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Questions and Answers
What role did the government play in the task of building railroads in the U.S.?
How did tariffs align with the Republican vision of developing the American economy?
What made farming on the Great Plains particularly challenging?
How did Americans like to portray their westward expansion?
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According to Frederick Jackson Turner, what has been the significance of the frontier in American history?
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What was the underlying cause of the Sand Creek massacre and the Fetterman massacre?
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How did the outlook of reformers differ from that of the Colorado militiamen who carried out the Sand Creek massacre?
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What was the purpose of Indian boarding schools?
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What was the significance of the Battle of Little Big Horn (1876)?
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What was 'deskilling' in the context of industrialization?
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Study Notes
The Indian Problem and Industrialization
- The United States government and reformers had different outlooks on how to handle the "Indian problem"; reformers believed in education and assimilation, while the Colorado militiamen responsible for the Sand Creek massacre believed in violent removal.
- The Indian boarding schools were established to "civilize" Native American children by forcing them to abandon their native cultures and adopt European-American culture.
- Life in these schools was harsh, with students facing physical and emotional abuse, forced labor, and prohibition from speaking their native languages.
- The Dawes Severalty Act (1887) aimed to assimilate Native Americans into European-American culture by dividing tribal land into individual allotments, but it led to the loss of Native American land and cultural identity.
- The Battle of Little Big Horn (1876) was a significant defeat for the US government, as Native American tribes defended their land against the US Army's 7th Cavalry Regiment.
Industrialization and Business
- Industrialization led to the growth of big business, with companies like US Steel and Standard Oil dominating their respective markets.
- The "managerial revolution" saw the rise of professional managers who oversaw the production process, leading to greater efficiency and lower costs.
- "Vertical integration" involved companies controlling every stage of production, from raw materials to finished goods.
- "Predatory pricing" involved companies temporarily lowering prices to drive out competition, then raising them once they had a monopoly.
- A "trust" was a business arrangement in which companies pooled their resources to dominate a market, leading to anti-competitive practices.
Impact of Industrialization
- Industrialization led to the growth of "white-collar" jobs, but also led to the de-skilling of workers and the rise of "scientific management," which treated workers as machines.
- Industrialization had a negative impact on workers' health and the environment, as well as on women, children, and black Americans, who faced exploitation and discrimination.
- The rise of industrialization led to the growth of consumerism, with new commercial activities emerging to shape consumer demand.
The Transcontinental Railroad and Western Settlement
- The Transcontinental Railroad was a key component of the Republican vision for the United States, promoting westward expansion and economic growth.
- The government played a significant role in building the railroad, offering land grants and subsidies to companies.
- Railroads were the first modern "big businesses," with large corporations dominating the industry.
- The gold standard was adopted to stabilize the economy, but it limited the government's ability to respond to economic downturns.
- The Republicans supported the development of western lands, but farming on the Great Plains was challenging due to the climate and soil conditions.
- Farmers had to adapt to survive, but many small independent farmers struggled to make a living due to the harsh conditions and lack of support.
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Description
Test your knowledge on the nation envisioned by Republicans in Congress as the Civil War ended, the influence of neo-Hamiltonian ideas, William Seward's trade strategies in Asia and Latin America, the U.S. railroad building approach, and the government's involvement in the process.
