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What’s a Government to Do?. Laissez Faire. Economic Policy Businesses should make their own decisions Government regulation is not needed and may even be harmful. Unions Fight for Workers’ Rights. Haymarket Riot Chicago 1866 Labor rally turned violent when a bomb exploded.
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Laissez Faire • Economic Policy • Businesses should make their own decisions • Government regulation is not needed and may even be harmful
Unions Fight for Workers’ Rights • Haymarket Riot • Chicago • 1866 • Labor rally turned violent when a bomb exploded.
Unions Make Strides • Collective bargaining – representatives for the workers and for the management work together to agree on pay, working conditions, benefits… • Mediation – a third party helps workers and management agree on a contract
Populist Party • Power to the People -coinage of silver -income tax -railroad regulation -direct election of senators
Why had farming become unprofitable during this period? Falling prices (surplus of crops High transportation costs (railroads were very powerful) Scarcity of good land (poor weather/ drought) High Interest Rates Why did farmers support free coinage of Silver To cause inflation “cheap money They hoped that if more money was available they would get more of it They felt the gold standard favored big industries Farmers and the Populist Movement
Solutions for Farmers • Free silver – more coins means more money for farmers • The Grange – farmers demand gov. control of railroads (so they can transport crops cheaply)
Solutions for Farmers • Free Silver • Interstate Commerce Act • Gov. regulates trade between states
BIG Business • Corporation – stockholders share profits but are not personally responsible for debts • Monopoly – One company controls the sale and distribution of a product of service
I owe my soul to the company store… • Company town – community where a corporation owns the factory, housing, and shopping http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QxGp1p2zVeQ
Sherman Anti-Trust Act • 1890 • Banned monopolies • Companies had to allow competition and could not form unfair trusts
What the Rich Told Themselves • Gospel of Wealth – the rich give back by building hospitals, libraries, colleges, museums, and churches • Social Darwinism – The rich were rich because of their good genes. If poor people suffer and die, it might be for their own good because they’re simply not fit to survive.
What the Rich Called Themselves • Entrepreneur – someone who takes risks and invests money into starting a business
What Other People Called the Uber Rich • Robber Barons – business leaders who used didhonest methods to grow rich
Tenements – poorly built apartments in cities Ghetto – usually poor neighborhood where recent immigrants lived together Bring Your Poor and Huddled Masses….
Bring Us Your Poor and Huddled Masses • Settlement house – community center where poor immigrants could go for education and social services
Pluralism People of all races and ethnicities are distinct but have equal social standing Assimilation One cultural group is absorbed into another Bring Us Your Poor and Huddled Masses….
Bring Us Your Poor and Huddled Masses • Nativism – a policy of favoring native-born individuals over foreign-born ones
Bring Us Your Poor and Huddled Masses…. • Political machine – system in urban areas where political party “Bosses” controlled neighborhood government
What About the First Americans • Dawes Act • 1887 • Removed land from tribal possession and distributed it among individual Indian families • Broke down tribes • Promote individualism
