Bell Ringer 11/22 The Homestead Act of 1862 helped the development of the West by 1. providing free land to settlers. 2. granting land for construction of transcontinental railroads. 3. allowing slavery to spread to the territories. 4. placing Native American Indians on reservations.

Gilded Age 1870-1915 Golden period of America’s industrialists. Wealth helped hide problems of immigrants, laborers, and farmers. Wealth also covered widespread abuse of power in business and government.

Technological changes Electric power invented by Thomas Edison, power stations started being established by 1890. Brooklyn Bridge: started 1869, completed 1883. First suspension bridge of its kind. Bessemer process- purifying iron to make strong but light steel.

Laissez-faire economics Businesses regulate with very little government control. Government has a “hands off” approach to the economy.

Bell Ringer 11/28 The slogan “Fifty-four forty or fight!”, the annexation of Texas and the Mexican War all relate to the 1. theory of nullification. 2. practice of secession. 3. belief in Manifest Destiny. 4. idea of due process.

Monopolies Gaining complete control of a product or service. Businesses bought out or drove off competitors. Toward the end of the 1800’s, state and federal governments started passing laws preventing monopolies but it did not prevent or destroy all monopolies.

Horizontal Consolidation - Companies buy out their competitors Ex) Standard Oil buying out independently owned oil companies. Vertical Consolidation -Company controlling all phases of production. Ex) Carnegie Steel owning iron ore deposits, steel mills, ships, railroads.

John D. Rockefeller 1870 formed the Standard Oil Company of Ohio with several associates. Rockefeller gave refunds to railroad companies in exchange for transporting his oil. Business grew rapidly and could offer lower prices than his competitors. Standard Oil and 40 other companies would form a trust.

Trust A group of separate companies placed under the control of a single managing board. Rockefeller would control board of trustees running his and 40 companies. No laws were broken because trusts were legal. This formed a new kind of Monopoly. Sherman Antitrust Act 1890- outlawed any combination of companies that restrained interstate trade or commerce. http://www.history.com/shows/men-who-built-america/videos/the-rise-of-henry-ford#the-people-vs-standard-oil

Andrew Carnegie Carnegie Steel Company founded 1889. Controlled all aspects of the steel industry including mines that produced iron ore to mills that made iron ore. Bought shipping and rail lines to transport it as well. - Homestead Strike bc of business practices. http://www.history.com/shows/men-who-built-america/videos/the-rise-of-henry-ford#homestead-strike

Bell Ringer 11/29 Abraham Lincoln’s 1858 warning that “a house divided against itself cannot stand” referred to sectional differences over the (1) treatment of Native American Indians (2) issue of slavery (3) funding for internal improvements (4) treaties with European nations

Social Darwinism - “Natural Selection” -Society should do as little as possible to interfere with people’s pursuit of success. Belief that those who were most “fit” would succeed and become rich. Belief that society would benefit from the success of the fit and weeding out of unfit.

Interstate Commerce Commission(ICC) -Created to monitor railroad shipping rates. -could only monitor railroads that crossed state lines. -First federal agency to monitor business practices. - Created in response to help consumers.

Robber barons Business leaders built their fortunes by stealing from the public. Influenced public officials to interpret laws in their favor.

Rise of Labor Unions Knights of Labor: -Made up of skilled and unskilled workers, men and women, African Americans included. - Pursued 8 hr days, termination of child labor, Equal pay for equal work. - Opposed strikes in early years but radicalized in later years.

Rise of Labor Unions American Federation of Labor (AFL): -President was Samuel Gompers -Organized skilled workers only, predominantly white men. -Focused on wages, hours, and working conditions. -Used strikes and boycotts to convey message.

Bell Ringer 11/30 In the late 19th and early 20th centuries, a major goal of the American Federation of Labor (AFL) was to (1) end restrictions on child labor (2) admit women to the industrial workforce (3) improve wages and working conditions (4) join all workers into a single union

Reaction by Employers Employers took several measures to stop unions. 1. forbade union meetings, fired organizers 2. made new employees promise to never join unions. 3. refused to bargain collectively when strikes occurred.

Pullman Strike June 1894, 125,000 railway workers strike under direction of Eugene V. Debs and the American Railway Union (ARU). federal government got involved and forced the strike to end because the mail needed to be delivered. President Cleveland sent in troops to ensure strike ended. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-N2tl1LM1r0

Nativism -Favored Native born Americans over immigrants. -Called for the teaching of only American culture in schools and the English language. -Wanted tighter rules on citizenship and employment of aliens. Caused racism and prejudice amongst laborers. US becoming a “Melting Pot” society more and more.

Chinese Exclusion Act1882 Act prohibited Chinese laborers from entering the country. People who had relatives living in US were allowed to come. Act was not repealed until 1943.