Chapter 15
Home Up Chapter 1 Chapter 2 Chapter 3 Chapter 4 Chapter 5 Chapter 6 Chapter 7 Chapter 8 Chapter 9 Chapter 10 Chapter 11 Chapter 12 Chapter 13 Chapter 14 Chapter 15 Chapter 16 Chapter 17 Chapter 18 Chapter 19 Chapter 20 Chapter 21 Chapter 22 Chapter 23 Chapter 24 Chapter 25

 

 

 

 

 

Urbanization

Problems

Loss of freedom–emphasis on increased production

Loss of identity–wide gap between big bosses and workers

Long hours/low wages–12 hours a day, six or seven days a week, $3–12 a week

Dangerous working conditions

Child labor–forced to give up school and chance of a better life

Lack of good housing–most lived in tenements which were extremely crowded

Transportation–solved by subways and trolley cars

Sanitation

Crime

Fires

de facto segregation

Immigration

Jobs and opportunities drew huge numbers from 1880-1915

Came from southern and eastern Europe rather than northern Europe

Melting pot v. Mixed salad

Many Americans resented immigrants

Cultural differences

Prejudice against Catholics

Threat to jobs

Racism

Chinese Exclusion Act of 1882

Suspended immigration for ten years

In 1892 it was suspended another ten years

In 1902 it was suspended indefinitely

Rise of the political machine

City governments were not very efficient due to various problems and the sudden influx of immigrants

Political machines developed in part to fill this void

Dominated by a political boss, a political machine was a well organized group that controlled all of the political activities of a political party in a large area

Provided services to the general population in exchange for votes

Provided favorable treatment from government officials for businesses in exchange for money

Concentrated heavily on immigrants because they were the most vulnerable and most in the need of help

Padded voting lists

Kickbacks

Municipal graft

The Labor Movement began

First major strike was in 1877 against the railroads

Workers all over the country struck

Federal government restored order and broke the strike

Knights of Labor

Formed in 1869

Supported 8 hour workday

Opposed child labor

Supported health and safety laws

Supported equal pay for equal work for men and women

Preferred political activity rather than strikes

American Federation of Labor(AFL)

Founded in 1881 by Samuel Gompers

Less political than Knights of Labor

Wanted shorter hours, higher pay, and better working conditions

Used collective bargaining and strikes when necessary

Craft Unionism

Only included skilled workers

Industrial Unionism

Organized workers, skilled or unskilled, who worked in the same industry

American Railway Union

Formed by Eugene Debs who ran for president in 1900, 1904, 1908, 1912, 1920 as a Socialist

Received the most votes in 1920 while in prison

Government sided with management and issued injunctions to prevent strikes

Rutherford B. Hayes and civil reform

Hayes wanted to eliminate patronage(spoils system) and corruption, both of which were essential to political machines

Caused a split in the Republican Party

Stalwarts were against reform

Election of 1880

Republicans nominated a reformer, James Garfield, for president and a stalwart, Chester A. Arthur, for vice president

Democrats nominated Winfield Scott Hancock

Garfield won but was shot by a stalwart the year he took office

Chester A. Arthur became president and changed to a reformer

Pendleton Act of 1883 created a civil service exam for all classified positions and gave the president the power to expand the list of classified positions

Merit system

Today 85% of federal jobs are classified

Election of 1884

Grover Cleveland

First Democrat since 1856

Defeated Republican James Blaine

Reformer

Laissez faire

Low tariffs

Election of 1888

Benjamin Harrison

Grandson of William Henry Harrison

Republican

Won electoral but not popular against Cleveland

Election of 1892

Cleveland defeated Harrison

First and only to serve non-consecutive terms

Issue was tariffs

Rise and Fall of Populism

Arose out of the granger movement and wanted cheap money(inflation) because there was deflation after the war and farmers could not pay back their loans

Populist platform

Bimetallism

Graduated federal income tax

Government ownership and operation of railroads, telegraph, and telephones

Direct election of senators

Single term for the president

Secret ballot

Initiative

Recall

Referendum

Wanted to incorporate the labor movement

Did very well in the elections of 1892 and 1894

Incorporated by the Democrats in 1896

Election of 1896

William McKinley

Republican

William Jennings Bryan

Nominated by Democrats and Populists

Cross of Gold Speech

Very close and sectional

Gold standard(Republicans) v. Bimetallism(Democrats and Populists)

McKinley won

 

 

             

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