Today is Thursday the 12th of November. We are continuing with our chapter nine presentations and we have shortened class periods today due to a two hour early out. Here are the questions and answersor questions 14, 15, and 17.14.) What is Socialism, and how was it started in the United States?Socialism was/is a form of government in which the government controls buiness in the country. This form of idea was brought to America by the immigrants. The Germans seemed to be the biggest supporters of Socialism. Socialists believe that if the government controls all business, everyone will be on a much more equal playing field. It is almost like a less drastic version of communism. The government controls what is being sold, what price the product should be sold at, and when those products can be manufactured and sold.Socialists felt that Capitalism (where the owner of the business controls his business) was very unfair. Socialists felt that Capitalism concentrated all of the country's wealth into a small group of people who could use that wealth and power any way that they choose, and that usually seemed to be in ways that were bad for the common people. These ideas were favored by the poor and middle class.Eugene V. Debbs was a Socialist presidential candidate. He was a very active Socialist who ran for president five times, all of which failed. Debbs even ran for a presidential election while he was in jail. All of his campaigning was done while he was in his cell. I don't know about you, but I think that this man was in need for some therapy.15.) What/who were Muckrakers, and what impact did they have on our country?Muckrakers were a brave group of people who would sometimes go to extreme lengths to expose flaws in our country's society to try and get the people of America to band together and fix those flaws. Muckrakers were the equivelant of today's investigative journalists. They would test out their theories about flaw and corruption and would then write about it. Those writings would be distributed to the public for examination and support.Some famous Muckrakers are: Lincoln Steffens wrote about the evils of Boss Tweed and was a factor in the Tweed's downfall. Ida Tarbell wrote about the destruction that trusts were implicating on the common people of America. Upton Sinclair wrote a book called "The Jungle". This book enlightened Americans to the horrible substances that were finding their way in the meats and other food products that Americans were consuming. Muckrakers are still around today, and such people work towards creating laws to end the flaws of America.17.) Describe the major social changes that affected women during the Progressive Era.Women were tired of the way taht they were viewed and treated in society. They felt betrayed by the men that they were unable to vote when black men were. Women generally were not allowed to work because it was viewed as the man's job to work while the woman stayed home and watched the children and cleaned the house.Women began to forms clubs and protests to get their states to allow women to vote. Most of the states in the West quickly passed these laws. Women were also frustrated that men were getting paid much more than women were even if a man and women were working at the exact same job and position. More and more women began to attend school, graduated, and went on to college. These courageous and outspoken women soon got congress to pass the 19th Amendment which gave women the right to vote. Eventually women were given the same wages that men were, and today, working American women have just about any right that a working man has.
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