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68 Cards in this Set
- Front
- Back
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Industrialization |
-agrarian society transforms into industrial one -economy shifts to fulfill the purposes of manufacturing and consumerism -growth of big business |
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Factors contributing to the rise of big business
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-technological advances -human resources (increasing populations, mobile workforce) -government policy (Laissez-faire: in which the government does not interfere/regulate business) |
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Social Darwinism |
the idea that society will be best off with the survival of (only the) fittest. should not help the weak/small businesses/poor people survive, because then the society gets weaker - class warfare |
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Proprietorship |
-before the rise of big business -a business that is owned by one person/family -less stability because all liability rests on owner(s) |
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Partnership |
-before the rise of big business -a business that is owned by two or more people -less stability because all liability rests on owners |
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Corporation |
-a business that sells shares of itself (stock) to investors (who can buy and sell stock to make money) -stockholders receive a percentage of the corporation’s profits (dividends) |
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Advantages of Corporations |
-can raise lots of money (capital) by selling to investors -stockholders have limited risk liability (not responsible for the losses of the corporation), they only lose what money they invest -corporations are stable, continue to exist regardless of who owns stock |
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Trust |
- group of companies that turn over control of their stock to a board of directors who run all of the companies as one larger company - problem: if a trust gains control of an entire industry it can form a monopoly |
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Monopoly |
-when one corporation has control over an entire market -prices go up -quality goes down -no selection -no motivation to improve |
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Andrew Carnegie |
-Scottish immigrant who worked his way up -classic rags to riches story (second richest in U.S. ever) -surrounded himself with ruthless and able managers -worked with most modern machinery and processes (ex. the effecient Bessemer Method - iron into steel process reduced from 1 day to 15 mins) -ruthless in beating out competitors -opened Carnegie Steel 1870, sold in 1900 to J.P. Morgan for $500 mil (back then)) -Vertical Integration -Economies of Scale -wanted to promote a good public image - looked like Santa; practiced philanthropy (established public libraries) |
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Gospel of Wealth by Andrew Carnegie |
-3 ways wealthy people can spend disposable income: -redistribute among family - selfish, spoils children/descendants; separates the classes further--donate after death - doesn’t benefit people to help them help themselves -practice philanthropy throughout lives - best option, has choice and direction; minimizes divide between rich and poor -Carnegie wanted to help those who would work to improve themselves -supported community, self education (implemented public libraries) opportunities and resources to succeed without individual handouts -was a Social Darwinist |
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Economies of Scale |
buying needed supplies and materials in bulk to lower production costs (per unit) and increase profit - ex). toilet paper and the average U.S. consumer |
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Vertical Integration |
-the acquisition of smaller companies that provide materials and services necessary for one specific industry -this saves the business $ (don't have to pay any profit margin), and allows for more profit (price control) -ex). steel manufacturing --> railroads --> coal mines --> oil mines -ex). Mcdonalds; Walmart |
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John D. Rockefeller |
-1860s - involved in oil refining -ran competition out of business -good deals with railroads to keep costs down -rivaled with Vanderbilt, Scott, Carnegie -some vertical integration -horizontal integration -Standard Oil Trust (first trust in US history) richest man in the US $150 million ($336 million today) |
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Standard Oil Trust |
-est. 1882 -by 1892 controlled 90% of the world’s oil refining and made over $45 million a year -MONOPOLY |
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Horizontal Integration |
-when one company owns other companies involved in the same business -allows for more control of markets, therefore more control of prices and ability to get rid of competition -ex).oil refinery - oil refinery - oil refinery, etc. -ex). Nestle; Coca Cola; Pepsi; General Motors |
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Ida Tarbell |
-muckraker from PA -parents lost small oil refinery to Rockefeller -worked to expose monopolistic and ruthless practices of standard oil in 1903 -1911 - Supreme Court ordered dissolution of Standard Oil |
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Union |
-an organization of workers who work with employers for better working conditions, wages, hours, health care, pensions, etc -are democratic -about strength in numbers |
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Industrial Union |
members work in the same industry |
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Craft Unions/Trade Unions |
members do the same kind of skilled job |
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Why not join a union? |
-can't pay/resent dues -you are a young white male who is not discriminated against -think you can bargain better on your own -political reasons |
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How do unions and management work together? |
-collective bargaining = the idea/practice in which everyone at a workplace negotiates working conditions, pay, etc, as a wholeis beneficial for both employee and employer -contract = legally binding agreements between employee and employer -grievance = formal complaint that one party is breaking a contract/collective bargaining agreement between management and workers -arbitration = use of neutral third party to settle disagreement between management and workerscan be binding/nonbinding |
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Open Shop |
-workplace that employs both union and nonunion members (bargain separately) -undesirable for labor movement -employers can decide not to give in to demands of union because nonunion members aren't making same demands (pits workers against each other) |
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Closed Shop |
-workplace that only employs people covered by collective bargaining agreement -desirable for labor movement because everyone gets same rights, hours, etc |
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Weapons of labor |
-picketing (raise awareness for cause, to hurt business’ reputation) -sick outs (many call in sick to show collective workers’ worth against employer) -slow downs (go to work, do no more than contract says, create less end product) -boycotts (massively organized, purpose to convince consumers not to shop somewhere) -strikes (refusing to work without pay, it is and extraordinarily risky last resort) |
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Weapons of management |
-Yellow Dog Contracts (employees sign to say they won't form/join a union - illegal today, but hard to prove) -Blacklisting (informing other companies in an industry of "troublemakers" - illegal today, but hard to prove) -Lockouts (not letting people into work, akin to strikes) -Scab labor (people who are willing to work while others strike; traitors) -Injunctions (legal orders for strikers to go back to work) -"Right to work" (benefit of collective bargaining agreement without paying fees - diminishes union funds, divides employees, less point of being in union if non-members are helped) |
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Capitalism |
an economic system in which business/industry/means of production are controlled/owned privately/stockholders |
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Socialism |
an economic system in which business/industry/means of production are controlled/owned by the government or people as a whole |
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Anarchism |
the belief that all forms of government are inherently oppressive and therefore that it is preferable to have no government |
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The Knights of Labor |
-1869 - 1890 -organized skilled and unskilled men and women -included African American workers -worked for: -equal pay for equal work -eight hour day - end child labor (parents and others couldn’t find jobs) -strategy: -political activism -education |
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The American Federation of Labor |
-1886 - present -formed by Samuel Gompers -craft union (created networks of smaller unions) -didn’t originally include women -included some African American workers -mainly for white, skilled, male workers -worked for: -better wages and hours -better conditions -closed shop -strategy: -economic pressure -strikes -boycotts -collective bargaining |
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American Railway Union |
-formed by Eugene V. Debs (former railway worker, and now activist) in 1893 -formed to unite and organize all railway workers to achieve equality of the classes - industrial union -although Debs wanted to include everyone, African Americans were denied membership by popular vote, (which may have contributed to the loss of the Pullman strike by the ARU) |
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Eugene Debs |
-active member and spokesman (wrote for newspaper Appeal to Reason) -socialist -founding member of IWW, American Railway Union -ran for president 5 times |
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International Workers of the World (IWW; Wobblies) |
-1905 - present -formed when 43 groups broke off from AFL -included unskilled workers from all backgrounds -socialists and anarchists drawn to this group -“An injury to one is an injury to all” -"One big union" -strategy: -general strikes (no employers can get scabs; anarchy-syndicalist theory) |
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Joseph Ettor |
-IWW organizer -spoke about anarcho-syndicalism at Lawrence Strike - ‘Put your hands in your pockets, and the world will come to a halt’ -arrested for murder of Anna LoPizzo |
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Joe Hill |
-IWW organizer became an emblematic icon for his memorable music, and the way that he died, and how his spirit continues to live on -1915 - sentenced to death and executed even though there was an international campaign against his slaughter -his last words were, “Don’t waste time mourning, organize! ” |
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Elizabeth Gurley Flynn |
-organizer for the IWW -helped at Lawrence -feminist, who believed that women should be able to chose how they live their lives -she wanted all women to have the choice and opportunity to prioritize their career over the confines of children and marriage |
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Bill Haywood |
-IWW founder, organizer -helped out strikers in Lawrence Strike |
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The Haymarket Affair |
-May 1, 1886: -general worker strike -anarchists join labor movement -goal to achieve 8 hour movement -May 2, 1886: -meat packinghouse workers win 8 hour day and higher wages (against Gustavus Swift) after striking -May 3, 1886: -skilled iron workers strike against McCormick - he hires scab labor and got rid of union -strikers attack scabs, and police fire back and kill strikers -May 4, 1886: -August Spies writes a piece of prose that accidentally incites ‘Revenge’ -Spies, Samuel Fielden speak at peaceful Haymarket protest -bomb explodes in middle of police -police open fire, killing and wounding crowd -martial law declared -8 anarchists unjustly are arrested and sentenced to death - beginning "Red Hunt” (anarchists villainized and clumped in labor movement - trying to crush both; use death as example) -hanged Parsons and Spies, rest given clemency -Significance: -allowed industrialists, the public, to associate labor with anarchists (false) -inspired labor leaders to continue the fight -May 1 became international labor day because of Haymarket (awareness) |
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August Spies |
-labor activist -newspaper editor, wrote piece mislabeled 'Revenge' -1 of 8 arrested at Haymarket |
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Albert Parsons |
-was a socialist typesetter in Chicago - under threat by the Board of Trade (Marshall Field) for inciting rebellion
-coined the term 'grand army of starvation' for the people of the great railroad strike in 1877 -turned to anarchism because of political corruption, blaming capitalists -was 1 of 8 arrested at Haymarket, eventually was executed |
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Great Railroad Strike of 1877 |
-1886 -started in Martinsburg, WV with wage cuts to railroad workers at the B&O co. Spread to other working class communities -Pittsburgh: -80,000 workers struck - destructive to buildings, railroad cars - pitts police supported workers, solidarity - philly militia opened fired, killing -Chicago: -Albert Parsons gave speech ("Grand Army of Starvation") -RR workers on national strike because they felt like "wage-slaves" - chic police open fired - newspaper supports chic police - tensions between classes - brought fight to working class neighborhoods, endangered children -Significance: -first national strike -more military might -labor becomes a new issue at the forefront -anarcho-syndicalism -exposed societal rift (wage gap) -call for economic equality; social revolution |
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The Homestead Lockout |
-1892 -steel workers at Carnegie Steel in Pennsylvania -why struck: -bad conditions -felt like a hellhole -too many hours -low pay -bad town -sewage -strong union -solidarity -Frick and Carnegie said no compromise -built wall, locked out workers -tried to hire scabs -hired Pinkertons (private detective agency/army for hire) to protect scabs and secure entrance -Pinkertons came in on a boat -strikers hid at dock -everyone shot -Pinkertons surrendered -strikers brought Pinkertons out in long line, beat them -scabs didn’t get into factory -state militia called in -secured mill peacefully -assassination attempt on Frick -shot but looked like a hero when he keeped working -strikers couldn’t hold out any longer (starving, no money, no support) -had to declare themselves nonunion and not have struck to be rehired -the end impact: -American steel industry became the largest in the world (no unions to challenge industrialists) -working men were told to be subordinate, put in their place -an enormous wage gap widened (wealth disparity), between bosses and workers -hope diminished -labor movement continues to amend the inequalities epitomized and perpetuated by Homestead |
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The Pullman Strike |
-1894 -CHICAGO (at first) -Why: -felt that Pullman’s company town was too controlling -wage-slavery; no options, control, or hope for change -better wages (Pullman cut wages but kept comp. town expenses same) -Pullman’s workers struck and the American Railway Union (led by Debs) backed them, calling for a boycott of all Pullman cars that essentially stopped the railroad (there were so many Pullman cars) -Militia dispatched -destruction of property, President Cleveland unhappy -INJUNCTION on the grounds that strike disrupted federal mail. -Debs ignores it; Cleveland sends federal troops. -34 strikers dead, strike crushed -Debs arrested, becomes socialist from prison -significance: -disruption and violence of the strike helped to villainize strikers, to hinder labor movement -the workers’ deaths at the hands of the national guard showed that government was working against labor, potentially leading socialists to become anarchists, or at least turning some (LIKE DEBS) into socialists - reinforcing that the fight was against capitalism (wealthy industrialists who controlled government) as well |
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The Triangle Shirtwaist Strike |
- fall/winter 1909 -NY women workers at the Triangle Shirtwaist Company struck and picketed -wanted to reduce working hours and implement safer conditions -Rose Schneiderman organized garment shops in NY -union called for support - a general strike with other shops -turnout of 20,000 who walked out -many more women became members of the International Ladies Garment Union -workers’ demands were won in over 300 shops -women earned positions as union officials, and many kept active spirits, exploring political poetry -leadership in labor lead to leadership in politics -successful strike example |
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The Triangle Shirtwaist Fire |
-March 25, 1911, NY -fire broke out at the Triangle Shirtwaist factory management had broken 2 laws to monitor and secure the workers, instead they trapped them -doors swung inwards - should’ve swung outwards -doors locked during the working day - should’ve been unlocked -fire fighters couldn't reach above the 7th floor, (even though 250,000 workers worked above the 7th floor in NY), no precautions taken -146 killed - death by fire or crushing (jumping down elevator shafts to escape) -raised awareness among the public, leading to reform -100,000 people marched in memorial parade - negligence shocking -lead to social reform; environment where labor movement could be more successful, people more sympathetic -qualifiable display of harm to workers |
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Bread and Roses |
-Rose Schneiderman (socialist, feminist) -bread - what you need, sustenance -roses - beauty, happiness, what you deserve/good things -everyone has the right to bread and roses |
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The American Woolen Company |
-Lawrence Strike -Lawrence, Massachuetts -four mills -produced almost 25% all woolen cloth in the US -half of workers were girls 14-18 -52% of the city’s wages came from mills -average wage - $8.76 a week ($0.14 - 0.18 an hour) -not all worked a full week -company made $10 million a year -diverse workers -AFL figured they were too diverse to organize, IWW disagreed -unsafe working conditions -56 hour weeks -half of all children in Lawrence worked -usually died within 1-2 years -36/100 workers died at or before age 25 |
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The Lawrence/Singing/Bread and Roses Strike |
-January 12, 1912 [-wage cuts for female Polish weaver announced -within two days over 10,000 workers on strike across four mills -Support and Organization -workers at Lawrence looked to IWW -Joseph Ettor, Elizabeth Gurley Flynn, Bill Haywood came to help -set up committee of 50+ workers of diverse backgrounds -set up soup kitchens to feed 50,000+ -organized mass meetings and parades -Joseph Ettor: “If the workers want to win, all they have to do is recognize their own solidarity. They have nothing to do but fold their arms and the world will stop...” (anarcho-syndicalism) -Response to the Strike: -Mayor of Lawrence calls in the militia -governor orders in state police -police attack parade of strikers -striker Anna LoPizzo shot -authorities blame and arrest Joseph Ettor and another labor leader for conspiracy to murder -Marshall Law -36 strikers arrested and sentenced to a year in prison -Syrian striker bayoneted to death -Strategies and Problems -non-violence -singing strike -by February strikers using mass picketing -7000 - 10,000 in endless chain -food was running out...what to do about kids?-a socialist newspaper in New York came up with a solution... |
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The Children's Exodus |
-sent children away to stay with volunteers away from Lawrence to keep them safe and fed -February 10, 1912 - 100+ children left for NYC -welcomed by 5000 singing socialists (making them feel at home) -Lawrence city officials said no more children may leave Lawrence -February 24, 1912~ 40 children assemble to go to Philadelphia at train station -police attack parents and children -the end... -the American Woolen Company gives in to many of the demands of workers -raises of 5 - 11% in wages -time and 1/4 overtime -no discrimination against those that went on strike -March 14, 1912 - IWW votes to end the strike -successful because: -strikers did not stoop to violence, they use moral suasion - highlights attack on children, points out wrongs -informs labor movement’s values and demands -movement became more focused on allowing workers to truly live, not just scrape by -united diverse workers |
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Colorado Coal (Ludlow) Strike |
-September 1913 -workers (mostly Greek, Italian, Serbian) were angry about the death of a union worker and poor pay, dangerous conditions, the oppressive nature of the company town -11,000 miners struck against Colorado Fuel and Iron Corporation (owned by Rockefeller) -kicked out of shacks in mining town where strike began -set up tent towns in the hills (lots of whole families) -Mother Jones of the United Mine Workers came to help organize -jailed and eventually expelled from the state -Rockefeller brought in Baldwin-Felts Detective Agency -used Gatling guns and rifles raid the tent colonies -many miners dead -strikers drove back a train full of scabs -Colorado governor (“our little cowboy governor” -Rockefeller) called out the National Guard (paid by Rockefeller) -beat strikers, arrested them, attacked women -strikers held on -winter of 1913-14 was horrible -management knew they'd have to do something drastic to break the strike - Ludlow Massacre |
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Ludlow Massacre |
-April 20, 1914 -machine gun attack on tent towns -armed strikers shot back -strikers dug into ground to escape -National Guard burned tents - people cooked in pits -one pit - 2 women, 11 children found dead -the end... -over 66 total dead -broke Colorado Coal Strike -public funerals were held, some public attention (from widely read newspapers, but most of the news centered around war tensions with Mexico and World War I) -no militiamen/guard indicted for any crime -threat of class rebellion remained among working people -site became a national landmark recently |
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Gilded Age |
-gilded - golden on the outside, rotten on the inside -time of widespread political corruption -serious social problems |
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Conspicuous consumption |
-spending money in an obvious, excessive way -wealthy consumers buy extravagant items (islands, built castles) to display wealth because they fancied themselves akin to European royalty |
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Patronage |
appointment to government jobs (often to unqualified people) in return for votes |
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Political machine |
party organizations that gave out favors, often in the form of patronage, commanded support of corporations and businesses |
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Tammany Hall |
-political machine in 1860s -controlled New York -run by William Marcy Tweed -chief of volunteer fire company --> ran for alderman as Democrat -won when a friend ran and party split vote -"law office" -head of several NY politicians ("Ring") -cheated government out of millions of dollars -all bills sent to NYC doubled -new city charter separating city from state control -brought down in 1871 when Thomas Nast (most famous U.S. cartoonist) and press published records and cartoons showing corruption -Tweed died in jail at 55 |
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Anarcho-syndicalism |
-developed in Spain, Italy, and France in the early 1900s -unifies industrialized, international workers across industries/is powerful against employers by: -cultivating solidarity of struggle regardless of location -promoting of peaceful general strikes instead of violence, rebellion -illustrating strength together -emboldening the masses by showing collective power |
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Taylorism |
-developed by steel company forman Frederick W. Taylor ~ 1907 (after the financial collapse) -a system of labor that delegates work by splitting skilled tasks into several simple, manageable tasks -this can be done with added machinery/tech; piece work -devalued the necessity for skilled laborers and their rights, created more jobs for unskilled workers (like immigrant populations) -employers could justify the lack of workers rights by making the labor force interchangeable and expendable -loss of workers collective strength allowed for businesses to exercise more power over unions -gave rise to sweatshops in big cities -perpetuates wealth gap still in existence today |
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Spoils System |
-gives government jobs/contracts to supporters (patronage) -both Democrats and Republicans got in trouble for filling civil service jobs this way |
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Stalwarts |
-"stalwart" means loyal and hardworking (stable, sure) -Republicans that opposed civil service reform in 1870s -led by Senator Roscoe Conkling of NY -chose Chester Arthur as vice president in election of 1880 |
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Half-Breeds |
-Republicans that supported civil service reform in 1870s -called "half-breeds" by stalwart Republicans because they were "half Democrat and half Republican" -led by James Blaine of Maine -ran James Garfield for president in 1880 |
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Mugwumps |
-Republicans who voted for the Democratic Presidential candidate, Grover Cleveland over the Republican nominee James Blaine, in the 1884 election |
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Pendleton Civil Service Act of 1883 |
-set up Civil Service Commission to give competitive exams to people seeking government jobs -important step in reforming government because it put into law the idea that merit is an important qualification for getting a civil service job -exam only applied to ~10% of government jobs |
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Presidential Election of 1876 |
-Democrats chose to run Samuel J. Tilden (pro civil service reform - (helped expose corruption of Tweed Ring in NY) -division of the Republican party (Stalwarts vs. Half-Breeds) almost caused a second civil war -Republican Rutherford B. Hayes won - but promised not to run again in 1880, causing same issues to resurface again |
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Presidential Election of 1880 |
-James Garfield (Half-Breed) won Republican nomination, with Chester B. Arthur on ballots as VP to appease Stalwarts -Democrats ran Civil War Vet Winfield Scott Hancock for President -James Garfield won by only 40,000 popular votes -HOWEVER, on July 2, 1881, Charles Guiteau assassinated the President because he believed it would help the Stalwarts -Chester Arthur passes (signs bill proposed by Congress) the Pendleton Civil Service Act of 1883; as a classy move, because he acknowledged that the people really elected Garfield |
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Presidential Election of 1884 |
-Stalwarts angry at president Arthur for passing Pendleton Civil Service Act, so they did not give him their nomination -nomination went instead to James Blaine (Half-Breed) -many Republicans instead decided to vote for Grover Cleveland - Democratic candidate and former NY governor, known for his work against Tammany hall -these Republicans were known as Mugwumps -negative, mean, slanderous, insulting - mudslinging campaign ensued -Grover Cleveland victorious in 1884 -doubled number of federal jobs covered under the Pendleton Civil Service Act (10% → 20%) |
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Presidential Election of 1888 |
-President Cleveland again received Democratic nomination -Republicans ran Benjamin Harrison of Indiana in a mudslinging campaign -Cleveland won by popular vote by 100,000 popular votes, but lost the electoral -once in office, President Harrison stacked all possible civil service positions with Republicans, weakening many of the reform efforts put in place by President Cleveland → undoing Pendleton Civil Service |
