1. 1865-1900 Chapter 17 Industrial Supremacy

2. Technological Revolution Electric Power – needed own generator Thomas Edison Hundreds of patents No formal education “Small invention every 10 days, big one every 6 months” Phonograph, light bulbs, power station Transcontinental Railroad May 1869 Leland Stanford drove the golden spike Promontory Point, UT Built by immigrants See map on page 410 – blue line Telegraph Samuel Morse Telephone Alexander Graham Bell

3. Robber Baron or Captain? Captain is positive – increased availability of goods by building factories, raising productivity, and expanding markets Robber baron is negative – built fortunes by stealing from public (drained natural resources, corrupted public officials, etc) Take a couple minutes read Gospel of Wealth on Andrew Carnegie page 414-415 Robber baron or captain? Social Darwinism Good or bad?

4. Big Business Competition Monopolies and Cartels Bought out competitors – could then charge whatever it wanted Series of laws to outlaw Cartels were formed between businesses, usually in secret Reduce harmful effects of competition on the businesses Limit supply to increase demand Tended to fall apart during hard times – turn on each other Trust Standard Oil – John D Rockefeller Vertical and Horizontal consolidation Vertical buying up all competitors Horizontal buying all stages of the production process All of the above created a series of depressions in the late 1880s 1873 to 1879, 1882 to 1885, 1893 to 1897

5. Factory Life Hard life for factory laborers (children included) 1.7 million children under 16 employed in factories Child labor laws late century set minimum age of 12, maximum day at 10 hours 60% of child labor was agriculture which was exempt Wide gap between rich and poor Richest 9% held nearly 75% of wealth Today? (richest 1% hold 25% of wealth and growing) Build of Socialism idea – Karl Marx Advocates collective or government ownership of factories and property

6. Rise in Labor Unions Unions go up and down according to the economy Knights of Labor – 1869 Wanted all workers in one union – 8 hour day, no child labor Terence Powderly AFL - 1886 Samuel Gompers Wanted to organize only skilled workers Often excluded African Americans Encouraged collective bargaining

7. Strikes of the late 1800s Railroad strike of 1877 B & O RR announced a wage cut of 10% - other RRs followed Companies called in troops to protect them, they shot and wounded many 20,000 men and women set fire to the RR company Hayes sent in more troops that stopped the riots but killed more 1881-1900 – one continuing industrial crisis Haymarket, 1886 Homestead, 1892 – pg 423 Pullman, 1894 – pg 424

8. The Gilded Age Post-Reconstruction term for a thin layer of glitter over a cheap base – as described by Mark Twain (Tragic Era, Dreadful Decades) Laissez Faire Policies – government “hands off” Strongest businesses will succeed and bring wealth to the nation Were the strong or corrupt? Mostly accepted in the late 1800s Spoils System accepted – if you are elected you can appoint friends who have no experience in the area

9. Garfield Assassinated Hayes did not seek a second term, so James Garfield (OH) was selected by the Republicans (VP, Chester Arthur) Garfield won the 1880 election narrowly, against General Hancock On July 2, 1881 a deranged lawyer names Charles Guiteau shot the President as he walked through the DC railstation Garfield suffered for 3 months before dying Guiteau felt he should have received a position under the spoils system Arthur got the Pendleton Act passed in 1883 to outlaw the spoils system Does it still happen today?

10. Late 1800s Presidents 1884 Grover Cleveland – Democrat First since 1856 1888 Benjamin Harrison – Republican 1892 Cleveland Inherited Harrison’s deficit during the worst depression at that time 1896 William Jennings Bryan – Dem/Populist vs William McKinley – Rep McKinley easily won the election and again in 1900 against Bryan McKinley was assassinated in 1901 – TR becomes president Hysteria followed – foreign people with their “outrageous” ideas