Transcript United States History Chapter 14 Higher Order Thinking Skills Homework

United States History
Chapter 14
Higher Order Thinking Skills
Homework
1.
Explain how the abundance of natural resources, new
recovery and refining methods , and new uses for
them led to intensive industrialization.
What led to the nation’s oil boom?
 Edwin L. Drake’s invention of a steam-powered Oil
Drill that made possible the extraction of oil from
beneath the earth’s surface.
 What was the Bessemer Process and how did it fuel
steel production?
 Created a faster and cheaper method for producing
steel, making steel the primary building material of
the Second Industrial Revolution.
 What were some of the new uses in the United States
for steel?
 Railroads, Bridge Construction (The Brooklyn
Bridge), and innovative Skyscrapers (The Home
Insurance Building in Chicago).
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2.
Identify inventions that changed the way
people lived and worked.
 How did the harnessing of electricity
transform American business?
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Factories could be constructed away from Rivers
and closer to the labor force.
The incandescent light bulb allowed factories to
operate 24 hours a day.
Electricity was cheap and convenient, which
increased profit.
 How did new inventions and products
affect people at home and at work?
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Elias Howe invents the Sewing Machine
Alexander Graham Bell invents the Telephone
Christopher Sholes invents the Typewriter
3.
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Identify the role of the railroads in unifying
the country
How did the government facilitate the expansion of the
railroads?
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What were the positive and negative aspects of railroad
expansion?
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The Government made huge land grants and loans to
Railroad Companies to encourage their expansion.
Positives – encouraged western expansion, gave the
downtrodden a new “lease on life”, helped unify the
North, South, and West economically.
Negatives – abuse of the farmer, abuse of the
immigrant (Irish and Chinese) labor force that built the
railroads, and government corruption.
How did Railroad time work?
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The world was divided into 24 time zones (one for each
hour of the day), then clocks were synchronized so that
noon in New York City wasn’t somehow different than
noon in San Francisco. This helped make the Railroads
more efficient.
4.
List positive and negative effects of railroads
on the nation’s economy
How did the growth of Railroad lines promote the
growth of cities and trade?
 Increased travel created more cities, which created
more markets for the sale of goods, which stimulated
economic growth.
 What was the Credit Mobilier scandal?
 The Union Pacific Railroad created a Construction
company to build its own tracks, paid the company
(itself) two to three times what the work was worth
by charging the government two to three times what
the project should have cost then pocketed the
profits. To protect its scheme the Union Pacific
bribed 20 Representatives of Congress.
 Destroyed the reputation of the Republican Party
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5.
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Summarize reasons for, and outcomes of, the
demand for railroad reform.
For what reasons were farmers angry at railroad
companies?
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Corruption
Misuse of land grants
Unfair rate practices
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How did the Granger laws help farmers?
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Charging different customers different rates
Charging more for short hauls, where their was no competition
between lines
Agreements between Railroad Companies to fix prices.
They established the government’s right to regulate
industries that serve the public interest.
What was the Interstate Commerce Act?

Allowed the Federal Government to supervise Railroad
Activities, however it took until 1906 under the
Roosevelt (Theodore) administration to become truly
effective.
6.
Identify management and business strategies
that contributed to the success of business
tycoons such as Andrew Carnegie.
 What industry did Andrew Carnigie
dominate?
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Steel (he own U.S. Steel)
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Horizontal integration happens when a company
buys other companies that produce a similar
product (owns the market, creation of
monopolies).
Vertical integration happens when a company
buys other companies that produce the
materials it needs to make and distribute their
product (owns the process).
 What was the difference between vertical
integration and horizontal integration?
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7.
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Explain Social Darwinism and its effects on
society.
What does the theory of Social Darwinism advocate?
 The application of the law of Natural Selection to the
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What methods did ruthless business operators use to
eliminate their competition?
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Business World and society.
That when a business fails it does so because a
stronger business is successful and that is would
helps the economy grow.
They formed Holding Companies and bought out the
stock of rival companies.
They formed Trust Agreements where they ran
multiple companies as one giant Corporation.
This eliminated competition and resulted in the
abuse of the consumer and worker by Big Business.
Why did the nation’s business boom bypass the south?
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The South lack industrial resources and Capital.
The South was still very much recovering from the
Civil War and not suited for Industrial growth.
8.
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Summarize the emergence and growth of
unions
What conditions did many factory workers face in the late
19th Century?
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Long hours, low wages, and dangerous working
conditions
What did labor unions advocate?
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Eight-hour Workday
Equal Pay for Equal Work
Collective Bargaining
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National Labor Union (William Sylvis)
Knights of Labor (Uriah Stephens)
American Federation of Labor (Samuel Gompers)
American Railway Union (Eugene V. Debs)
Industrial Workers of the World (William “Big Bill”
Haywood”)
What different types of unions emerged during the nation’s
industrial boom?
9.
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Explain the violent reactions of industry and
government to union strikes
What were the reasons for the various strikes during the late
19th Century?
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Wage cuts (Great Strike of 1877)
Dangerous Working Conditions (Homestead Strike)
Equal Pay (Sugar Beet and Farm Laborer’s Strike)
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Mary Harris Jones was a key player in the Labor Movement
Women worked for Equal Pay, better working conditions, and
an end to child labor
What role did women play in the labor movement?
How did management and the government react to union activity?
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Injunctions were issued forcing workers back to the job.
In some cases the police were called in to break up strikes and
protests, oftentimes violently.
Best example is the Haymarket Square Riot, which (ironically)
turned the public against labor unions.