Consequences of The Second Industrial Revolution Unit 3 Part 2 Consequences of The Second Industrial Revolution

Unit 3 Part 2 Day 1 Consequences of the Second Industrial Revolution: Social Darwinism vs. Social Gospel Essential Question: How were Social Darwinism and the Social Gospel Movement consequences of the Second Industrial Revolution?

Social Darwinism Social Darwinists were influenced by the work of Charles Darwin’s theory of evolution Yale professor William Graham Sumner applied the theory to American capitalism, calling it Social Darwinism

Social Darwinism Justified the actions of industrialists Individuals and societies are in competition with one another, and only the strong survive

Social Darwinism Most Americans believed government should not interfere with private businesses, so government did not regulate relations with workers or tax company profits – laissez-faire policies Those who were “fit” in business would become rich Society would benefit from the success of the fit, and from weeding out the unfit

Social Gospel The Social Gospel movement emerged among Protestant Christians to improve the economic, moral and social conditions of the urban working class Walter Rauschenbusch was a leader of the movement Disagreed with the idea of Social Darwinism Addressed excess of industrialization and urbanization Christians were responsible for helping workers and the poor Salvation through social justice work YMCA and Salvation Army