Post by colegillespie on Jan 28, 2016 21:03:49 GMT
Andrew Yates, Cole Gillespie, Erik Roise, Nicholas Scopazzi
Prompt: In the post-Civil War United States, corporations grew significantly in number, size, and influence. Analyze the impact of big business on the economy and politics and the responses of Americans to these changes. Confine your answer to the period 1870 to 1900.
Explanation: The prompt is asking for the effects of the increased power of businesses and why they are important to the economy, in politics, and to everyday people.
Thesis: Big business in the 1870s to 1900 cause the economy to improve overall, especially in the favor of the rich, politics to be more influenced by the rich, and led to many American workers feeling powerless against the rich.
Introduction: Following the end of the civil war, many American industrial resources were moved from the production of weapons to the production of goods. This led to a large increase in the power of American industry, making America one of the fastest industrializing countries in the world. However, this increased economic power came at the price of fewer rights for the poor Americans, who were left mostly without means to support themselves or their families. Big business in the 1870s to 1900 cause the economy to improve overall, especially in the favor of the rich, politics to be more influenced by the rich, and led to many American workers feeling powerless against the rich.
Consumerism:
1872-Montgomery Ward - 1st mail order catalog. - broke monopolies held by local general stores over
Macys - NY
Jordan Marsh and Filene's - Boston
Wanamakers - Philadelphia
Sears-Roebook - introduced fashion/home decor trends to isolated people through mail order catalogs
Departement Stores
Created jobs for women
Promoted leisure activities/city beautiful movement
1879-F.W. Woolworth opened first "Five and Ten Cent Store"-Utica, NY
Political Machines:
Big business -> tenements -> union bosses providing protection in return for votes
Boss Rule affected NY, Chicago, elsewhere
Political corruption, honest/dishonest graft
Abused public funds for private benefit
Fire, disease, pollution in cities due to cramped spaces
Unions:
Taylorism led to less power for workers, so unions were formed in order to combat strength of corporations
Affected politics by combating unfair business practices
AFL, Nights of Labor, Molly Maguires, other unions
-Strikes:
Great Railroad Strike: "Illustrated how disputes between workers and employers could no longer be localized in the increasingly national economy"
Homestead Strike: Steel company cut wages, Union cut wages, unions fought against private agency, pinkertons, trying to break the strike. National Guard called in, union defeated.
1885 - won abolition of contract labor law, 8 hour workday on public works in 1868, 8 hour worday on government projects in 1892, more safety laws, compensation for injured workers, child labor laws
52k miles -> 163k miles of track over time period
Outline:
Introduction
-possible example above
Unions
Political Machines
Mass Consumerism
Conclusion
-Tie everything together, ensure sufficient response to prompt.
Prompt: In the post-Civil War United States, corporations grew significantly in number, size, and influence. Analyze the impact of big business on the economy and politics and the responses of Americans to these changes. Confine your answer to the period 1870 to 1900.
Explanation: The prompt is asking for the effects of the increased power of businesses and why they are important to the economy, in politics, and to everyday people.
Thesis: Big business in the 1870s to 1900 cause the economy to improve overall, especially in the favor of the rich, politics to be more influenced by the rich, and led to many American workers feeling powerless against the rich.
Introduction: Following the end of the civil war, many American industrial resources were moved from the production of weapons to the production of goods. This led to a large increase in the power of American industry, making America one of the fastest industrializing countries in the world. However, this increased economic power came at the price of fewer rights for the poor Americans, who were left mostly without means to support themselves or their families. Big business in the 1870s to 1900 cause the economy to improve overall, especially in the favor of the rich, politics to be more influenced by the rich, and led to many American workers feeling powerless against the rich.
Consumerism:
1872-Montgomery Ward - 1st mail order catalog. - broke monopolies held by local general stores over
Macys - NY
Jordan Marsh and Filene's - Boston
Wanamakers - Philadelphia
Sears-Roebook - introduced fashion/home decor trends to isolated people through mail order catalogs
Departement Stores
Created jobs for women
Promoted leisure activities/city beautiful movement
1879-F.W. Woolworth opened first "Five and Ten Cent Store"-Utica, NY
Political Machines:
Big business -> tenements -> union bosses providing protection in return for votes
Boss Rule affected NY, Chicago, elsewhere
Political corruption, honest/dishonest graft
Abused public funds for private benefit
Fire, disease, pollution in cities due to cramped spaces
Unions:
Taylorism led to less power for workers, so unions were formed in order to combat strength of corporations
Affected politics by combating unfair business practices
AFL, Nights of Labor, Molly Maguires, other unions
-Strikes:
Great Railroad Strike: "Illustrated how disputes between workers and employers could no longer be localized in the increasingly national economy"
Homestead Strike: Steel company cut wages, Union cut wages, unions fought against private agency, pinkertons, trying to break the strike. National Guard called in, union defeated.
1885 - won abolition of contract labor law, 8 hour workday on public works in 1868, 8 hour worday on government projects in 1892, more safety laws, compensation for injured workers, child labor laws
52k miles -> 163k miles of track over time period
Outline:
Introduction
-possible example above
Unions
Political Machines
Mass Consumerism
Conclusion
-Tie everything together, ensure sufficient response to prompt.