Week of October 3 - 7 - Blogs

Monday - Section 5-3

The Grange
- The patrons of Husbandry
- The Granger Laws
  - series of laws passed
  - fight back against railroad issues
  - fair prices
  - Munn v. Illinios - 1877
    - Supreme Court supported farmers
  - Wabash v. Illinois - 1866
- Interstate Commerce Act - 1887
  - Allowed US to supervise railroads
  - Interstate Commerce Commission to carry out law
  - failed to help farmers at first
The Populist Movement - Omaha Platform - 1890s
- Helped farmers out of debt
  - so farmers make money
  - need food
  - hugely important
- Gave people a greater voice in government
  - power out of rich white guys hands
- Increase money and supply in circulation - Silverites
  - Gold Bugs - bankers and businessmen
    - less money in circulation
  - Silverites - farmers and laborers
    - more money in circulation
  - William Jennings Bryan - Cross of Gold
  - Died down in the early 1900s
- Graduated income tax
- Direct election of Senators
  - no electoral college
  - directly by the people of the state
- Secret Ballot
  - Weren't intimidated to vote for majority
- 8 hour work day
  - Family time
  - relaxation

Tuesday -

- Restriction on Immigration
  - Took jobs
  - Low wages
  - Willing to work for next to nothing
  - Racism
  - Slowed the work of the Labor Union
Read Chapter 6-2
- What allowed the Industrial Revolution to take place?
  - Tons of natural resources
    - Coal
    - Copper
    - Lead
    - Molybdenum
    - Phosphates
    - Rare earth elements
    - Uranium
    - Petroleum
    - Natural Gas
    - Bauxite
    - Gold
    - Iron
    - Mercury
    - Nickel
    - Potash
    - Silver
    - Tungsten
    - Zinc
    - Arable land
  - Government helped business
    - Laissez-Faire - Let alone/hands off
      - Governments stay out of businesses
    - Why was it important for the Industrial Revolution to take place?
  - Cities were growing
    - Immigrants
    - more workers
    - more people to sell your products
    - job opportunities
    - entertainment/cuture
  - Immigrants provided cheap labor
  - Growing population provided markets for manufactured goods
    - Cars
    - larger audience to sell your stuff to
    - African American
  - Oil boom
    - fueled cars, homes, businesses
  - (Henry) Bassemer process - cheap way to make steel
    - gets rid of impurities in iron
    - steel is stronger
  - Various inventions
    - Thomas Edison - incandescent light-bulb
    - Christopher Sholes - Typewriter
    - Alexander Graham Bell - Telephone
  - Railroads

Wednesday - Work Day on Decade Project

Thursday -

- Railroads
  - transcontinental railroads
  - Chinese had cheap labor
  - time zones
Chapter 6-3
- What are monopolies and why are they bad for consumers?
  - the exclusive possession or control of the supply or trade in a commodity or service
  - when a company in a specific field tries to get rid of all of the competition and control as close to 100% of the industry as possible
  - horizontal integration - buying out other competition in their field
  - vertical integration - having own resources, manufacturing and railroad, self dependent
  - can choose whatever price, no competition to keep prices low
  - poorer products, don't have to keep improving
- Describe Andrew Carnegie's life (1835-1919)
  - started with nothing
  - Scottish immigrant
  - one of the richest men in history
  - philanthropist - libraries etc
  - low paying workers - cut wages and increase hours
- Describe John D. Rockefeller;s life
  - net worth $660 billion
  - Standard Oil
- Describe Cornelius Vanderbilt's life (1794-1877)
  - made a fortune in ships
  - retired from that at 64
  - created a railroad empire
  - richest person in US when he died in 1877
  - net worth $200 billion
  - designed Grand Central Station in NYC
- Describe J.P. (John Pierpont) Morgan's life (1837-1913)
  - one of the most powerful bankers
  - financed railroads
  - jealous of Rockefeller wanted to buy more and make more
  - stopped the stock market crash - helped the government and ge the government on track
- What are Labor Unions and why are they important?
  - workers come together and try to get better wages
  - power in numbers
- Explain how companies
- Sherman Anti-Trust Act - 1890
  - break up monopolies
  - illegal to forma trust that interfered with free trade between states

Comments