U.S HISTORY AND GOVERNMENT REGENTS REVIEW POWER POINT 5 The First Industrial Revolution and Wave of Immigration

Growth of Factories Factories sprouted in GB in the 1700s Factory technology spread to the US in the early 1800s Built in New England Iron Coal Rivers

The Factory System The production of goods in factories = the factory system Lowell Mill Hired young women from farms to work in the factories Offered financial independence 1840s and 1850s: Irish immigrants offer a more permanent work force

First Wave of Immigration: 1840s-1860s Most immigrants came from northern and Western Europe (Germany, Great Britain, Ireland) Potato famine in Ireland caused a widespread exodus from the country Immigrants settled in Northern cities and western farms Immigrants provided a steady labor force in new factories, so there was little regulation

Early Nativism Nativism: anti-immigrant feelings “No Irish Need Apply” America is for Americans Irish Catholic immigrants were despised for their religion and affinity for alcohol Know-Nothing Party: political party formed to restrict immigration

The Second Industrial Revolution and Wav of Immigration

Transportation Homestead Act 1862: Offered free land to people who would become western farmers Pacific Railway Act 1862: Provided land to RR companies Helps fund RR development Facilitates western migration Transcontinental RR: makes it easier to transport good and people from east to west

Business Development Corporation Monopoly A business with many investors Give a business access to more money (capital) Limits individual loss if the business fails Monopoly One company has complete control over an entire industry (i.e. Carnegie steel, Rockefeller’s Standard Oil) Conglomerate, pool, trust, holding company, vertical/horizontal integration

Henry Ford’s Assembly Line Moving Assembly Line: goods are moved down the assembly line on a conveyor belt; combination of human and machine labor Mass produce cars Lowers cost of production Lowers consumer cost Method will later transfer into other industries

Attitudes toward Business Laissez Faire Gov’t should not interfere in the affairs of business Free enterprise system: private individuals make economic decision Social Darwinism Stems from Charles Darwin’s theory of survival of the fittest Free enterprise would see weak businesses fail and strong succeed Robber Barons Entrepreneurs gained wealth through ruthless methods at the expense of the poor Philanthropists Entrepreneurs used their wealth to aid society

Gov’t Action toward Business Supreme Court Decisions Munn v. Illinois: permits the state to regulate private property when it affects the public interest Wabash, et al v. Illinois: only the federal gov’t can regulate interstate commerce Interstate Commerce Commission Work to end railroad abuses Sherman Anti-Trust Act Monopolies are illegal Similar to Clayton Anti-Trust Act

Organization of Labor Major Unions: American Federation of Labor (skilled workers); Knights of Labor Major Leaders: Terrence Powderly, Samuel Gompers, Eugene V. Debs Collective bargaining: union representative will work with business to make a deal for everyone Early strikes were unsuccessful bc gov’t sided with big business

The West Post Civil War: mass movement to the west Leads to conflicts with Native Americans Dawes Act: Americanize Native Americans Populist Party and Granger Movement Farmers relied on RR to transport crops RR prices were fixed at a high rate, keeping farmers relatively poor Call for gov’t regulation of RR, telephones, telegraph Free coinage of silver to put more money into circulation

Second Wave of Immigration Known as “new immigrants” 1870 to 1920 Came from southern and eastern Europe New Nativism Chinese Exclusion Act: limits Chinese immigration Gentlemen’s Agreement: limits Japanese immigration Emergency Quota Act: places a limit on immigration from certain countries (Russia, Italy) National Origins Act: further limits immigration from southern and eastern Europe

Urbanization Industrialization=Immigration=Urbanization Most factories and jobs were in the cities, so many people settled in the cities near their jobs Immigrants lived in tenements Poor working conditions: tight spaces, dangerous machines, no ventilation, long hours, low wages Child labor All conditions created by industrialization Leads into the progressive movement