1. Describe the causes of the immigration of Southern and Eastern Europeans, Chinese, Koreans, and Japanese to America in the late 19th century and early 20th century.
Millions of immigrants entered the US seeking a better life. They were hoping to escape conditions such as famine, land shortages, or religious or political persecution. Southern and Eastern Europeans emigrated from Europe to the US for many reasons. These reasons include an escape from religious persecution, and escape from the rising population which interfered with the amount of available jobs, and escape from reform and revolt in Europe, and they also immigrated because jobs in US were said to be plentiful and Europeans sought independent lives. The main reason Chinese came to America in the mid-1800s was due to the discovery of gold. Many Chinese turned to farming, mining, and domestic services. Last but not least, Japanese had also come to America in the late 1800s-early 1900s because of the United States's annexation of Hawaii in 1898.
2. Describe the journey immigrants endured and their experiences at United States immigration stations.
Immigrants were forced to endure a difficult journey to make it to America and to be admitted into the states. First of all, many immigrants hoping to settle in America were crammed onto steamships for 1-3 weeks with close to no room or fresh air. Because of this, disease spread quickly. Then, once making it to America, they were to be inspected at immigration stations before being allowed into the states. These inspections were long and some people didn't pass. The test in a summary included a physical examination by a doctor to be checked for disease, and, if passed, they would be reported to a government inspector who checked documents and asked questions to determine whether they met the legal requirements for entering the US. An estimated 17 million immigrants passed through these stations and into the US.
Tuesday, September 29, 2009
Friday, September 18, 2009
Labor Unions & Big Business
The Knights of Labor
a. Identification- a group that's motto was "An injury to one is the concern of all"; open to all workers, regardless of race, gender, or degree of skill; supported an 8 hour workday and advocated "equal pay for equal work"; saw strikes as a last resort and instead advocated arbitration
b. Significance- One of the first groups to allow ALL typed of people; reached around 700,000 members (one of the most"populated" groups of the time)
The Haymarket Riot
a. Identification- 3,000 people gathered at Haymarket Square in Chicago to protest police brutality; around 10 o'clock, someone threw a bomb, killing 7 police officers, causing police to kill several workers
b. Significance- after this incident, the public began turning against the labor movement; the bomb-thrower was never determined
The American Federation of Labor
a. Identification- a group that focused on collective bargaining, or negotiation between representatives of labor and management, to reach written agreements on wages, hours, and working conditions; used strikes as a major tactic; successful strikes led to higher wages and shorter workweeks
b. Significance- between 1890 and 1915, the average weekly wages in unionized industries rose from $17.50 to $24, and the average workweek fell from almost 54.5 hours to just under 49 hours
Samuel Gompers
a. Identification- Gompers had led the Cigar Makers' International Union to join with other craft unions in 1886.
b. Significance- This led to a bigger and stonger union, helping them in the longrun
The Homestead Strike
a. Identification- a strike called by steelworkers on June 29, 1892 after the company president announced his plans to cut wages
b. Significance- The strike lasted until November, showing that the steelworkers had put up a good fight, but they eventually gave in to the company
The Pullman Strike
a. Identification- In the Spring of 1894, this strike was called due to an extreme wage cut and many people being laid off
b. Significance- Many of the strikers were fired and never given the opportunity to get railroad jobs again, showing that they were not quite successful with their strike
Eugene V. Debs
a. Identification- Debs attempted to form an industrial union that would include ALL laborers- skilled and unskilled- in a specific industry.
b. Significance- This union, the American Railway Union, won a strike for higher wages in 1894, and consisted of 150,000 members, showing some potential in the power of the Union
The Industrial Workers of the World
a. Identification- a group of radical unionists and socialists organized this group; this group included miners, lumberers, and cannery and dock workers
b. Significance- won a major victory in 1912, but, otherwise, were not too successful
The Homestead Strike
a. Identification- a strike called by steelworkers on June 29, 1892 after the company president announced his plans to cut wages
b. Significance- The strike lasted until November, showing that the steelworkers had put up a good fight, but they eventually gave in to the company
The Pullman Strike
a. Identification- In the Spring of 1894, this strike was called due to an extreme wage cut and many people being laid off
b. Significance- Many of the strikers were fired and never given the opportunity to get railroad jobs again, showing that they were not quite successful with their strike
Eugene V. Debs
a. Identification- Debs attempted to form an industrial union that would include ALL laborers- skilled and unskilled- in a specific industry.
b. Significance- This union, the American Railway Union, won a strike for higher wages in 1894, and consisted of 150,000 members, showing some potential in the power of the Union
The Industrial Workers of the World
a. Identification- a group of radical unionists and socialists organized this group; this group included miners, lumberers, and cannery and dock workers
b. Significance- won a major victory in 1912, but, otherwise, were not too successful
Wednesday, September 16, 2009
Big Biz and Labor
Andrew Carnegie- he was one of the first industrial moguls to make a fortune by himself. He also was very into supported charities, making himself a model to many others, and making himself one of the most generous men of his time.
Social Darwinism- an economic and social philosophy-supposedly based on the biologist Charles Darwin's theory of evolution by natural selection-holding that a system of unrestrained competition will ensure th survival of the fittest
John D. Rockefeller- established the Standard Oil Company; he used a trust to gain total control of the oil industry in America
Sherman Antitrust Act- this act made it illegal to form a trust that interfered with free trade between states or with other countries; this act was formed in 1890
Samuel Gompers- this man had led the Cigar Makers' International Union to join with other craft unions in 1886
American Federation of Labor (AFL)- focused on collective bargaining, or negotiation between representatives of labor and management, to reach written agreements on wages, hours, and working conditions; used strikes as a major tactic; their successful strikes rose pay from $17.50 to $24 and they hours worked went from 54 hours to around 49 hours a week.
Eugene V. Debs- attempted to form the American Railway Union. Most members were unskilled and semiskilled laborers, but skilled engineers and firemen joined too. This union won a strike for higher wages in 1894.
Industrial Workers of the World- this group, a group of radical unionists and socialists in Chicago, formed in 1905. It included miners, lumberers, and cannery and dock workers. This group, unlike the ARU, welcomed African Americans, but there were never more than 100,000 members. In 1912, their only major strike victory took place.
Mary Harris Jones- the most prominent organizer in the women's labor movement; she supported the Great Strike of 1877 and later organized for the United Mine Workers of America. In 1903, she led with 80 million children on a march to the home of persident Theodore Roosevelt to expose the cruelties of child labor.
Social Darwinism- an economic and social philosophy-supposedly based on the biologist Charles Darwin's theory of evolution by natural selection-holding that a system of unrestrained competition will ensure th survival of the fittest
John D. Rockefeller- established the Standard Oil Company; he used a trust to gain total control of the oil industry in America
Sherman Antitrust Act- this act made it illegal to form a trust that interfered with free trade between states or with other countries; this act was formed in 1890
Samuel Gompers- this man had led the Cigar Makers' International Union to join with other craft unions in 1886
American Federation of Labor (AFL)- focused on collective bargaining, or negotiation between representatives of labor and management, to reach written agreements on wages, hours, and working conditions; used strikes as a major tactic; their successful strikes rose pay from $17.50 to $24 and they hours worked went from 54 hours to around 49 hours a week.
Eugene V. Debs- attempted to form the American Railway Union. Most members were unskilled and semiskilled laborers, but skilled engineers and firemen joined too. This union won a strike for higher wages in 1894.
Industrial Workers of the World- this group, a group of radical unionists and socialists in Chicago, formed in 1905. It included miners, lumberers, and cannery and dock workers. This group, unlike the ARU, welcomed African Americans, but there were never more than 100,000 members. In 1912, their only major strike victory took place.
Mary Harris Jones- the most prominent organizer in the women's labor movement; she supported the Great Strike of 1877 and later organized for the United Mine Workers of America. In 1903, she led with 80 million children on a march to the home of persident Theodore Roosevelt to expose the cruelties of child labor.
Tuesday, September 15, 2009
Railroad Development
The federal government gave land and made loans to the railroad companies. Why was the government so eager to promote the growth of railroads?
Because they knew that the railroads were important for settling in the West and for developing the country, the government made huge land grants and loans to the railroad companies. And although they led to widespread abuses that spurred citizens to demand federal regulation of the industry, they caused the standard time and time zones to be set and influenced the growth of towns and communities.
Because they knew that the railroads were important for settling in the West and for developing the country, the government made huge land grants and loans to the railroad companies. And although they led to widespread abuses that spurred citizens to demand federal regulation of the industry, they caused the standard time and time zones to be set and influenced the growth of towns and communities.
Expansion of Industry
What were the three major factors that contributed to the immense technological boom that took place in the United States after the Civil War? Explain how two of these factors helped to bring about this technological boom.
Three major factors that contributed to the immense technological boom that took place in the United States after the Civil War were a wealth of natural resources, government support for business, and a growing urban population. A wealth of natural resources helped to bring about this technological boom because Edwin Drake figured out that a steam engine could be used to drill for oil in Pennsylvania, which was a great discovery because oil was a very expensive and profitable product. Also, a growing urban population helped to bring out the technological boom because it provided both cheap labor and markets for new products.
Three major factors that contributed to the immense technological boom that took place in the United States after the Civil War were a wealth of natural resources, government support for business, and a growing urban population. A wealth of natural resources helped to bring about this technological boom because Edwin Drake figured out that a steam engine could be used to drill for oil in Pennsylvania, which was a great discovery because oil was a very expensive and profitable product. Also, a growing urban population helped to bring out the technological boom because it provided both cheap labor and markets for new products.
Friday, September 11, 2009
Westward Expansion Questions
1. What are some of the main reasons that the federal government's policy of assimilation failed?
Think About:
Native Americans' way of life
Cultural differences
Attitude of whites toward Native Americans
Government promises
The main reason the government's policy of assimilation failed was because they were trying to get the Native Americans to give up their beliefs and way of life and become part of the white culture, but that idea was not liked by the Native Americans and they didn't want to become
"Americanized". Another reason assimilation failed was because the Native Americans had received no money from the lands sold from the Dawes Act.
2. How successful were government efforts to promote settlement of the Great Plains? Give examples to support your answer.
Think about:
The growth in population on the Great Plains
The role of railroads in the economy
The Homestead Act
Government efforts were quite successful for promoting settlement on the Great Plains. Because cattle ranching became a profitable investment, many cattle ranchers settled on the Great Plains, which caused more and more people to invest in cattle ranching, having more people settle there.
Think About:
Native Americans' way of life
Cultural differences
Attitude of whites toward Native Americans
Government promises
The main reason the government's policy of assimilation failed was because they were trying to get the Native Americans to give up their beliefs and way of life and become part of the white culture, but that idea was not liked by the Native Americans and they didn't want to become
"Americanized". Another reason assimilation failed was because the Native Americans had received no money from the lands sold from the Dawes Act.
2. How successful were government efforts to promote settlement of the Great Plains? Give examples to support your answer.
Think about:
The growth in population on the Great Plains
The role of railroads in the economy
The Homestead Act
Government efforts were quite successful for promoting settlement on the Great Plains. Because cattle ranching became a profitable investment, many cattle ranchers settled on the Great Plains, which caused more and more people to invest in cattle ranching, having more people settle there.
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