maine in the 1884 election against Grover Cleveland and lost
- this election was consider a nasty campaign:
Cleveland was accused of having a child out of wedlock (true); Blaine took bribes from railroads and was considered currpted
14
Q
James Garfield
A
- ran as the Republican candidate in the 1880 election and WON against Hancock with 214 votes (20th president)
- he was a very educated man who could write in Greek & Latin
- after 6 months of serving his first term, he was assassinated (became the 2nd president killed) by a citizen who was upset he could not obtain a federal job
- Chester Arthur, his VP served the rest of his term
15
Q
Chester Arthur
A
- was Vice President to James Garfield and became the 21st president after Garfield was assassinated
- served 1881-1885 and most known for passing the “Pendleton Civil Service Reform Act of 1883” a law that states the president will NOT be the only one to OK federal jobs
- he does not get reelected
