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Questions and Answers
What significant achievement is attributed to Edwin L. Drake?
What significant achievement is attributed to Edwin L. Drake?
What was the primary impact of the Bessemer process?
What was the primary impact of the Bessemer process?
Which invention is Thomas Alva Edison most well-known for?
Which invention is Thomas Alva Edison most well-known for?
Christopher Sholes is recognized for his contribution to the development of which device?
Christopher Sholes is recognized for his contribution to the development of which device?
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How did the invention of electricity change industrial work?
How did the invention of electricity change industrial work?
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Which of the following was NOT a way Americans utilized steel?
Which of the following was NOT a way Americans utilized steel?
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Who invented the telephone, fundamentally changing communication technology?
Who invented the telephone, fundamentally changing communication technology?
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What was a major benefit of using the Bessemer process in steel production?
What was a major benefit of using the Bessemer process in steel production?
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What is horizontal integration?
What is horizontal integration?
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Which statement best describes Social Darwinism?
Which statement best describes Social Darwinism?
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What is a monopoly?
What is a monopoly?
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What is the purpose of the Sherman Antitrust Act?
What is the purpose of the Sherman Antitrust Act?
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What was the primary goal of the Americanization movement?
What was the primary goal of the Americanization movement?
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Which union is considered a craft union?
Which union is considered a craft union?
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How did leaders like John D. Rockefeller influence the oil industry?
How did leaders like John D. Rockefeller influence the oil industry?
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Which of the following statements regarding the Chinese Exclusion Act is true?
Which of the following statements regarding the Chinese Exclusion Act is true?
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What was the primary purpose of trusts during the late 19th century?
What was the primary purpose of trusts during the late 19th century?
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What was a common issue faced by city dwellers during the late 19th and early 20th centuries?
What was a common issue faced by city dwellers during the late 19th and early 20th centuries?
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What did settlement houses primarily provide to the urban poor?
What did settlement houses primarily provide to the urban poor?
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What did the term 'melting pot' refer to in the context of American society?
What did the term 'melting pot' refer to in the context of American society?
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How did some Americans perceive immigrants during the period of increased immigration?
How did some Americans perceive immigrants during the period of increased immigration?
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What was one consequence of nativism in the United States?
What was one consequence of nativism in the United States?
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What event did the Chinese Exclusion Act of 1882 primarily respond to?
What event did the Chinese Exclusion Act of 1882 primarily respond to?
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What was the primary purpose of the Social Gospel movement?
What was the primary purpose of the Social Gospel movement?
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What challenge did immigrants commonly face in tenements?
What challenge did immigrants commonly face in tenements?
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In what way did the New Immigrants to the United States typically cope with their new environment?
In what way did the New Immigrants to the United States typically cope with their new environment?
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What role did mass transit play in urban areas during this period?
What role did mass transit play in urban areas during this period?
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What type of integration involves controlling every step of the production process?
What type of integration involves controlling every step of the production process?
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Which of the following groups were primarily targeted by the Gentlemen's Agreement?
Which of the following groups were primarily targeted by the Gentlemen's Agreement?
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Who was Mary Harris Jones and what was her role?
Who was Mary Harris Jones and what was her role?
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What primary factors motivated rural individuals to move to cities during this period?
What primary factors motivated rural individuals to move to cities during this period?
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What was a significant outcome of the completion of the Transcontinental Railroad?
What was a significant outcome of the completion of the Transcontinental Railroad?
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What major scandal was associated with Crédit Mobilier?
What major scandal was associated with Crédit Mobilier?
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What was the main focus of the Munn v. Illinois Supreme Court case?
What was the main focus of the Munn v. Illinois Supreme Court case?
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How did railroad time transform scheduling in the United States?
How did railroad time transform scheduling in the United States?
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What was one positive effect of the growth of railroads on cities?
What was one positive effect of the growth of railroads on cities?
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Why did farmers oppose railroad companies?
Why did farmers oppose railroad companies?
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What were the living conditions like for Pullman employees?
What were the living conditions like for Pullman employees?
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What did the Interstate Commerce Act aim to achieve?
What did the Interstate Commerce Act aim to achieve?
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What issue did the weak enforcement of the Interstate Commerce Act create?
What issue did the weak enforcement of the Interstate Commerce Act create?
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What strategy did Andrew Carnegie use to dominate the steel industry?
What strategy did Andrew Carnegie use to dominate the steel industry?
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What was a significant challenge faced by railroad employees?
What was a significant challenge faced by railroad employees?
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How did railroads negatively impact farmers specifically?
How did railroads negatively impact farmers specifically?
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What was one reason why Munn v. Illinois did not effectively regulate railroads?
What was one reason why Munn v. Illinois did not effectively regulate railroads?
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Study Notes
Industrial Expansion
- Edwin L. Drake: Drilled the first successful oil well, marking the start of large-scale oil extraction and the modern petroleum industry.
- Bessemer Process: First inexpensive industrial process for mass-producing steel from molten iron. Crucial for skyscrapers.
- Thomas Alva Edison: Invented the light bulb and a system for electricity production and distribution, greatly impacting society.
- Christopher Sholes: Developed the first practical typewriter, revolutionizing communication and office work.
- Alexander Graham Bell: Invented the telephone, transforming communication and laying the foundation for modern telecommunications.
- Important Natural Resources: Oil and steel.
- Oil Extraction: Edwin Drake used a steam engine to drill for oil, making large-scale production possible.
- Bessemer Process Impact on Iron Ore: Efficiently removed impurities (like carbon) from molten iron, strengthening it and enabling mass production of high-quality steel at a lower cost.
- Steel Uses: Railroads and farm machinery.
- Electricity's Impact: Changed factory work and allowed factories to relocate.
- Sholes' Contribution: Invented the first practical typewriter, revolutionizing office work and communication.
The Age of Railroads
- Transcontinental Railroad: Connected the eastern and western US, completed in 1869. Facilitated the movement of goods, people, resources, and promoted westward expansion.
- George M. Pullman: Designed and manufactured luxury sleeping cars for trains, revolutionizing rail travel.
- Crédit Mobilier: Construction company involved in the transcontinental railroad. Became infamous for corruption and overcharging the government for construction.
- Munn v. Illinois: Landmark Supreme Court case concerning government regulation of businesses (particularly railroads and grain elevators).
- Interstate Commerce Act (1887): Landmark US law regulating railroads, prohibiting discriminatory rates and requiring public rate disclosure.
- Time Zones: Railroads standardized time zones to improve scheduling and prevent accidents. The US now has four time zones (Eastern, Central, Mountain, Pacific).
- Railroad Impact: Led to regional specialization, the growth of cities, and westward expansion.
- Railroad Effects: Positive- city growth. Negative- farmers faced unfair pricing.
- Farmer Railroad Conflicts: Farmers faced unfair and discriminatory pricing by railroads for transporting crops.
- Railroad Employee Challenges: Long hours, dangerous working conditions, low wages, job insecurity, and company-controlled living conditions (in company towns).
- Pullman Employee Life: Tightly controlled company town existence with strict company rules.
- Crédit Mobilier Involvement: High-ranking Union Pacific Railroad officials, primarily Thomas C. Durant, were involved in the construction company exploiting business control.
- Railroad Power Abuse: Charging excessive and discriminatory rates for crop transport, exploiting rate pooling and favoritism toward large businesses.
Big Business and Labor
- Andrew Carnegie: Key figure in the US steel industry expansion and one of the wealthiest industrialists.
- Vertical Integration: Controlling all stages of production (from raw materials to finished product).
- Horizontal Integration: Merging or acquiring competitors to reduce competition.
- Social Darwinism: Applied Darwin's principles to society, suggesting that the most successful individuals/groups would naturally rise to the top.
- Monopoly: A single company/group controlling an entire industry.
- Holding Company: A company that controls other companies by holding their shares.
- Trust: Business arrangement combining companies to reduce competition and control pricing.
- John D. Rockefeller: Co-founder of Standard Oil, becoming a large monopoly in the oil industry.
- Sherman Antitrust Act (1890): US law aimed at preventing monopolies and promoting competition.
- Samuel Gompers: Labor leader of the AFL advocating for better working conditions.
- American Federation of Labor (AFL): Union focused on improving wages, working hours, and conditions for skilled workers.
- Eugene V. Debs: Labor leader and socialist; founding member of the IWW and presidential candidate.
- Industrial Workers of the World (IWW): Radical union seeking to unite all workers to improve working conditions.
- Mary Harris Jones (Mother Jones): Labor activist and organizer, improving working conditions in coal mines.
- Carnegie's Steel Industry Control: Used innovative production techniques, vertical and horizontal integration to achieve industry control.
- Competition Control by Entrepreneurs: Formed monopolies, trusts, and engaged in vertical/horizontal integration.
- Trust Formation Purpose: Reduce competition, consolidate power, maximize profits.
- Major Types of Unions: Craft unions (skilled workers) and industrial unions (all workers in an industry).
The New Immigrants
- Ellis Island: Primary immigration station for East Coast immigrants (1892-1954).
- Angel Island: Immigration station for primarily Asian immigrants (especially Chinese) (1910-1940).
- Melting Pot: Describes societies where various ethnic/cultural groups assimilate into a larger culture.
- Nativism: Favors the interests of native-born citizens over immigrants, often leading to discrimination and hostility.
- Chinese Exclusion Act (1882): Federal law prohibiting Chinese laborers from immigrating to the US.
- Gentlemen's Agreement (1907): Informal agreement between US and Japan limiting Japanese immigration.
- Immigrant Origins: Primarily Southern and Eastern Europe in the late 19th/early 20th centuries; some from China and Japan.
- Immigrant Coping Mechanisms: Preserved culture, language, and traditions while adapting to American life; mostly worked in factories and railroads. Immigrant organizations and settlement houses emerged to support them.
- American Reaction to Immigration: Negative reactions included fears of job competition, wage reduction, and cultural change.
- Anti-Immigration Measures: Examples are the Chinese Exclusion Act (1882) and the Gentlemen's Agreement (1907).
The Challenges of Urbanization
- Urbanization: Population shift from rural to urban areas, driven by industrialization and job opportunities in cities.
- Americanization Movement: Effort to assimilate immigrants into American culture through language and customs lessons.
- Tenement: Poorly constructed apartment buildings housing low-income residents, often overcrowded and unsanitary.
- Mass Transit: Public transportation (buses, subways, streetcars) facilitating people movement within cities.
- Social Gospel Movement: Applied Christian ethics to social issues like poverty, labor rights, and inequality.
- Settlement House: Urban community centers providing social services, education, and assistance to the urban poor, particularly immigrants.
- Jane Addams: Social reformer and co-founder of Hull House, a famous settlement house.
- Reasons for City Migration: Job opportunities, improved living conditions, access to better services, and rural hardship.
- City Dweller Challenges: Overcrowding, poor sanitation, lack of safety, gangs, crime, lack of healthcare, and pollution.
- Reformers' Relief Efforts: Social Gospel and reformers provided housing, education, healthcare, social services, and advocated for better workers' conditions/business regulations.
- Settlement House Provisions: Education (English, vocational training), social services (healthcare, childcare, employment assistance).
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Description
Explore key figures and inventions that fueled industrial expansion. This quiz covers significant contributions from individuals like Edwin L. Drake and Thomas Edison, and transformative processes such as the Bessemer process. Test your knowledge on the resources that shaped modern industry.
