Review Test on Ch.4

The Civil War's Impact on Business

• The Civil War taught Americans to manage large-scale operations, which benefited businesses after the war.
• Businesses grew post-war, employing more people and expanding nationally.
• Businesses adopted Civil War management techniques to increase efficiency and profits.
• Measuring worker output became important for evaluating business success.
• Colleges started focusing on training students for business careers, emphasizing essential skills over traditional subjects.

Key Industries After the Civil War

• Railroads became the leading industry, transporting materials and people nationwide.
• The growth of railroads spurred the development of telegraph lines for instant communication.
• Steel became a major industry, with Andrew Carnegie as a leading manufacturer who learned from railroad efficiency.
• Oil became significant for lighting and machine lubrication, replacing whale oil.
• John D. Rockefeller innovated in oil refining, making kerosene affordable for widespread use.
• Industrial growth improved daily life for Americans.
• Industrial advancements were attributed to human intelligence and abilities given by God.

Wealth and Its Responsibilities

• Business growth led to immense wealth for some.
• Andrew Carnegie advocated for wealthy individuals to use their wealth to help others during their lifetime.
• Government laws were enacted to prevent businesses from misusing their power.

Working Conditions

• Employer-worker relationships changed as businesses grew larger.
• Workers faced issues like overwork, low pay, and unsafe conditions.
• Workers' wages, living conditions, and affordability of goods improved through mass production.
• Factory work was dangerous, with injured workers often losing their jobs and income.

Labor Unions

• Workers formed labor unions to collectively bargain for better conditions.
• Unions used strikes to pressure companies, sometimes leading to violence.
• Company owners sometimes used force to break up strikes, causing deaths.
• Unions could also act unjustly.

Development of City Transportation

• Early cities were small and walkable.
• Cities developed horse-drawn buses and streetcars, later replaced by electric streetcars.
• New York and Chicago used elevated trains, while Boston, New York, and Philadelphia built subways.
• Electric-powered transit reshaped urban living and work patterns.
• Businesses stayed downtown, factories were nearby, and apartments for the poor were built close to factories.
• The middle class lived farther from the center, and the wealthy lived on the edges of the city, commuting to work.

Development of Skyscrapers

• Cities grew both outward and upward, constructing taller buildings.
• Steel enabled the construction of skyscrapers over thirty stories.
• Elevators became essential for accessing upper floors.

City Problems

• Urban growth led to increased crime, fires, and infrastructure needs.
• City machines, controlling city governance, emerged to assist immigrants but were often corrupt.
• Machine leaders secured votes for power and wealth through dishonest practices.
• Machine bosses lacked virtue and governed unjustly.

Social Darwinism

• Herbert Spencer applied Darwin's evolution theories to society.
• Spencer's "survival of the fittest" opposed helping the weak, hindering progress.
• Social Darwinism clashed with Christian values.

Christian Response to Societal Problems

• Christians addressed poverty and sin, preaching the gospel and providing Christian environments.
• Organizations like YMCA and Salvation Army offered alternatives to city temptations and practical help.
• Christians focused on salvation from sin.

B. B. Warfield

• B. B. Warfield, a theology professor, defended the Bible.

Conflict and Toleration

• True Christians defended the Bible and opposed liberalism.
• Some favored toleration, but liberals later excluded Christians from churches.

Poverty and Tenement Conditions

• The poorest lived in overcrowded tenements with poor water supply, were poorly constructed, and became slums.
• Disease spread rapidly, and drunkenness was a major problem.

Building Standards and Sewage Systems Improvement

• Building standards were introduced in New York City to improve safety
• Cities started improving sewage systems to maintain a clean water supply
• Newspapers emphasized personal cleanliness and good diets

Living in Neighborhoods

• Those who were not poor lived in their own neighborhoods, either within the city or in suburbs
• Many people could not afford to buy houses in the city and instead rented apartments or row houses
• Apartments are sets of rooms within a building that can be rented
• Row houses are houses built in a row without space between them
• Compared to tenements, apartments and row houses in the 1870s were better constructed and had indoor plumbing with hot and cold water
• Gas or electric lights allowed people to stay up later and read

Bible Reading and Christian Devotions

• Families often read the Bible together
• Many homes had designated spaces for displaying the family Bible, and families practiced Christian devotions
• Children learned the catechism, a book of questions and answers used to teach about God and the Bible

Suburbs as a City Escape

• Some people preferred living in the suburbs where land was cheaper.
• More people could afford to buy houses in the suburbs.
• Living in the suburbs was considered healthier and reminiscent of small-town life.
• Suburbs provided more space for children to play.
• The suburbs served as an escape from the city while still being close enough for men to commute to work via streetcars.

Department Stores as New Attraction

• Department stores were a new attraction in cities.
• Before department stores, people had to visit multiple stores to find what they needed.
• Department stores were large stores divided into different sections, such as clothing, dry goods, toys, or furniture.
• Modeled after palaces, department stores were very fancy, featuring restaurants and sitting areas to encourage shoppers to stay all day.

Introduction

• As America grew, many Americans lived and worked in rural areas, initially welcoming changes that promised prosperity for their farms and towns.

Challenges for Rural Businesses

• City businesses often had lower costs for goods and shipping compared to small-town businesses.
• Small-town residents could order goods from city businesses and have them shipped by train, increasing choices and lowering costs.
• Small-town businesses struggled to compete with larger city businesses.

Farmers' Difficulties

• Farmers faced increased competition due to railroads that allowed crops to be shipped to more places.
• Industrial progress enabled farmers to grow more food, leading to an oversupply and lower prices.
• Farmers who had borrowed money for seed or equipment struggled to repay their debts due to reduced profits.
• Expenses included the cost of transporting goods via railroads and storing them in warehouses.
• Buildings where farmers stored grain were called granges, and the farmers were known as grangers.

The Granger Movement

• Farmers formed the Granger movement to advocate for laws that favored them.
• They sought government intervention to lower railroad and warehouse charges.
• They also wanted the government to print more paper money.
• Most of these ideas did not become law, as they were not considered beneficial for the nation as a whole.

Resistance to Urban Improvements

• Rural Americans questioned the need for hard-surface roads desired by city dwellers, as they maintained their own roads.
• Farmers resisted attempts to change the one-room schoolhouse and opposed the introduction of grades.
• They wanted to maintain control over their children's education, focusing on reading, writing, and math.

Changes in Leisure Time

• Americans had more leisure time outside of work and church, in both urban and rural areas.
• Entertainment began to replace church and volunteer work, raising concerns among some Christians.

Retreat Centers

• Some Christians established retreat centers, similar to camps, offering fun activities along with Bible studies, sermons, and prayer meetings.
• These centers provided opportunities for activities like hiking, boating, and concerts while keeping faith at the center.

Conclusion

• The late 1800s were marked by growth and the establishment of businesses that laid the foundation for American success.
• Cities offered opportunities but also faced challenges like crime and corruption.
• Christians faced challenges from false teachers but continued to help those in need and evangelize.
• The era presented both challenges and opportunities, with God blessing Americans with growth and expansion.
• Americans needed to ensure that their growth aligned with God's will.