The period immediately following the Civil War presented a number of challenges to the United States. Reconstruction was an expensive federal endeavor, meaning society in part tured to private industry to strengthen the economy. In the essay "Robber Barons and Rebels", Howard Zinn discusses the economic, political and social trends in the period generally referred to as the Gilded Age.
"In the year 1877, the signals were given for the rest of the century: the blacks would be put back; the strikes of white workers would not be tolerated; the industrial and political elites of North and South would take hold of the country and organize the greatest march of economic growth in human history. They would do it with the aid of, and at the expense of, black labor, white labor, Chinese labor, European immigrant labor, female labor, rewarding them differently by race, sex, national origin, and social class, in such a way as to create separate levels of oppression-a skillful terracing to stabilize the pyramid of wealth... the government of the United States was behaving almost exactly as Karl Marx described a capitalist state: pretending neutrality to maintain order, but serving the interests of the rich... the purpose of the state was to settle upper-class disputes peacefully, control lower-class rebellion, and adopt policies that would further the long-range stability of the system."
Consider the varying social and economic strains experienced by the United States at the turn of the Ninteenth century as described in Zinn's artilce: http://www.historyisaweapon.com/defcon1/zinnbaron11.html
Summarize the key developments revealed in the text and respond to the following questions:
"In the year 1877, the signals were given for the rest of the century: the blacks would be put back; the strikes of white workers would not be tolerated; the industrial and political elites of North and South would take hold of the country and organize the greatest march of economic growth in human history. They would do it with the aid of, and at the expense of, black labor, white labor, Chinese labor, European immigrant labor, female labor, rewarding them differently by race, sex, national origin, and social class, in such a way as to create separate levels of oppression-a skillful terracing to stabilize the pyramid of wealth... the government of the United States was behaving almost exactly as Karl Marx described a capitalist state: pretending neutrality to maintain order, but serving the interests of the rich... the purpose of the state was to settle upper-class disputes peacefully, control lower-class rebellion, and adopt policies that would further the long-range stability of the system."
Consider the varying social and economic strains experienced by the United States at the turn of the Ninteenth century as described in Zinn's artilce: http://www.historyisaweapon.com/defcon1/zinnbaron11.html
Summarize the key developments revealed in the text and respond to the following questions:
- Did the US government's actions in this era benefit the nation as a whole or (as Zinn seems to believe) did the economic policies that emerged in the Gilded Age benefit the wealthy and punish the poor/working classes?
- To what extent should the government regulate private industry?
Your response should be at least 200 words and relate to at least one other post
Anyone seeking extra credit may complete the blog my US classes are working on, which is related to this topic.
http://www.msfrancisushistoryablock.blogspot.com/
28 comments:
Teresa Konopka
AP US
2/2/08
After racial exploitation came fiscal exploitation, as commented on in Howard Zinn’s "Robber Barons and Rebels." After the civil war ended, the gilded age came about. That’s not to say that racial discrimination ended. Contrarily, many workplaces divided up employees and treated them differently / paid them differently based on their race and sex.
With new technological developments, workers were becoming of less value. When it came to inventors like Thomas Edison, credit was given; however, for ordinary workers, they were just seen as worthless laborers. The businessmen high up were deemed important, even though they did not do much (if at all any) physical work. For instance, Gustavus Swift was a Chicago butcher who put together the first national meatpacking company in 1885. He also received much attention and oversaw workers. Also, J.P. Morgan sold stocks and earned himself a well-known name recognized by bankers today.
When it came to politics and publicizing facts, a literary commentator by the name of Henry Adams wrote how not many speak of truly pressing issues such as fiscal inequality. Another man had his own theory. Henry George suggested taxing the rich more to make the poor more well-off (spread money around). As utopian as his suggestion was, it was not very popular. Still, his book Progress and Poverty became a bestseller. Later, many Americans began to quote the Communist Manifesto. They sought a society where the gap between rich and poor was nonexistent.
Subsequently, at the printing shop Arbeiter-Zeitung, many workers encouraged fellow employees to defend their honor--violently if they had to. This was triggered when small workers’ riots were previously quelled with chagrin. Additionally, Vann Woodward noted rebellions in Tennessee. Basically, when destitute workers could no longer take their treatment and low place in society, they took action. As Woodward states, whites and Negroes were standing shoulder to shoulder as if they were a grand army fighting against monopolizing fat cats.
Later in time, William McKinley became president, promising hope and “financial honor.” With the rise of populism, McKinley needed to unite the Americans some way. So, war was declared on Spain partially due to diplomatic hostilities and partially due to a need for jingoism as a means to unite the bickering upper class and lower class of America.
Question to AP peers:
If you were an upper class elite, would you have supported McKinley and voted for him? Why or why not?
John Harden
Block B
2/2/08
Howard Zinn’s essay titled “Robber Barons and Rebels” chiefly discusses the Glided Era as a whole. The Glided Era came towards the end of the Reconstruction Era which followed the American Civil War. With a civil rights movement spouting from African-Americans and Feminists, the intelligent business men saw opportunity. By taking control of the now excessive amounts of labor available, both businessmen from the North and the South could create and refine there own national companies. Immigrants, homeless and poor Africans along with the middle class men and women provided more then adequate amounts of workforce.
However, before the middle and lower classes received the chance to work under these powerful businessmen, machines were being invented to do the work for them. Competition for jobs increased, and thus increased the rich man’s rights to pay whomever whatever amount of money he felt necessary. “Before the Civil War it took 61 hours of labor to produce an acre of wheat. By 1900, it took 3 hours, 19 minutes. Manufactured ice enabled the transport of food over long distances, and the industry of meatpacking was born.” (Zinn RB and R)
With a decrease in the fairness of certain minority group’s paychecks, great amounts of anger arose. The government did little to stop the unfair treatment of the lower class in the workforce. The rich could shove money in the face of almost any politician and have them keep things the way they were going. Also, the economy was on a rise, any conservative and wise politician enjoys this more than anything else in the world. Thus the poor got poorer and the rich got richer.
The United States government should make sure that discrimination does not take place in the workplace. Thus, great amounts of attention should have been drawn to the unfair wages and treatment. It is the American government’s duty to instill fair and equal opportunity for all of its peoples. If a private industry is treating its workers unfairly, the government should somehow put an end to it. Whether it is a removal of the man or women in power or an increase in tax on the rich and decrease in tax on the poor, something should indubitably be done. The lower class had to fend for themselves, and fortunately they formed the worker’s Union. Men and women, black and white, young and old, all stood together fighting against the unfair treatment in the workplace deployed by the rich upperclassmen.
This soon to be catastrophic outbreak of lower class anger was put to a halt by the later elected President McKinley. McKinley sought to unite both upper and lower class. Nothing makes people feel more united then a international competition. The board definition of international competition does indeed include war. So began the attack against the Spanish Empire, the war being started due to international issues and the need for jingoism. An increase in nationalism and feelings of unity across the United States began almost immediately. This clear demonstration of manipulative politics saved the United States from a possible nation wide string of riots.
Response to Teresa’s question: I would indeed vote for President McKinley, because although I would be a rich businessman, I still believe in non-discrimination policies in the fields of work.
Jeremy Smith
APUS
By the turn of the 19th century, America's own patriotism began to spark within the political, technological, and personal areas of the country. This was known as the Gilded Age. For the most part, the Indian Wars, which had occurred as a climax in the 1870s, had shown the continued desire for Manifest Destiny on the Indian population. The genocide would leave a huge impact on the country, leaving small tribes of Native Americans to squander into "civilized" reservations, while Americans continued to gain land, gold, and oil. Other than that, assembly lines in factories would further enhance the manufacturing business. Not only did people work in factories, but machines conducted by electricity(thanks to Thomas Edison), had taken part in producing more and more goods for the American population. Citizens became aware of The Communist Manifesto by Karl Marx, which had lead many to realize the huge gap between people below the poverty line and those who are above. Immigrants who entered to the U.S. were welcomed with poverty. Some were forced to work in factories, sweat shops, and prostitution. With the result of the 1896 Presidential Election being Republican William McKinley, the populist movement, which focused on the "elite" social status, had risen up. McKinley had established a regime, further gapping the distance between the rich and poor.
As to Theresa's question:
If I were an upper class elite, then I would have voted for McKinley, since he had supported my ideas. However, this statement does not actually reflect my personal opinions.
Justin Lefkowitz
AP US History
The time period immediately after the Civil War and the Reconstruction Era was known as the Gilded Age. The Gilded Age lasted from the mid 1870s till the very end of the 19th century. During this time, new businesses were created, the rich became richer, and the poor did not really become any poorer than what they were. In the end, the nation flourished as a whole.
The United States Government actions in this era benefited the nation as a whole. True, the wealthy did benefit more than the poor, but the poor did not go down in the rankings any more than they already were. According to Howard Zinn, “the only way upward for a poor person was to climb into the ranks of the rich by extraordinary effort and extraordinary luck.” Even though it was virtually impossible for the poor to become rich, it was not impossible for the poor to climb the ranks by just one step. Also, the nation did benefit as a whole, as a result of the Gilded Age. New inventions and monopolies were created. Alexander Graham Bell invented the telephone. George Westinghouse created air brakes for trains. Thomas Edison founded GE, General Electrics, and created a power plant that was capable of lighting several buildings at one time. During this time, the steel and oil industries flourished under Andrew Carnegie, J.P. Morgan, and John D. Rockefeller. The population increased dramatically and so did the value of the nation. It was the start of the new future for the United States of America.
The government should not be able to regulate private industry at all, unless this private industry is going against what is stated in the Constitution or the Declaration of Independence. Both of these documents give citizens of the United States the right to form private industries and to make money through the business that they conduct. The United States is a country that believes in Laissez-Faire, which is the belief that there should be free market economics in the country, without economic intervention or taxation beyond what the state believes to be necessary. If I owned my own business, and the government was making me end my business, which did not violate any laws, I would be really mad. The government should not regulate private industry, unless, the private industry is doing something to harm something, someone, or someplace.
In response to Theresa’s question, I would have definitely voted for McKinley if I were an upper-class elite. I support him because if he had power, the rich businessmen had a large say in whatever was going on. If the rich have the power, I would have benefited in many ways.
Heather Vale.
After the Civil War, America faced several areas of conflict that led to a deep division of the poor and the wealthy. Pursuing to strengthen America’s weak economy, all races and genders were required to work in order to live. With machines replacing human muscle, the speed of business deliberately increased. Thus, organizers and administrators of new corporations took advantage of the surplus immigrant population. Since immigrants came to America desperately seeking for work to begin with, they were used to complete the dangerous and back-breaking labor offered. Upheaval and dismay immediately unraveled within the working class and the high class of American society due to disagreements and conflict regarding labor. As a result, economic policies were created by the government attempting to benefit both the rich and the poor. Yet with a Supreme Court filled with men from backgrounds of high class lifestyles, it was quite difficult for the Justices to truly understand and deal with the working class.
Thus, the economic policies that emerged in the Gilded Age did benefit the wealthy and punish the poor/working class. “While some multimillionaires started in poverty, most did not.” Indeed, the opportunities are endless in America. However according to Howard Zinn, most of the fortune building was done through collaboration with the government and the courts. Although not directly stated, to be in affiliation with such powerful groups one must share similar backgrounds in order to gain trust. Thus, the government is punishing those who are poor since they have a smaller chance of communicating with powerful, rich individuals. The Supreme Court took every chance possible to bend and twist the laws of America in order to benefit their class. “By this time the Supreme Court had accepted the argument that corporations were "persons" and their money was property protected by the due process clause of the Fourteenth Amendment. Supposedly, the Amendment had been passed to protect Negro rights, but of the Fourteenth Amendment cases brought before the Supreme Court between 1890 and 1910, nineteen dealt with the Negro, 288 dealt with corporations.” Evidently, the voice of the high class society has a larger influence than the voice of the poor due to their people dominating and participating in high power situations like the government and the Supreme Court.
Nevertheless, I agree with Justin in the sense that the government should not regulate private industry unless an industry is going against the Constitution or the Declaration of Independence. The government has no reason to interfere with private industries if they are following the regulations of business to begin with. Thus, the government should only deal with private industries that are violating laws.
Heather Vale.
After the Civil War, America faced several areas of conflict that led to a deep division of the poor and the wealthy. Pursuing to strengthen America’s weak economy, all races and genders were required to work in order to live. With machines replacing human muscle, the speed of business deliberately increased. Thus, organizers and administrators of new corporations took advantage of the surplus immigrant population. Since immigrants came to America desperately seeking for work to begin with, they were used to complete the dangerous and back-breaking labor offered. Upheaval and dismay immediately unraveled within the working class and the high class of American society due to disagreements and conflict regarding labor. As a result, economic policies were created by the government attempting to benefit both the rich and the poor. Yet with a Supreme Court filled with men from backgrounds of high class lifestyles, it was quite difficult for the Justices to truly understand and deal with the working class.
Thus, the economic policies that emerged in the Gilded Age did benefit the wealthy and punish the poor/working class. “While some multimillionaires started in poverty, most did not.” Indeed, the opportunities are endless in America. However according to Howard Zinn, most of the fortune building was done through collaboration with the government and the courts. Although not directly stated, to be in affiliation with such powerful groups one must share similar backgrounds in order to gain trust. Thus, the government is punishing those who are poor since they have a smaller chance of communicating with powerful, rich individuals. The Supreme Court took every chance possible to bend and twist the laws of America in order to benefit their class. “By this time the Supreme Court had accepted the argument that corporations were "persons" and their money was property protected by the due process clause of the Fourteenth Amendment. Supposedly, the Amendment had been passed to protect Negro rights, but of the Fourteenth Amendment cases brought before the Supreme Court between 1890 and 1910, nineteen dealt with the Negro, 288 dealt with corporations.” Evidently, the voice of the high class society has a larger influence than the voice of the poor due to their people dominating and participating in high power situations like the government and the Supreme Court.
Nevertheless, I agree with Justin in the sense that the government should not regulate private industry unless an industry is going against the Constitution or the Declaration of Independence. The government has no reason to interfere with private industries if they are following the regulations of business to begin with. Thus, the government should only deal with private industries that are violating laws.
Elizabeth Che
Block B AP US History
According to History is a Weapon: Robber Barons and Rebels by Howard Zinn, the 1900s was a time period where cities grew and mechanical advancements increased.
“To accomplish all this required ingenious inventors of new processes and new machines, clever organizers and administrators of the new corporations, a country rich with land and minerals, and a huge supply of human beings to do the back-breaking, unhealthful, and dangerous work. Immigrants would come from Europe and China, to make the new labor force. Farmers unable to buy the new machinery or pay the new railroad rates would move to the cities.”
During the Gilded Age, the US government was as Zinn noted, “pretending neutrality to maintain order, but serving the interests of the rich. Not that the rich agreed among themselves; they had disputes over policies. But the purpose of the state was to settle upper-class disputes peacefully, control lower-class rebellion, and adopt policies that would further the long-range stability of the system.” Majority of the citizens were either outstandingly wealthy or devastatingly poor. There was no possible way for the poor to become wealthy without taking actions of their own. But, with the increase of monopolies such as J.P. Morgan’s US Steel Corporation, “The Horatio Alger stories of "rags to riches" were true for a few men, but mostly a myth, and a useful myth for control.” Through the use of elaborated text, ideas of establishing personal wealth was tossed into the minds of every citizen. The desire to increase their living styles promoted the rise in the workforce. The workers of the developing corporations and factories were put under unhealthy and dangerous conditions for the bare minimum amount of wages. Evidenced throughout history, the difference in ideals lead to discrimination and unjustified actions against minorities. As stated, “The manifesto asked ‘equal rights for all without distinction to sex or race.’ It quoted the Communist Manifesto: ‘Workmen of all lands, unite! You have nothing to lose but your chains; you have a world to win!’” Through disadvantages, rebellion followed causing radical petitioning and demonstrations to surge at establishments. But, strikes were constantly broken through the efforts of authorities.
Zinn notes the outcome of the November 22, 1886 strike between the black plantation workers and the Knights of Labor where “thirty Negroes were dead or dying, and hundreds wounded...” Higher wages were only sought to provide the necessary funds to support families. “The black workers, unable to feed and clothe their families on their wages, often paid in store scrip, asked a dollar a day once more.” Such a simple plea was turned into a field of bloodshed sending many to refugee villages. Even white men had their share of hardship. “Native-born poor whites were not doing well either. In the South, they were tenant farmers rather than landowners. In the southern cities, they were tenants, not homeowners.” The rich were prospering through the suffering of the poor. Desperate for money, convicts were even used to replace workers. Slums increased destroying the image of happy and illustrious cities. “The slums of the southern cities were among the worst, poor whites living like the blacks, on unpaved dirt streets ‘choked up with garbage, filth and mud,’ according to a report of one state board of health.”
However, wealthy individuals contributed to society through the funding of schools and public projects. “The rich, giving part of their enormous earnings in this way, became known as philanthropists. These educational institutions did not encourage dissent; they trained the middlemen in the American system-the teachers, doctors, lawyers, administrators, engineers, technicians, politicians- those who would be paid to keep the system going, to be loyal buffers against trouble.” In a way, the Gilded Age is a two way cycle where the “hardworking” citizen advances towards greatness through luck and determination and then helping others by contributing part of their fortune to the community. The participants of these establishments would then gain a small advantage in making their way to the top. “...The spread of public school education enabled the learning of writing, reading, and arithmetic for a whole generation of workers, skilled and semiskilled, who would be the literate or force of the new industrial age. It was important that these people learn obedience to authority.” However, the other part of the cycle is where the unfortunate citizens continue to muddle in the depths of poverty without a chance to escape.
The government should regulate private industry in efforts to maintain a balance between the rich and the poor as well as to create a middle ground between the distinguished classes. A well balanced economy is needed in order to provide better outcomes for the citizens. The wealthy should not be promoted further as they are able to take care of themselves. Instead, help should be provided to the middle class and the poor. Although the poor may seem as if they need the most attention, the middle class should be given more opportunities to improve as they are neither the poor who receives the benefits of charitable organizations or the wealthy who are set for their lifetime. Private industries are to be monitored to prevent monopolies but to give chances to the struggling. Without taking heavy stands, the government should act as an enforcer to balance between the different economic classes.
In response to Teresa’s post, I have the same opinion as my peers before me as I would also support McKinley. With his illustrious use of funds for his campaigns, McKinley appeared to be someone who is not afraid to go over the limit in achieving goals.
Theresa - E: Thoughtful and detailed post. I like the question you posed to the class.
John- E: Informative post.
Jeremy- E: Strong connections to key historical literature (Marx) and I like that you embodied a perspective outside of your own to respond to theresa's question
Justin: E
Heather : E
Elizabeth: E+
Ashley Aydin.
AP U.S. – Block B.
The Gilded Age of the 19th century was a period of currency deflation, widespread speculation in stocks/ industry, loose business/political practices, materialism, and pretentious displays of wealth. A wave of immigrants and innovative economic practices defined new standards concerning America’s drive to achieve distributed autonomy. The production of iron and steel rose dramatically, along side with other commodities such as lumber, gold, and silver. Furthermore, methods of transportation boomed with the expansion of railroad development and machines. Nonetheless, the Gilded Age solely aided the wealthy elite, producing capital for prominent figures such as John D. Rockefeller, in oil, Andrew Carnegie, in steel, and other known robber barons – becoming affluent through ruthless business deals. Accordingly, a growing gap between the rich and poor intensified and further fluctuated.
“Most of the fortune building was done legally, with the collaboration of the government and the courts. Sometimes the collaboration had to be paid for. Thomas Edison promised New Jersey politicians $1,000 each in return for favorable legislation. Daniel Drew and Jay Gould spent $1 million to bribe the New York legislature to legalize their issue of $8 million in "watered stock" (stock not representing real value) on the Erie Railroad”. During the Gilded Age, the average American lacked financial support and stability. Thus, the government was open to willing entrepreneurs and desirers. Fortunes were accomplished through collaboration with governmental figures and bodies. Furthermore, individuals used their fiscal status to achieve political elections, purchases, and exceptional advantages.
Likewise, the U.S. government remained discrete with their actions of catering to the privileged. “Meanwhile, the government of the United States was behaving almost exactly as Karl Marx described a capitalist state: pretending neutrality to maintain order, but serving the interests of the rich. Not that the rich agreed among themselves; they had disputes over policies. But the purpose of the state was to settle upper-class disputes peacefully, control lower-class rebellion, and adopt policies that would further the long-range stability of the system”. Accordingly, the practice supported the well-off, yet fueled tension between the poor and middle class. Although the rich handled profit with heed, socially conscious Americans stood dubious of their potential and prospects.
Similarly, racial division regarding labor and opportunity proved persistent. “Blacks and whites were in different situations. The blacks were mostly field hands, hired laborers; most white Alliance people were farm owners”. The imbalance in economic affairs affected the dilemma of discrimination almost entirely. Seeing that the prosperous elite were obtaining the most return, minorities were receiving little to nothing.
What remains most interesting, nonetheless, are the negative affects machinery had on the working class. “Between the Civil War and 1900, steam and electricity replaced human muscle, iron replaced wood, and steel replaced iron (before the Bessemer process, iron was hardened into steel at the rate of 3 to 5 tons a day; now the same amount could be processed in 15 minutes)”. The Gilded Age presented the U.S. populace with modern items and abundant production. With machines to complete tasks at factories, humans were no longer convenient for various jobs. New appliances restored individual effort, eliminating the strong need of a steady labor force.
______________________________
*Response to Elizabeth’s post
Frankly, the government should endorse private industry, exclusively with limitations. Elizabeth is accurate in her views that a well balanced economy is needed in order to provide every citizen with opportunity and income. A private sector is beneficial when running profit that is not controlled by the state. Therefore, it diversifies industrial output and extends investment in industries – benefiting many.
According to Robber Baron And Rebels by Howard Zinn, the economic polices that emerged in the Gilded Age benefited the wealthy while punishing the poor. At this time machines were widely replacing human muscle. The advanced technology could now do most jobs, regularly done by humans, better and faster. New machines even changed farming, a common job among the working class or poor. There were some cases of multimillionaires who started in poverty, but this was not usually the case. With the lack of jobs due to new machinery, many impoverished individuals were worse off then their previous low. Desperate for work, many poor people had to take the unhealthy, dangerous, backbreaking work. As a result, it seems the wealthy were the primary individuals being benefited, since they were the ones becoming more rich and well off, while sadly the poor become poorer.
A good argument could be presented for either why the government should or should not regulate private industry. On one hand, as Justin brought up, the Constitution and Declaration of Independence protect those who start private industries. He also mentioned lassiez faire and brought up good points about this country’s beliefs in free market economics. However, on the other side of things, if the government completely looked the other way on all private industries, there could be corruption in the industry. Without government interference there could be an unbalanced economy between the rich and poor. Therefore, the best result would probably be if the government stayed involved without completely taking over what the industry started on its own.
Sam Murphy
2/3/8
The so-called "Gilded Age" in American history had a different meaning for each of the racial/ethnic groups that lived at the time. In his essay describing the time period, Howard Zinn catalogs the troubles of each of these different groups. As Zinn states in his essay, the Gilded Age meant more riches for the rich, and less respect and money for the poor/working classes. Though the United States did, as a whole, benefit the rich in endeavors, to say that every politician in the government at that time supported the overworking and underpaying of the working class would be wrong. However, the overall effect of the government was to increase the already troubling gulf forming between the rich and the poor.
In an ideal democracy, the government should have complete control over the companies within its borders. This would serve to create a market that would benefit the majorities that elects politicians, who would have control over the trade system. While it would undo the power of the rich, it would create a baseline that all citizens would fall to, creating economic equality. Contrary to Justin's views in his post, a completely free market creates and has created overpricing on both luxuries and essentials to living. Take, for example the price of gasoline- if the government regulated the price, while it would do in the big corporations who sell the gas, it would ultimately lead to everyone being able to afford gasoline. This plan would also benefit the working class, as the government would control wages, which would be decided by officals elected by the people. This plan would have been especially useful during the guilded age, and would have led to many workers having been paid adequately.
Sarah Berfond
Block B
The Gilded Age lasted from the 1870s to 1900. During that time businessmen resorted to monopoly, trickery and corruption in order to gain wealth and power while the lower class suffered in low wage jobs with horrible working conditions. Although technology greatly advanced the economy it did not benefit the majority of the population. Howard Zinn describes the political and economical aspects of the Gilded Age in his article “Robber Baron And Rebels.” As supported by the article, the government’s actions and political policies during the age favored the wealthy while, punishing the poor and working classes. During the era many new businesses were built by wealthy class citizens who were strongly supported by the government. The American government allowed monopolies and secret money payments by business owners. These policies served to limit competition in certain industries and allowed the monopolists to abuse the labor force with low wages and long hours. Howard Zinn describes one company taking over others in the same field and firing many unneeded workers. If the government had intervened to prevent the financial abuse there may have been opportunities for the workers to organize and improve their situation. The workers were in effect desperate for jobs and money and therefore accepted whatever was given.
Private Industry can have similar effects as described in Howard Zinn’s analysis of the Gilded Age. Although private industry should not be regulated or controlled by the government, there should be some laws to prevent monopolies from controlling industries to the detriment of society. For example, one company should not be allowed to dominate another and become the only one in its category. Also, the government should regulate working conditions and wages to prevent the financial inequities from being overwhelming.
Response to Jackie’s Comment: I agree with your opinion regarding private industry. It is important for the government to have some input in business without having total control. The United States needs to protect workers by contributing to private industries by respect businessmen and their work by not having total jurisdiction.
Margaret Scalesci =]
Block- B
2-3-08
When the Civil war ended, something needed to be done to fix everything because America was not in a good state. This war deeply affected America because it was America fighting against itself so there was a lot of damage. During this time the Reconstruction period occurred, this was a way to try and get America back on its feet. According to Robber Barons and Rebels by Howard Zinn, this advancement was only going to help the rich get even richer and not help the poor at all; the Gilded age. This system doesn’t seem like such a good one because it is only beneficial to the rich and takes advantage of the already struggling poor. “The industrial and political elites of North and South would take hold of the country and organize the greatest march of economic growth in human history.” According to this quote taken from Zinn’s Robber Barons and Rebels, it seems that the richer people of the country were going to “take over” and make the country work for them. Also, the poor were working in terrible working conditions, affecting their health, but the rich didn’t care about that but they only cared about themselves and how they could make more money. During this time there were many technological advances, making things go quicker but eliminating many jobs for people who needed it. Instead of people working in factories, the machines did all the work eliminating the need for the people. In a way this was good that America was becoming more advanced, but it was eliminating jobs for the people. Farming was easier and quicker with the advances and ice made it possible for food to shipped over long distances. These were plusses because there was a speedier process for things, meaning that more money could be made quicker. Even though America was becoming more advanced this didn’t mean that it would benefit the whole population because it only benefited a select group; the rich.
I agree with Howard Zinn, that economic policies during the gilded age helped the rich get ahead and hurt the poor, leaving them worse off then they were. This seems like a corrupt time during American History because the businessmen cheated their way into making more money and hurting many people along the way. It seems to have helped the economy of American but terribly hurt the poor that were greatly affected by the changes. Also, Private businesses need to be regulated and the government should have some control over them because we don’t want them becoming too powerful or becoming monopolies. Then they would take over other business, hurting others but only helping themselves. Also, the working conditions in private companies need to be looked at just in case there is something wrong going on.
In response to Sarah’s comment:
I do agree with what you said about the rich businessmen during this time who were corrupt and would sink to low levels just achieve more success for themselves not caring about who they hurt along the way. I think that the U.S. government should have done something about this because many poor people were being affected because there was nothing they could do about it, because they were powerless. The government should not have favored the wealthy because they were hurting the poor by leaving them aside.
The late 19th century brought a large change to the economy of the United States. Thanks to the Gilded Age/beginning of the Industrial Revolution, machine replaced man, and connecting the nation became inevitable. Technological developments started appearing left and right, such as Thomas Edison's phonograph and James Duke's cigarette roller. Along with these developments came a new form of business, the monopoly.
The government's actions in this era benefited only the wealthy businessmen, with multi-millionaires and even billionaires emerging in the nation. However, as the rich became richer, the poor became poorer, as in the case of the TransContinental railroad. Labourers were being mistreated and dying due to the dangerous conditions of building the railroad, whilst steel and oil tycoons such as John Rockefeller and Andrew Carnegie were filling their pockets with bonds and revenue.
The Gilded Age also brought upon many civil rights issues such as African Americans being exploited for "day labour" purposes to the beginning of the womens rights movements, which were to drag on for years and years to come. Native Americans also posed a problem for connecting the East and West Coasts. As tracks were being built on their lands, they fought back, resulting in many Native and labourer deaths.
In my opinion, the government should not regulate the private industry to a large extent. Monopolies should be outlawed, but the government should not have a definite say in the private sector. By nationalizing business in the private sector, wouldn't it be contradicting our capitalist beliefs?
I happen to quite like the quote from Howard Zinn that Margaret uses in her answer, it embodies the acts of the north and south well :]
Economic policies that emerged in the "Gilded Age" benefited only the wealthy in the period after the civil war. Constantly the policies and Supreme Court decision seem to reinforce the fact that only the wealthy can use the law to their advantage. Companies and millionaires paid governments billions in bribes to get their way, and the sad part is that they actually did get their way. Bribes, in fact, were not only paid to governments, but to anyone who could be helpful, too. “Morgan had escaped military service in the Civil War by paying $300 to a substitute. So did John D. Rockefeller, Andrew Carnegie, Philip Armour, Jay Gould, and James Mellon.” With their own agenda now secured, these wealthy millionaires could then set out “bribing” the nation. By becoming “philanthropists” and donating large sums of money to the American education system, these men could essentially brainwash the future of the country. Laws were even passed prohibiting certain textbooks to be too “partisan.” Even the Anti-Sherman Trust Act was watered down ridiculously. Every interpretation of the Act Congress made simply allowed monopolies more and more freedom instead of limiting them like they should have been. Like Heather stated, there were deep divisions between the poor and the wealthy, and these problems just made those divisions even more evident. Immigrants in particular were affected by this. These poor workers who came to America in search of a better life many times found an even worse one from which they left. Faced with discrimination from both the government and the private sector, the jobs that were available to them offered ridiculous risks and extremely low pay, yet the wealthy failed to notice their plight, so concerned were they with their own agenda.
The reason behind all these problems was the government’s attempts to regulate private industry. If the government stuck by their original decisions concerning economic policy and refused to be involved with the wealthy who were attempting to take over the nation, the government could have instead turned their focus to the real problem of plight of the poor, not of the rich. Because they didn’t however, when the poor did try to rise up and change their economic situation, the reaction of the government was quite negative such as in April 1886 in East St. Louis. Strikes and Unions were looked upon with contempt and sometimes downright banned. The government very badly needed to sort out its priorities in relation to economic welfare. Whose interests were they supposed to be looking out for, the wealthy or the poor? It is this question that, once posed, resulted in a change of policy.
Michelle Shed: Block B
AP US History
February 3rd, 2008
Howard Zinn's "Robber Barons and Rebels" emphasizes how the use of machinery and advancement of technology furthered America as a nation, but weakened America in the terms of social class. Before the Civil War it took 61 hours of labor to produce an acre of wheat. By 1900, it took 3 hours, 19 minutes. This led to an increase in railroads, steel, and national banks.
During the 1900's, there were a huge amount of monopolies. The individual owner of each monopoly was extremely wealthy. Yet, ninety percent of the owners came from middle class or the upper class families. The owners of each individual monopoly were extremely powerful in terms of wealth and social society. Men like Andrew Carnegie, John D. Rockefeller, and J.P. Morgan bribed their way out of serving during the Civil War. “And so it went, in industry after industry-shrewd, efficient businessmen building empires, choking out competition, maintaining high prices, keeping wages low, using government subsidies.” During the Gilded Age, men like Carnegie, Rockefeller, and Morgan were multimillionaires, making a huge amount of money a year. Yet, monopolies contributed to ninety five percent of America’s wealth. The problem was that there were an extraordinary amount of monopolies, but the workers were either extremely poor, or not receiving a huge salary. The monopolies had power from the government because they contributed wealth to the nation. However, with more industrialization and machinery, there was a fewer need for workers. As a result, the work that men, women, and immigrants had to do was either very dangerous or paid very little.
The economic policies that emerged in the Gilded Age benefit the wealthy and punish the poor/working classes. When J.P. Morgan formed the U.S. Steel Corporation, he had 200,000 men working twelve hours a day for wages that barely kept their families alive. Basically, the wealthy were profiting off of their workers and machinery. " Meanwhile, the government of the United States was behaving almost exactly as Karl Marx described a capitalist state: pretending neutrality to maintain order, but serving the interests of the rich. Not that the rich agreed among themselves; they had disputes over policies. But the purpose of the state was to settle upper-class disputes peacefully, control lower-class rebellion, and adopt policies that would further the long-range stability of the system."
In 1887, with a huge surplus in the treasury, Grover Cleveland vetoed a bill appropriating $100,000 to give relief to Texas farmers to help them buy seed grain during a drought. He said: "Federal aid in such cases encourages the expectation of paternal care on the part of the government and weakens the sturdiness of our national character." But that same year, Cleveland used his gold surplus to pay off wealthy bondholders at $28 above the $100 value of each bond-a gift of $45 million. Chinese immigrants, brought in by the railroads to do the backbreaking labor at pitiful wages, numbered 75,000 in California, almost one-tenth of the population. African Americans were paid seventy-five cents a day for working in the sugar fields. When immigrants and the poor revolted, they were beaten, arrested, or killed. There were many strikes and riots throughout the 1900's.
" The new immigrants became laborers, housepainters, stonecutters, ditch diggers. They were often imported en masse by contractors. One Italian man, told he was going to Connecticut to work on the railroad, was taken instead to sulfate mines in the South, where he and his fellows were watched over by armed guards in their barracks and in the mines, given only enough money to pay for their railroad fare and tools, and very little to eat. He and others decided to escape. They were captured at gunpoint, ordered to work or die; they still refused and were brought before a judge, put in manacles, and, five months after their arrival, finally dismissed. "My comrades took the train for New York. I had only one dollar, and with this, not knowing either the country or the language, I had to walk to New York. After forty-two days I arrived in the city utterly exhausted."
It's not a crime for a nation to have private businesses, but when a nation has so many strikes, and only a class of wealthy or poor, the power of private businesses has to be toned down a notch. Private businesses are a great aspect, but they shouldn’t have more power than the government.
Dominique D. Johnson
Block B.
February 3, 2008
The gilded age of 1878 to 1900s was the transformation of America's industrial system. More machines were used, which replaced workers. The popular production of iron and steel increased tremendously and Western resources such as lumber, gold, and silver increased the demand for improved transportation. With the production of new useful demanding resources transportation developed.Railroad development boomed as trains moved goods from the resource-rich West to the East. Steel and oil were a great demand. This industry produced a lot of wealth for a number of businessmen like John D. Rockefeller and Andrew Carnegie, known as the Robber Barons. These robber barons became rich through ruthless business deals that left many immigrants poor and out of work. According to Mark Twain’s novel The Gilded Age, the Gilded Age was named from the many great fortunes created during this period and the way of life the wealth supported.The Gilded Age, which came after the reconstruction era and followed the Civil War, constructed greedy business men to wisely use this era as an opportunity to become wealthy.JP Morgan sold items that were dangerous for soldiers for the tripled the amount that he paid for.
Jobs became more scarce and competitive as the wealthy continued to prosper since they paid eager works “chump change”. Howard Zinn’s "Robber Barons and Rebels" exemplified the era of the rich getting richer and the poorer getting poorer as well as the government ignoring the discrimination in the workforce either because of the race or sex. The uncontrollable, ignored regulation of discrimination led to the uprising of the civil-rights movement for African- American and feminist movements. There was a separation in the working clas according to the race which also led to conflicts among immigrants. “How the immigration of different ethnic groups contributed to the fragmentation of the working class, how conflicts developed among groups facing the same difficult conditions, is shown in an article in a Bohemian newspaper, Svornost, of February 27, 1880.”
Many Americans began to quote the Communist Manifesto. They wanted to abolish the gap between the rich and the poor and make everyone "well-off" financially balanced. There were many ideas wavering in the air about suggestions to fix the crisis. Henry George suggested that the government should tax the richer more and tax the poor lesser. His dogma was not popularly supported. Riots among workers was ranking the scale and becoming popular. Many workers felt the need to boycott in order to defend their dignity and work in a justified work place with better treatment.
William McKinley became president and promised low class the restoration of “financial honor.”
Response To Teresa:
As a wealthy businesswoman during that period in time, I probably would not vote for McKinley for the simple fact that I was an opportunist who was out to make money regardless of who I will step on in order to achieve. Although, it is wrong that workers were discriminated, the truth of the matter is that anyone who was out to make money during that era would be blinded by money.
The Gilded Era, or the Golden Era, came about towards the end of the Reconstruction Era with the oppressive nature of the Civil War, a small pocket of attempts at civil rights movements came about from the likes of feminists, African-Americans, European and Chinese immagrints. Through these pockets, capitalist business men jumped at the chance to gain access this new and growing labour market. Businessmen, regardless of locations could establish businesses without a problem thanks to the populous working class demographic. However, with the Industrial Revolution in swing, the nuts and bolts of machines were rapidly replacing the arms and hands of workers. This technological advance allowed businessmen to charge whatever price they felt was right for the work being done. As we are aware, humans are generally ill-natured people and started under-charging their workers. These sudden wage cuts caused s great stir among workers, yet the government was hesistant to act! Shocking? Nope! At this point company executives were practically buying the government out to hault socio-economic change for workers, and trust me, it was an offer they couldn't refuse. The economy was on the up-swing, and if there's anything a politican loves more than power, it's cash.
Thankfully, wages no longer work this way, there is a minimum wage that every company must pay it's employees. Obviously the United States government was corrupt and wrong in it's avoidancy. It should've kept better tabs on the dire situation of it's workers. Had it done so, perhaps conditions for workers today would be even petter. It's sad that the working class had to defend itself in the face of government officials, and business big-wigs. This downward spiral for the working class was put to a stop when President McKinley was put into office. He had aspirations and dreams of ending these injustices, so he distracted everyone by creating national hype in order to bond people together.
Did the US government's actions in this era benefit the nation as a whole or (as Zinn seems to believe) did the economic policies that emerged in the Gilded Age benefit the wealthy and punish the poor/working classes?
The US government’s actions in the Gilded Age defiantly benefitted the wealthy and punished the poor. Howard Zinn suggests this and has a vast amount of info to prove this With the rich already possessing much of the nation’s wealth, government actions benefitted the upper classes by protecting monopolies, low wages and high Tarriffs.
The US government helped monopolies emerge. The Central Pacific railroad company for example bribed Washington for 24 million acres of free land which led to the development of the Transcontinental Railroad. The Union Pacific Company also received 12 million acres of free land. Banks later started putting their money into the Railroad monopoly, and thus, the Railroad monopoly grew stronger. Of the six huge systems in the railroad system, Morgan owned 4 of them, and the other two were controlled by banks. Therefore, this led to low wages, high prices and arguably bad service. This was a huge negative effect for the poor, as they commonly used the trains and worked to build railroads. It’s even estimated that over 20,000 workers died or were injured working on railroads. Hence, with the US government taking bribes from many companies, monopolies flourished.
Moreover, the US government helped maintain these monopolies. High Tarriffs were imposed to keep foreign competition down. Hence, companies can charge more for their products in the face of no foreign competition. The fourteenth amendment was also used to protect companies from being influenced by the state governments. For instance, when a state attempted to regulate certain companies, the US government said it cannot be done, as the fourteenth amendment, meant to protect black rights, states that a man has a right to his property. The Interstate Commerce Act of 1887 was also enacted to supposedly benefit the consumers, but it benefitted the railroad companies. It was named nominal by the owners of the railroad companies, as it successfully calmed the poor. The US government also made another nominal law known The Sherman Anti-Trust Act, passed in 1890, was made to protect commerce. However, the Supreme Court used the act to punish strikers, as they were in restraint of trade. The act was also used to protect monopolies, as these companies were only manufacturing not trading, thus irrelevant in the act. President Benjamin Harrison often even put down strikes by the use of soldiers. Finally, the US government didn’t enact as many as 230 laws to regulate corporations. The US government though was not the only one making the poor basically obey.
Schools and Churches were used to keep the poor content in these harsh times. For instance, schools taught the poor to be content and obeying. The students were often compared to robots. The students were taught that the rich are rich, as they deserve it. The students learned that the poor are poor, because they have sinned. Thus, the rich were viewed as morally correct and deserving of a luxurious lifestyle. The church also worked to keep the poor content by preaching of a fictional heaven. Many were told that even though they are poor, if they behave they will have a better afterlife. Hence, even what was well trusted worked to make the poor obey instead of actually helping.
The poor was punished, as they had to live through extremely tough times. Workers were paid very little, and most only had enough money to afford food and a really cheap accommodation. What’s worse, prices weren’t going down, they were extremely high for the amount of money the average worker made. Housing was also of very poor quality. Construction companies cut corners to make accommodations as cheap as possible for the poor, and thus, even new accommodations were uncomfortable. Revolts were usually put down harshly, and those who participated were usually arrested. Under these hard conditions, the poor was miserable.
To what extent should the government regulate private industry?
The government should do very little to regulate private industry. The government needs to prevent monopolies in any shape from forming; Monopolies in trading, manufacturing, banking, etc. Moreover, the government needs to keep Tarriffs on foreign products at the right amount to keep US corporations from over pricing or underpricing. For instance, a high tariff would encourage high pricing, and thus, there is little encouragement to make products better and cheaper. Low tariffs with really good foreign competition would only destroy US corporations that cannot compete. Therefore, just the right amount of tariff is needed.
“Therefore, the best result would probably be if the government stayed involved without completely taking over what the industry started on its own,” stated Jaclyn. I completely agree with you, as equilibrium would benefit the people overall. Too much regulation would only lead to the abuse of power, and too little regulation would also lead to the abuse of power by the industries, corporations, etc.
Also, I just have to say this. 20008 can be compared to the Gilded Age, For instance, the Rich received tax cuts by the Bush administration. That’s about a 100 billion dollars that could’ve been used to pay the huge debt that this country has to pay to other nations. I believe it’s 9 trillion. Another fact, 1% of US citizens own all the wealth in the U.S. That’s worse when compared to the gilded Age.
1% owns 99% of the wealth. My previous statement was wrong...
Ashley A: E
Liana : E
Marco: E
Jaclyn: S+: you didn't respond to a peer, change this and I will raise your grade - the summary was excellent.
(I'm still grading this one)
You all did a phenomenal job with this assignment. I take it economics is a "hot topic" for this group - can't wait for today's mini-debate!
The period between the 1870s to the 1900s in American history is known as the Gilded Age. This is a period displays major growth in the population and large amounts of wealth within the middle and upper class. During this period the upper class greatly expands in the United States. Entrepreneurs, such as Vanderbilt, Rockefeller, Carnegie and Morgan made there fortunes during this time. The richest of the rich were know as "robber barons" because of their abuse of power and sometimes unethical financial manipulation. Without cheap labor, however, they would have gotten nowhere. The industrial workers were the key to their success. But as the rich kept on getting richer and the poor kept on getting poorer, advancements in society threw the workers in the ditch as they became less and less important as machinery substituted them. Workers attempted to challenge the authority of the rich with labor union movements but they all failed at the time.
The US government's actions in this era benefit the nation but not as a whole. The lower class wasn't progressing. A large amount of the middle class was moving up to upper class, and those that know how to play the game well moved up to the super wealthy class. As the upper class grew so did the country. No one was complaining about the country growing at an increasing rate. As the country grew as did its power. The only ones in misery during this time were the poor and not many cared about them.
As the Constitution states, all men are created equal. This means that everyone hard to start somewhere and they all had to work their way up. In a true democratic government, based on what the founding fathers built, what is yours it yours; doesn't matter how much or how little. The government should have right taking away something one has worked for because of the excuse "you have too much".
Answer to Teresa's comment:
If I were an upper class elite I would have not voted for McKinley because he put huge tariffs on imported goods. He also upheld the gold standard. And worst of all he promoted diversity among ethnic groups. As a man of power, on top of worrying about tariffs and gold standards, diversity threatens me the most because as a white man I would like to only worry about the white race climbing up the charts with me. Non-whites are too dangerous, don't deserved to be trusted and should stay where they belong, the lower and middle class.
Great Post .... Please Keep Writing ... Thanks for sharing...
Homework Help | Assignment Help
Our Statistics homework help service provides statistics assignment help, statistics dissertation, math homework help and online tutoring to students with very low fees. Statistics homework help
Assignment Help has online solution for students problem like mathematics, physics, chemistry, statistics, accounting, computer science in Australia. Assignment Help Australia
If I need assignment help, I used to Get help from my qualified English writers! My essays will be edited and proofread for spelling and grammatical mistakes from the experts for a very word and sentences, To find out more information , just visit writepass.co.uk/services/essays
Very Informative post with image you gave to us, really helpful I would like to share something really helpful for education.
make my assignment
Post a Comment