Immigration

1. Describe the causes of the immigration of Southern and Eastern Europeans, Chinese, Koreans, and Japanese to America in the late 19th and early 20th centuries.

Some immigrants came to America to get escape hunger, land shortages, and religious and political persecution. Some came to earn money and then go back to their homeland. Most Europeans came to get away from religious persecution. There weren't many occupations available Europe, and so they came to America where there were more opportunities. Many Chinese and Japanese people came to America because they were interested in the gold rush.

2. Describe the journey immigrants endured and their experiences at United States immigration stations.

Most immigrants traveled in steamship, which had poor conditions. They were piled together and couldn't get fresh air. Because of the close quarters between the passengers and the poor hygiene, there were diseases and many passengers died before reaching America.

All of the immigrants had to pass many inspections before being allowed to enter the United States.

At Ellis Island in New York: First they were examined by a doctor. If they had a serious health condition, they were not allowed in. Then the immigrants were inspected by a government inspector who examined their documents. The immigrants had to prove they had never been been convicted of a felony, prove they were able to work, and have at least a small amount of money.

At Angel Island in San Fransisco: Immigrants were harshly questioned and quarantined in horrible conditions for long periods of time before they were accepted or rejected.

Big Business and Labor Quiz

Why and with what effect did the 19th century business ideologies of Laissez Faire and Social Darwinism have on laborers?

The ideas of Laissez Faire and Social Darwinism helped big business owners promote their own status, while they fed their own twisted philosophies to the public. Laissez Faire was the belief that things were always to remain at a fixed state because, economically, things should not change. This basically menat that if you were rich, you were rich, but if you were poor then you would always remain like that. Social Darwinism was an idea taken from Darwin's own book, and then twisted to fit the picture economically. This meant that the rich were better suited to the US economical environment better than the poor, and the poor would eventually die out, because the could not "evolve" or "adapt" to better fit into the environment. Big business owners used these to reasons to justify hard labor, long hours, and low pay.

Labor Unions & Big Business

The Knights of Labor

a. Identification
Founded in 1860 by Philadelphia garment cutters, was the only major labor union to survive the depression of the 1870s.

b. Significance
The knights of labor were a result of laborers who became tired of strikes, because they had achieved nothing. They worked more to get long team goals accomplished. Their main goal was to make every man his own boss, to eliminate the profit driven capitalism. This union failed because workers became upset with the passive attitude of the union.

the Haymarket riot

a. Identification
A large group of anti-capitalists gathered at the Haymarket Square in downtown Chicago to protest for more workers rights on May 1886.
b. Significance
This riot, which ended in the death of two unionists, was a result of growing hatred of the capitalist United States Government during this time from workers. This has much to do with the belief during this time that the economic climate could not be controlled, so there was no point for Government to regulate worker's rights in any way. This showed how strong the tension had came and how serious the workers were about their beliefs.

the American Federation of Labor

a. Identification
Began in 1886 and was a major worker's union. Main goal was to fight for immediate rights, no long term goals.

b. Significance
This union's formation was most like due to the failure of the Knights of Labor. The Knights of Labor focused on long term goals. When the Knights failed, many workers were bitter and felt that working for more rights immediately was the best way to go. This, added to the mistreatment of workers at this time by their bosses, led to the formation of this federation.

Samuel Gompers

a. Identification
An immigrant who headed the AFL in the late 1880s.

b. Significance
Gompers had a passion for workers rights that led to his fight for worker's rights through the AFL. He believed strongly in his cause, and this passion helped him lead the AFL to becoming 2.5 million people.

the Homestead strike

a. Identification
A strike that took place in July 1892. The Amalgamated Association of Iron and Steelworkers went on strike in Homestead, Pennsylvania because of pay cuts.

b. Significance
This strike was likely due to the frustration of the lack of results from the efforts of the AFL. When the workers continued to work hard for nothing, they became extremely upset, and violent. This event hurt the AFL and all unions because it made the public opinion on unions darken.

the Pullman strike

a. Identification
The workers started a strike that took place in George Pullman's "model town" due to wage cuts in 1894.

b. Significance
The Pullman strike was a result of George Pullman's policy of not hearing the concerns of his workers in regards to their wage cuts. The workers banded together and fought for their rights in a very intelligent way that showed the determination of the workers to get rights.

Eugene V. Debs

a. Identification
Refused to handle Pullman cars in support of strikers in pullman strike

b. Significance
His refusal to follow the laws and handle the cars both showed how far the workers were away from getting the rights they wanted but also showed how hard they were willing to work for those rights.

the Industrial Workers of the World

a. Identification
A group like the Knights of Labor except a lot more radical. They banded together in the west in 1905.
b. Significance
The IWW was a lot different than a lot of other union groups that had come before them because they were a lot more violent. This is most likely because of the years of failure and frustration in trying to get rights that they were continually denied.

14-3 Terms

Andrew Carnegie-Was a poor boy from Scotland who became a secretary at eighteen. He relayed messages singlehandedly and was rewarded with the chance to buy stock. He recieved his first dividened soon after.

Social Darwinism-Social darwinism was taken from Charles Darwin's theory of evolution. The belief of natural selection was used to say that some species were more suited to an environment, and therefore more suited to carry on in that environment. This was used o show that rich would oneday eventually take over, and all the poor people would die out.

John D. Rockefeller- established the standard oil company. He used trust to gain control of people.

Sherman Antitrust Act-made it illeagel to form a trust that interfered with free trade between states or other countries.

Samuel Gompers- led the Cigar Maker's International union to join with other unions in 1886.

American Federation of Labor (AFL)-With gompers as its president, it focused on negotiation, trying to get companies to resent better wages. Strikes were the main tactic used by them.

Eugene V. Debs-Attempted to form an association just for railroad workers. in 1894, they won a strike for higher wages. it failed after a major strike, but it added momentum to Union organizing.

Industrial Workers of the World-In 1905 a group of radicalists and socialists in Chicago oraganized industrial workers of the world, or wobblies. they too failed after a major strike, but they gave unskilled workers a sense of dignity.

Mary Harris Jones-She helped the Knights of Labor, and supported the Great Strike of 1877. She led 80 mill chilldren to Presidne Roosevelt's home. This influenced child labor laws.

Railroad Development

The federal government gave land and made loans to the railroad companies. Why was the government so eager to promote the growth of railroads?

Railroads made it possible to expand out west, however, the creation of railroads led to corruption in the nation. The American government realized that expansion out west was necessary, but many lives were sacrificed on the way to expanding America. Businesses would profit from the demand of coal, steel, glass, and iron, which railroads needed. New markets and businesses would be created from the new towns out west. Railroads promoted trade and interdependence.

Expansion of Industry

What were the three major factors that contributed to the immense technological boom that took place in the United States after the Civil War? Explain how two of these factors helped to bring about this technological boom.

The three major factors that contributed to the technological boom were natural resources, creative ideas, and growing markets. For natural resources, Patillo Higgins found oil at Spindletop, Texas. Natural resources like oil and steel fueled the technological boom because inventions were made from them. For instance, oil was distilled into kerosene, which was used for oil lamps. Soon after gasoline was used for automobiles. the second reason technology was greatly expanded was from creative ideas. Natural resources can't do much in their original state; so creative minds helped shape inventions from the raw material. For example, the steel made it possible to build great structures such as the Brooklyn Bridge. Also, railroads and transportation were greatly expanded because of the Bessemer steel process.

1. What are some of the main reasons that the federal government's policy of assimilation failed?
One reason was that the native Americans had not settled down to "improve" the land,while white settlers made new railroads and starting new businesses. Also the Natives were herded further because of gold rushes. The government modified the location of where the Native Americans would be able to stay and hunt. Also, many white people did not believe Native Americans could become "civilized".


2. How successful were government efforts to promote settlement of the Great Plains? Give examples to support your answer.
The railroads connected the east and west coast, so families could move to the great plains much easier via the train. Since the land was free, farms became plentiful on the great plains.
I think the fact the railroad was there provided families a much easier journey, and probably persuaded many to go to the great plains.