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Goal 5
Railroads (transcontinental)OilSteel Electricity
By 1900: 192,556 miles of track; more than all Europe combined
Gov’t subsidized transcontinental railroad building
Cities grew where tracks were laid while bypassed cities became "ghost towns"
Who built the railroads?
Popularized steel rail; replaced the old iron tracks of the NY Central RR
Steel safer and more economical since it could carry a heavier load
Linked the entire continent via railroad and by telegraph
Paved the way for incredible growth of the Great West.
Seen by Americans at the time as a monumental achievement along with the Declaration of Independence and the freeing of the slaves.
Facilitated large influx of immigrants. Spurred investment from abroad
Maker of millionaires; a new railroad aristocracy emerged
Native Americans displaced and herded into ever-shrinking reservations
Wealthy Industrialists during this time period will be known as these
any businessman or banker who used questionable business practices to become powerful or wealthy.
SOCIAL DARWINISM-SURVIVAL OF THE FITTEST!
Robber Barons (l-r): Andrew Carnegie, John D. Rockefeller, J.P. Morgan
Depression of 1870s spurred farmers to complain against being forced into bankruptcy by unfair railroad policies. (Panic of 1873)
Granger Laws-Citizens trying to regulate state affairs to help protect their rights Sponsor politicians to
regulate Railroads
Munn v. Illinois(1877)-Railroads sue saying Granger Laws are unconstitutional, but lose.
Supreme Court will say the public always has the right to regulate business operations in which the public has an interest; ruled against railroads
Remember Gibbons v. Ogden?Set up Interstate Commerce
Commission (ICC) to enforce and administer the new legislation.
Showed the Failure of Granger Laws…States could not regulate on interstate commerce (aka railroads)
Thomas Edison- Light Bulb Edison also creates system for producing
& distributing electricity Makes it possible to create factories
away from rivers Factory workers lives get worse (longer
hours)
Telephone Invented in 1876 Bell worked with acoustics
▪ Turned sound waves into electrical currents▪ Current travels through electrical wire;
converted back to sound
In 1880: 85 towns had phone systems
In 1885: 100+ telephone companies serving most of America
Edwin Drake drills using a steam engine Finds Oil Oil BOOM is started
Oil Refining Industries are started….MORE INDUSTRY!
Kerosene was the main product used
Fun Fact**** Gasoline was originally thrown away because they thought it was useless
Oil Tycoon/Robber BaronSTANDARD OIL
Company established by Rockefeller that merged with other oil companies, giving him a monopoly on oil
Known as HORIZONTAL INTEGRATION
Bessemer Process Andrew Carnegie
Uses vertical integration (buys out suppliers to control the flow of materials used for his steel company)
Limits his competition (with control of supplies) Sells company to JP Morgan in 1901, but he
controlled the largest portion of the nation’s steel JP Morgan
Banker, Sets up company for the sole purpose of buying other companies… (merges companies together)
Bought Stocks as opposed to the companies themselves…gave him control of the way they were run
Each company remained separate, but all were still in the control of Morgan
Wealth was God’s will
Money should be give away for the public good but not to individuals in want
Believed in the long run extreme disparities of wealth were good for the "race,“ because the wealthy added to civilization.
Carnegie, Rockefeller gave away wealth Rockefeller gave away $550 million by his death at age 97. Carnegie donated about 90% of his wealth
Forbade trusts that interfered with trade between states or countries AKA NO MONOPOLIES
Hard to catch monopolies like Rockefeller and Carnegie Each monopoly would just allow the
companies to act as single corporations, as opposed to one
Supreme Court throws out 7 of 8 cases
More factories created – leads to more need for unskilled workers (immigrants)
More machines created – dangerous working conditions (no safety regulations) No protection against accidents, injury, or death Most dangerous industry was steel
Workers received low wages, hours increase Wages often cut for no reason Can’t complain or you’ll be replaced Some factories pay based on piece work Factory owners look for women or children to work
for cheaper wages Problems lead to formation of Unions
AFL – American Federation of Labor Started by Samuel Gompers in 1886 Accepted skilled workers (“A+”)
Knights of Labor Started by Uriah Stephens in 1869 Accepted ALL workers into the union
ARU – American Railway Union Started by Eugene V. Debs in 1893 Workers had to be in the Railroad
business
The Great Strike of 1877 (Railroad Strike) Started because of
wages cuts by B&O Railroad (1st major strike)
Put down by federal troops
Homestead Strike Strike against Carnegie
Steel in 1892 (AA & KoL)
Pinkertons/Guards used unsuccessfully
Henry Frick shot; public turns against Labor Unions
Haymarket Square Riot Chicago, 1886 – workers
strike for 8 hour workday
Policeman killed by bomb, riot ensues
Union blamed for deaths & riot (KoL)
Pullman Strike 1894 in Illinois
protesting wage cuts (ARU)
Federal troops called in to put down Strike
Between 1870-1920 over 20 million European immigrants came to the US Before 1870-1880, most are from Western Europe
(England, Ireland, Germany, etc.) - WASP After 1870-1880, most come from Southern &
Eastern Europe (Italy, Greece, Poland, Russia, etc.) Most immigrants come for better life or to escape
persecution Ellis Island opens as processing station for European
immigrants Must pass physical inspection, intelligence/literacy
test, etc. Government could quarantine or deport
undesirables
Asian Immigrants Most came through West Coast (Angel Island) More discrimination against Asians US passes Chinese Exclusion Act in 1882 Japanese immigration limited by Teddy
Roosevelt with Gentleman’s Agreement Hispanic Immigration
Most in the south Newlands Act helped w/ irrigation of dry lands Increases immigration in Texas, California,
Arizona Feelings of Nativism spread throughout US
Growth of Cities Most immigrants
make their way into cities
More opportunity for jobs (factories)
Cities tended to have clusters of same peoples (ie – China Town, Little Italy, etc.)
Influx of people caused demand/need for more housing
Cities begin growing out AND up
Housing Problems Cities grow, but not
fast enough to keep up with population
Leads to tenement apartments▪ Overcrowded,
multiple families▪ Unsanitary (little to no
plumbing or ventilation)
Transportation People must walk; leads to public transport Cable Cars, Subways
Water & Sanitation Little indoor plumbing Sewage problems led to backflow Pollution due to factories
Fire Most buildings made of wood Fire easily spreads once started (ex – Chicago) Leads to cities building w/ steel (skyscrapers)
Crime Mainly pickpockets & thieves Con men take advantage of new immigrants Organized crime (gangs) begin – usually w/ ethnic impacts
Political Machines Boss Tweed & Tammany Hall Used immigrant votes & graft Finally brought down by Thomas Nast▪ “stop them damned pictures. I don’t care so much
what they say about me. My constituents can’t read, but, damn it, they can see pictures!”
Credit Mobilier (1867) corrupt stock/profits taken by congressmen (James
Garfield) & VP Schuyler Colfax Whiskey Ring Scandal (1875)
Political scandal during Grants presidency Involved cabinet members, politicians who stole tax
revenue from whiskey
Election of 1880 Split in Republicans due to Rutherford B. Hayes
& Roscoe Conkling Nomination for Republicans in 1880 had James
Garfield & Chester Authur (Conkling’s friend) Garfield shot in 1881 by Charles Guiteau
Pendleton Civil Service Act Ended jobs based on patronage – used merit to
decide jobs Mugwumps
Republicans who supported Democrat Grover Cleveland in 1884 (instead of Rep. James Blaine)
Against corruption of Republicans and James
