THE GREAT INDUSTRIALISTS AND THE RISE OF UNIONS MATCHING ACTIVITY ANSWERS

This businessman was the founder of a monopolistic company that controlled the iron mines, “Bessemer” furnaces, railroads, and shipping routes for all the steel in America by the early 1890s. His workers were subjected to dangerous conditions, and paid very low wages. In 1892, they went on strike! ANDREW CARNEGIE – THE MAN OF STEEL

This entrepreneur was the founder of the Standard Oil Trust, the company which controlled approximately 90% of the oil industry by the year His company forced rivals to join their “trust,” - an agreement to end competition and raise prices – which hurt the American consumer! JOHN D. ROCKEFELLER

EUGENE V. DEBS He was the leader of the American Railroad Workers Union – who supported a strike against the Pullman company in the 1890s and was jailed in the early 1900s for his opposition to WW I.

MONOPOLY One business that completely controls an industry by eliminating all competitors. Usually, they can then raise prices indiscriminately.

Trusts Trusts – A combination of businesses which work together in order to reduce competition and make money. The Standard Oil Trust, lampooned below, is perhaps the most famous anti-competitive business in American History.

JAMES PIERPONT MORGAN He was America’s most prominent banker in the late 1800s, and he financed some of the most powerful corporations in American History – for a price. He was the wealthiest man in America by the end of the 19 th Century. On more than one occasion, he “bailed out” Wall Street – preventing a Stock Market collaps.

THOMAS ALVA EDISON He was the inventor of the light bulb, the phonograph, the battery cell, and the motion picture machine, just to name a few. He held thousands of patents, and established hundreds of companies!

GEORGE WESTINGHOUSE The inventor of a system to generate electric power and send it over transformers and wires via alternating current. He was the founder of an electrical appliance company. Westinghouse played a large role in the electrification of America and the expansion of the American economy!

ALEXANDER GRAHAM BELL He was the inventor of the telephone and the founder of a telephone company – AT&T. The Bell Atlantic companies were all named for him.

HENRY BESSEMER Henry Bessemer was an Englishman who invented a method of purifying iron ore – in order to create steel. When blasted with pure oxygen, molten iron would burn out it’s imperfections, leaving a purer, stronger form of the metal.

He founded a luxury railroad car company – building dining cars, first class passenger cars, sleeper cars, and refrigerated boxcars to transport produce or other perishable goods. After the “Panic of 1893,” – an economic recession – he slashed the wages of his employees. Yet, he refused to lower the rents of his workers (he was also their landlord), or the price of the food sold at his company stores. His employees organizing a strike that crippled the US Economy during GEORGE PULLMAN

SAMUEL GOMPERS He was the founder of the American Federation of Labor, and his goals were higher pay for workers, safer conditions, more leisure time, and the right to collective bargaining.

THE PULLMAN STRIKE. When the owner of a sleeping car company cut his worker’s wages and continued to charge high rent and high prices in the “company town,” the workers went on strike. The strike became widespread when it was supported by Eugene V. Debs of the American Railroad Workers Union – he directed his men not to load or unload any trains with luxury cars attached. Railroad traffic stopped until President Grover Cleveland stepped in, forcing the men back to work.

THE HOMESTEAD PLANT STRIKE OF 1892 Workers at Andrew Carnegie’s Homestead Plant walked off their jobs when he slashed their wages in When he tried to hire replacement workers, “Scabs” they were called, the striking laborers attacked them and took over the plant. Eventually, Pinkerton agents and the Pennsylvania State Militia took over the plant, using force against the workers.

THE HAYMARKET SQUARE RIOT OF During a rally to protest mistreatment of workers by the McCormick Harvesting Corporation, an anarchist threw a bomb towards a group of police officers trying to break up the event. Although the bomb was thrown by an outsider, the Knights of Labor had organized the event and were blamed for the resulting riot. Terence Powderly’s union soon weakened.

JOSEPH GLIDDEN Joseph Glidden’s simple invention may have done more to do in the cattle kingdom than any other invention. It stopped cattle drives in their tracks.

HENRY FORD He was the inventor of the Model-T Ford, and the first auto producer to use the assembly line to make automobiles.

LAISSEZ-FAIRE ECONOMICS This French term refers to the “hands off” policy of the government regarding businesses in a capitalist system. The government lets the free market decide the economy’s fate.

CORPORATIONS A company which is owned by shareholders and designed to make money. Because the owners of the corporation rarely interact with workers and have a duty to satisfy shareholders, profits are emphasized above the needs of workers or consumers in some corporations – as long as consumers buy and workers work.

THE ANTHRACITE COAL STRIKE OF ARBITRATION President Theodore Roosevelt arbitrated a resolution to this strike, which threatened to leave many Americans out in the cold. He sided with the miners, not the owners!

THE WOBBLIES – ONE BIG UNION! The most radical and violent labor union: The Industrial Workers of the World. Many members of this organization supported communist goals and were willing to use direct action – or violent force – to succeed.