Standard 11: Examine connections between the rise of big business, the growth of labor unions, and technological innovations

a. Explain the effects of railroads on other industries, including steel and oil.

Effects of the Railroads: As railroads expanded, they helped to create new technology & encouraged innovations Could transport large amounts of goods quickly, cheaply, & efficiently—allowed businesses to obtain raw materials easily & sell finished products to large amounts of people Boosted expansion to the West Increased industry in each of the following: *glass *oil *steel (tracks) *wood *fabric

Effects of the Railroads: The rapid rise of the steel & railroad industries between the end of the Civil War & the early 1900s spurred the growth of other big businesses, especially in the oil, financial, & manufacturing sectors of the economy. These big businesses acquired enormous financial wealth. They often used this wealth to dominate & control many aspects of American cultural & political life

b. Examine the significance of John D b. Examine the significance of John D. Rockefeller & Andrew Carnegie in the rise of trusts & monopolies.

Rise of Big Business: Until the mid-19th century, businesses were family owned & operated This meant that no business could grow bigger than a family’s ability to run it Big business developed by the investment of huge amounts of resources by wealthy businessmen

John D. Rockefeller: Oil companies grew in this period, most notably the Standard Oil Company, founded by John D. Rockefeller. Standard Oil was the most famous big business of the era. Rockefeller also gained control of most other oil companies & created what is called a trust. By means of a trust, Rockefeller came to own more than 90% of America’s oil industry. Standard Oil thus became a monopoly––a single company that controlled virtually all the U.S. oil production & distribution.

Andrew Carnegie: Led the expansion of the steel industry Mass produced cheap & efficient steel for the railroad industry His business later became the US Steel Company, bought by JP Morgan

c. Examine the influence of key inventions on US infrastructure, including but not limited to the telegraph, telephone, & electric light bulb

The effects of technological advances made after Reconstruction forever changed how people lived. The most famous inventor of the period is Thomas Edison. He invented the electric light bulb, the phonograph, motion pictures, a system for distributing electrical power, & many other technologies powered by electricity. Edison also established the concept of industrial research, & he founded a research laboratory staffed by engineers & technicians in New Jersey.

Edison’s technological achievements were used by other inventors, as evidenced by the development of long-distance electricity transmission, which enabled Edison’s electric light to illuminate buildings, streets, & neighborhoods across the United States. Electricity soon replaced steam as the source of power for factories. It replaced horses as the means to power streetcars. Of greatest impact, perhaps, was electricity’s replacing humans as the source of power for household appliances. Edison’s inventions eliminated much manual labor that had been associated with everyday household activities & improved Americans’ quality of life.

Telegraph & Telephone: system of transmitting messages from a long distance along a wire Telephone: Patented by Alexander Graham Bell allowing for long-distance communication all over the country

d. Describe Ellis & Angel Islands, the change in immigrants’ origins & their influence on the economy, politics, and culture of the United States.

Ellis Island: New Immigrants came primarily from Southern & Eastern Europe Came mostly for political & economic reasons Entered through Ellis Island Ellis Island – place of inspection & processing of immigrants in NYC These immigrants settled mostly in cities in the NE Not welcomed, low paying jobs Impact on urban areas (problems) Housing, transportation, water, sanitation, fire, crime

Ellis Island

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Ellis Island Immigrants

Ellis Island video clip: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r_zDeHhJox8

Angel Island: New immigrants came primarily from Asia, China specifically across the Pacific Ocean Opened in 1910 Designed to try and filter out Chinese immigrants Immigrants were often held for weeks or even months in poor conditions

Challenges faced by immigrants: Had to learn to speak a new language Finding a job Where to live Most stayed in cities, close to industrial jobs in factories Lived in ethnic neighborhoods (ghettos) Helped to create the idea of the “melting pot” Many faced social & legal discrimination (lower pay, violence)

Immigrants Change America: Helped fuel industrial growth Voted Made their traditions a part of American culture Active in labor unions Expanded definition of “American”

e. Discuss the origins, growth , influence, & tactics of labor unions including the American Federation of Labor.

Origins, growth, & Influence: Industrialization lowered the prices of goods but factory workers still did not make enough to buy them Workers took their complaints straight to their employers but nothing was done Collective bargaining: negotiating as a group for higher wages or better working conditions; strikes were the most common form (workers agree to cease work until demands are met)

American Federation of Labor: Founded by Samuel Gompers (1886) Was a poor English immigrant who worked his way up in the cigar factory Loose organization of skilled workers from local unions but collectively bargained through the AFL Focused on higher wages, less working hours, & better working conditions Experienced some success with higher wages & shorter work weeks