Gilded Age Pt 5- Responses to Big Business

Problems with Big Business Solution: Interstate Commerce Act Made unfair RR practices illegal Problem: Railroads Railroads unfairly charged farmers more to ship food short distances than big businesses to ship goods long distances. Solution: Interstate Commerce Act Problem: Railroads Railroads unfairly charged farmers more to ship food short distances than big businesses to ship goods long distances. Solution: Interstate Commerce Act Made unfair RR practices illegal FIRST TIME CONGRESS REGULATED A BUSINESS Problem: Railroads Railroads unfairly charged farmers more to ship food short distances than big businesses to ship goods long distances. Problem: Railroads Problem: Railroads Railroads unfairly charged farmers more to ship food short distances than big businesses to ship goods long distances. Problem: Monopolies and Trusts Solution: Sherman Antitrust Act Gov't has the power to break up monopolies and trusts Tried to stop actions that prevented unfair competition Problem: Monopolies and Trusts Monopolies unfairly eliminated their competition and influenced government Solution: Sherman Antitrust Act Gov't has the power to break up monopolies and trusts Problem: Monopolies and Trusts Monopolies unfairly eliminated their competition and influenced government Problem: Monopolies and Trusts Monopolies unfairly eliminated their competition and influenced government Solution: Sherman Antitrust Act Problem: Monopolies and Trusts Monopolies unfairly eliminated their competition and influenced government BIG CHANGE IN ATTITUDE AGAINST BIG BUSINESS  

Why are the Interstate Commerce Act and Sherman Antitrust Act significant? What did they show about the change in government?

Labor Problems with Big Business Rights of workers were ignored by BB because employers cared more about profits Working conditions: -Bad Conditions -Very little pay -Long work hours -Child Labor -No job security Problem: Labor Workers formed LABOR UNIONS to cause change and make things better Solution: Labor Unions Rights of workers were ignored by BB because employers cared more about profits Working conditions: -Bad Conditions -Very little pay -Long work hours -Child Labor -No job security Problem: Labor Workers formed LABOR UNIONS to cause change and make things better -Used collective bargaining (negotiate) to get better conditions -All workers ask for the same thing together Solution: Labor Unions Rights of workers were ignored by BB because employers cared more about profits Working conditions: -Bad Conditions -Very little pay -Long work hours -Child Labor -No job security Problem: Labor Solution: Labor Unions Rights of workers were ignored by BB because employers cared more about profits Working conditions: -Bad Conditions -Very little pay -Long work hours -Child Labor -No job security Problem: Labor Problem: Labor Rights of workers were ignored by BB because employers cared more about profits Problem: Labor Rights of workers were ignored by BB because employers cared more about profits Working conditions: -Bad Conditions -Very little pay -Long work hours -Child Labor -No job security Problem: Labor Solution:

5 years old- shrimp picker

Solution: Growth of Labor Unions Some business owners would shut down factories instead of negotiate, fire union members Types of Unions Skilled and unskilled workers separated Skilled- specially trained; Unskilled- anyone could do it Many discriminated against black workers, women National Labor Union- first union American Federation of Labor- founded by Samuel Gompers Large, national union for skilled workers ONLY Wanted closed shops- factories with ONLY UNION WORKERS What conditions led workers to form labor unions and were their goals?

Strike! Unions held strikes to protest unfair treatment, sometimes they got violent Strike- refusal to work until changes occur Didn’t always work for unskilled workers, bc anyone could replace them Scabs- people who worked while normal workers were on strike Business owners would send “security” to handle strikers Carnegie’s Homestead Plant From 1881-1900: 23,000 strikes involving 6.6 million workers Pullman Strike- RR workers went on strike, shut down transportation, eventually broken up by Pres

Why were labor unions formed? What methods did labor unions use to achieve their goals?

Attitudes about Unions Government leaders were anti-union Thought unions would increase prices Govt leaders got contributions from Big Business Thought workers were greedy; Big Business was the good guy Government leaders were anti-union Govt leaders got contributions from Big Business Thought workers were greedy; Big Business was the good guy Government leaders were anti-union Government leaders were __________ Government leaders were anti-union Thought workers were greedy; Big Business was the good guy

Attitudes about Unions The government used Sherman Antitrust Act against the unions Said they were restricting trade Allowed gov to use troops to end strikes Most Americans were anti-union- supported LAISSEZ-FAIRE Unions seen as violent- Haymarket Affair: bombing blamed on unions How did the American people and the government respond to the actions of the labor movement?

STAAR Practice

STAAR Practice

Big Ideas What change occurred with government attitude towards big business? What conditions led workers to form labor unions? What were their major goals?