The American Yawp Ch. 18
Summary
TLDRThe video discusses the industrial revolution of the late 19th century, highlighting conflicts between the wealthy elite and workers. It describes the Great Railroad Strike of 1877 and the rise of scientific management led by Frederick Taylor. Key figures like Rockefeller, Carnegie, and Morgan are mentioned, along with the theory of Social Darwinism. The struggles of workers and farmers, the formation of the American Federation of Labor, and the Populist Party's efforts to combat corporate dominance are also covered, leading to the Progressive movement's push for business regulation.
Takeaways
- 🚂 The Great Railroad Strike of 1877 saw violent confrontations between strikers and the National Guard.
- 💡 The late 19th century saw rapid industrial development in the United States, driven by electricity, mass production, and standardized parts.
- 📈 The rise of scientific management, led by Frederick Taylor, aimed to maximize worker efficiency through precise measurement and scripting of tasks.
- 💼 New business leaders like Collis Huntington, Cornelius Vanderbilt, J.D. Rockefeller, Andrew Carnegie, and J.P. Morgan dominated their respective industries.
- 💰 By 1900, the wealthiest 10% of Americans controlled 90% of the nation's assets.
- 🧬 Social Darwinism, influenced by Charles Darwin and Herbert Spencer, justified the social hierarchy by claiming the wealthy were the 'most fit.'
- 🚜 Farmers and workers felt increasingly undervalued and exploited, leading to strikes and the rise of labor unions like the American Federation of Labor.
- 🌾 The Farmer's Alliance evolved into the Populist Party, advocating for federal government intervention to support farmers and regulate industries.
- 🗣️ William Jennings Bryan's 1896 presidential campaign, known for his 'cross of gold' speech, represented the interests of farmers and workers.
- 🏛️ The Progressive movement emerged from the Populist influence, leading to government regulation of business to protect workers and farmers.
Q & A
What were the main conflicts during the late nineteenth century in the United States?
-The main conflicts were between the emerging wealthy class and the workers and farmers. This was characterized by violent confrontations between strikers and authorities such as police officers, soldiers, or paid guards.
How did the industrial development in the United States during this era affect the production capabilities of companies?
-The industrial development, marked by the advent of electricity, mass production through assembly lines, and the use of standardized parts, allowed companies to produce more goods more efficiently with fewer workers.
Who were some of the key figures in the rise of scientific management and what was their contribution?
-Frederick Taylor was a key figure who introduced principles of scientific management, which involved timing workers' actions, measuring their steps, and scripting their actions to maximize efficiency.
How did the United States' industrial production compare to the rest of the world by the early 20th century?
-By the turn of the 20th century, the United States manufactured more goods than any other nation and by 1913, it generated approximately one-third of the entire world's industrial production.
Which industries and individuals were particularly successful during this era of industrial growth?
-In railroads, Collis Huntington and Cornelius Vanderbilt were successful. J.D. Rockefeller dominated the oil industry, Andrew Carnegie the steel industry, and J.P. Morgan was prominent in banking.
What was the economic disparity between the top 10% and the rest of the population in America around 1900?
-By 1900, the top 10% of wealthy individuals in America controlled as much as 90% of the nation's assets, indicating a significant economic disparity.
How did the theory of Social Darwinism influence the societal views of the time?
-Social Darwinism, influenced by Charles Darwin and Herbert Spencer, argued that the 'survival of the fittest' should apply to humans, with those at the top of the social order considered the most fit, justifying their success at the expense of others.
What were the working conditions like for workers during this period and why were they striking?
-Workers often worked 60-hour weeks with low wages and quality of life, facing dangerous working environments where efficiency was prioritized over safety, which led them to strike due to feeling undervalued.
What was the American Federation of Labor and how did it differ from the Knights of Labor?
-The American Federation of Labor (AFL) was a more moderate organization that rose after the Knights of Labor lost credibility. It was open only to white, male, skilled workers and did not advocate for collective ownership of factories.
How did farmers respond to their increasing dependence on railroads and banks?
-Farmers organized cooperatives known as the Farmer's Alliance and later evolved into the Populist Party, which aimed to represent farmers' interests and advocated for government regulation and support.
What were the main demands of the Populist Party during their 1892 national convention?
-The Populist Party demanded the nationalization of railroads and telegraph systems, government-managed warehouses that would loan money to farmers using crops as collateral, and the coinage of silver to create inflation to help farmers pay back debts.
Who was William Jennings Bryan and what was his stance during the 1896 Presidential election?
-William Jennings Bryan was a successful Populist candidate who ran for President in 1896. He was known for his fiery speech opposing the gold standard and advocating for the interests of laborers and the masses.
What was the outcome of the 1896 Presidential election and its implications for the future?
-The Republican candidate William McKinley won the election, campaigning on the gold standard and pro-business philosophies. However, the influence of the Populists would later contribute to the development of the Progressive movement, which focused on governmental regulation of business.
Outlines
⚔️ Industrial Conflicts and Social Inequality in the Late 19th Century
During the late nineteenth century, the United States experienced significant industrial conflicts as a result of rapid industrialization. This period saw violent confrontations between workers, who were striking for better conditions, and authorities such as police, soldiers, or paid guards. The era was marked by dramatic changes in industry, with innovations like electricity and mass production allowing for unprecedented efficiency and output. This benefited wealthy industrialists and managers, like Frederick Taylor, who championed scientific management. However, this progress came at the expense of workers who faced low wages, long hours, and unsafe working conditions. The theory of Social Darwinism emerged, justifying the social hierarchy and the immense wealth disparity. Strikes and labor movements, such as those led by the Knights of Labor and the American Federation of Labor, highlighted the growing discontent among workers.
💡 The Populist Movement and William Jennings Bryan
The Populist Party emerged in the 1890s as a political force representing farmers who felt oppressed by railroad companies and banks. The party advocated for policies like the nationalization of railroads and telegraph systems and the coinage of silver to create inflation. William Jennings Bryan, a prominent Populist, ran for president in 1896 with a powerful speech denouncing the gold standard. Despite his compelling rhetoric, Bryan lost to Republican William McKinley, who supported business-friendly policies. Although the Populist Party's influence waned, its legacy lived on through the Progressive movement, which sought to regulate corporate power and protect workers and farmers from exploitation.
Mindmap
Keywords
💡Great Railroad Strike of 1877
💡Scientific Management
💡Social Darwinism
💡American Federation of Labor (AFL)
💡Populist Party
💡Industrialization
💡Knights of Labor
💡William Jennings Bryan
💡Freight Rates
💡Progressive Movement
Highlights
Late 19th century conflicts between wealthy class and workers/farmers depicted in the Maryland National Guard firing on Railroad Strike of 1877 participants.
Industry landscape changed with unprecedented development in the US, leading to violent confrontations between strikers and authorities.
Electricity and mass production through assembly lines and standardized parts allowed for more efficient production with fewer workers.
Wealthy elites benefited from new systems of production, leading to the emergence of a new class of efficiency-focused managers.
Frederick Taylor's scientific management principles emphasized timing workers' actions and scripting their steps for maximum efficiency.
The US became the top global economy by the 20th century, manufacturing more goods than any other nation.
By 1913, the US generated approximately 1/3 of the entire world's industrial production.
Rising business leaders like Collis Huntington, Cornelius Vanderbilt, J.D. Rockefeller, Andrew Carnegie, and J.P. Morgan oversaw production and reaped efficiency benefits.
By 1900, the top 10% of wealthy individuals in America controlled as much as 90% of the nation's assets.
Social Darwinism emerged, arguing that 'survival of the fittest' should apply to humans, with those at the top of the social order considered the most fit.
Workers felt undervalued, working 60-hour weeks with low wages and quality of life, and facing dangerous working conditions.
After the Knights of Labor lost credibility, the American Federation of Labor rose, focusing on moderate plans and only including white, male, skilled workers.
Farmers, feeling their autonomy slipping away due to dependence on railroads and banks, organized cooperatives like the Farmer's Alliance.
The Populist Party emerged in the 1890s as a third party political force representing farmers' interests at various levels.
The Populist Party's 1892 national convention in Omaha, Nebraska, called for an expansion of federal government power.
They advocated for nationalization of railroads and telegraph systems, government-managed warehouses, and coinage of silver to create inflation to help indebted farmers.
William Jennings Bryan, a successful Populist candidate, delivered a fiery speech against a gold standard and for the interests of laboring masses.
Despite Bryan's speech, Republican candidate William McKinley won the 1896 election, maintaining a conservative path for the country.
The lasting influence of the Populists was seen in the development of the Progressive movement, which pioneered governmental regulation of the business sector in response to farmers' and workers' demands for protection from unchecked corporate interests.
Transcripts
During the late nineteenth century, a series of conflicts broke out between the emerging wealthy class and the workers and farmers who labored beneath.
This image depicts the Maryland National Guard firing upon participants in the great Railroad
Strike of 1877. The era witnessed many scenes such as this, with violent confrontations
ensuing between strikers and police officers, soldiers, or paid guards. These conflicts
resulted from the changing landscape of industry during the era.
Industry was developing to unprecedented levels in the United States. With electricity and
rising mass production through the assembly line and use of standardized parts, companies
could produce more goods more efficiently with fewer workers. For the wealthy elites
who controlled production, the benefits of this system were obvious. A new class of managers
emerged, who were professionals trained in strategies of efficiency. Chief among them
was Frederick Taylor, whose principles of scientific management involved timing workers
actions and measuring their steps, carefully scripting the actions a worker would take
in order to maximize his efficiency. These systems, when combined with the growing
number of factories, brought the United States to the top of the global economy. By the turn
of the 20th century, the United States manufactured more goods than any other nation, and by 1913,
it generated approximately 1/3 of the entire world's industrial production.
A rising generation of business leaders oversaw this production and reaped the benefits of these systems of efficiency.
In railroads, Collis Huntington and Cornelius Vanderbilt saw great success. In the oil industry,
J.D. Rockefeller was king. Andrew Carnegie dominated the steel industry. And J.P. Morgan
was revered within the banking world. By 1900, the top 10% of wealthy individuals in America
controlled as much as 90% of the nation's assets.
So what did this mean for the other 90%? The theory of evolution, popularized by Charles
Darwin and Herbert Spencer, began to make its way into the realm of human behavior as well.
The emerging theory of Social Darwinism argued that the natural laws of selectivity, known
popularly as 'survival of the fittest," should apply not just to the animal realm, but also
to humans. Those who were the most fit, under this model, could be identified by their status
at the top of the social order. Those who were less fit, and thus less deserving of success,
could be found at the bottom, among the poor and unsuccessful. This somewhat self-serving philosophy
was used by many to justify their own success at the expense of others.
The strikes were occurring because workers were increasingly feeling undervalued. They
worked 60-hour weeks in many cases, leaving them little time for their families or to pursue
an education in order to better their lives. And still, their wages and quality of life remained low.
They also faced dangerous working environments where efficiency was valued over safety.
After the Knights of Labor lost credibility with the Haymarket Square bombing of 1886,
the American Federation of Labor rose to take its place. More moderate in its plans, the
AFL was open only to white, male, skilled workers. And unlike the more radical Knights
of labor, it did not advocate for collective ownership of the factories.
As the nation's farmers were increasingly dependent on the railroads and the banks,
they felt their autonomy slipping away. Farmers accused the railroads of using discriminatory
pricing to charge higher freight rates in the South and West than they did in the Northeast.
They began to organize cooperatives, known as the Farmer's Alliance. Through the Alliance,
they hoped they could share equipment and use collective bargaining to negotiate better
rates for the group. In the 1890s, this Alliance would evolve into
the Populist Party, a third party political force that would represent the farmers'
interests at the local, state, and national level. The Party held its first national convention
in Omaha, Nebraska, in 1892, where it called for an expansion of the power of the federal government.
They wanted to see the railroads and telegraph systems nationalized and made public rather
than private enterprises. They hoped to see warehouses managed by the government that
would loan money to farmers who could use crops as collateral. They also called for
the coinage of silver to create inflation to help farmers who owed money to pay back
those debts. William Jennings Bryan, shown here, was the
most successful of the Populist candidates, running for President in 1896 on both the
Populist and Democratic Party tickets. Bryan is best remembered for a fiery convention
speech in which he famously said, "Having behind us the commercial interests and the
laboring interests and all the toiling masses, we shall answer their demands for a gold standard
by saying to them, you shall not press down upon the brow of labor this crown of thorns.
You shall not crucify mankind upon a cross of gold."
But even such a fine speech was no match for Republican candidate William McKinley, who campaigned
on the gold standard and philosophies that would benefit the business community.
With the election of 1896, the country would stay on the conservative path. In the coming
years, though, the lasting influence of the Populists would be apparent in the development
of the Progressive movement. Progressives would pioneer governmental regulation of the
business sector, responding to the cry of American farmers and workers who requested
protection from the power of unchecked corporate interests.
تصفح المزيد من مقاطع الفيديو ذات الصلة
Objective 2.3 -- Workers and Labor Unions
LABOR in the Gilded Age [APUSH Review Unit 6 Topic 7] Period 6: 1865-1898
The Rise of INDUSTRIAL CAPITALISM [APUSH Review Unit 6 Topic 6] Period 6: 1865-1898
Industrial Revolution in America
Taylor's Theory of Scientific Management (Motivation)
U.S. History Since 1865: The Gilded Age, Part 04
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