Industrial+America+in+the+Late+Nineteenth+Century

= ﻿ 15: Industrial America in the Late Nineteenth Century =

Corporate Consolidation of Industry:

 * Social Darwinism allowed the survival of the fittest companies survive and th small ones to be ran out of business.
 * Corporations that grew to be very strong, powerful, and wealthy had much control in the economy
 * Monopolies were created thanks to the very limited or barely any restrictions that were put on businesses. Monopolies took over the weak which again stresses the love of Social Darwinism
 * Much disagreement was involved based on how an Industry or corporation should be run.

Effects of Technological Development on the Worker and Workplace:

 * The factories become very different due to technological development (assebly line, cotton gin).
 * The assembly line for example makes hiring even easier because there is no need for much experience and production became even quicker and easier.
 * "Taylor-ism" was a negative effect on the workers because it made each employee less valuable meaning it would not be a big problem or issue to change them
 * Under these new conditions the work place becomes filled with tension because if a worker did not work hard enough then replacing them was not an issue.

Labor and Unions

 * In order to have a voice in the Economy or workplace, workers and minor leaders decided to starts Labor Unions to strengthen there voice and power.
 * Violence was another way the workers would let the corporations know what they wanted and needed (higher wages, benefits etc)
 * The government mostly sided with the companies and always put an end to the strikes and almost never helped the workers (until much later on)
 * Labor Union were not easy to start and neither were they easy to keep running. Therefor there many of them failed quickly

**National Politics and Influence of Corporate Power:**

 * Since very few corporations ran very much of the economy, they had alot of influence in the politics as well.
 * Bribery was most definitely the biggest way most of the decision were made.
 * The more money an owner or company would give to a political leader the more likely things would go on behalf of that corporation . In other word the more money the better chance of surviving

Migration and Immigration the Changing Face of the Nation:

 * People from all over the world were coming into the United States searching for the American Dream . However they were in for a great surprise
 * The ones that were looking for that life came from: British, French and other North Europeans came to the states, in the late 1800s, other immigration sources opened up, Mexicans, Asians, Italians, Poles, Russians, Greeks.
 *  All of the different and new types of cultures would make what America is today. Creating one big culture, where one group would learn from another and create a domino effect to creating a Master Culture.
 * Propaganda was the major influence for the immigrants. Promoting the good life in America and that they could escape all of the troubles from back home.

Proponents and Opponents of the New Order:

 * The rich of-course, especially those who were self made . If they worked so hard why could they not be allowed to be wealthy.
 * The religious believed in the Gospel of Wealth meaning the rich had to take care of and give money to the poor.
 * Socialism also promoted that everyone should be equal there for there would be equal power and no one would be better then the other, how ever that is impossible due to Capitalism system that American has
 * Again Social Darwinism stresses the fact that if you work hard then you would beat the weak and that would place you higher in the Social class or how much power and wealth you have.

Resources:

Book Chapter pgs 188-191 [] []