What were some of the first big businesses in the United States? What were some of the benefits brought by these businesses? What were some of the problems?
One of the first biggest businesses in the United States was the development of railroads. Within a short period, such an influential figure of the developing world as Andrew Carnegie achieved success to due considerable investments in railroads (Oakes et al. 488). This business brought several benefits for different industries like telegraphy or even oil production. Still, some problems appeared because of constant migrations to particular cities so that it was hard to control population growth and demands.
How did the industrialization of the workplace affect American workers?
The impact of industrialization on the American workplace was huge indeed, and one of the aspects which underwent considerable changes was gender inequalities and, as a result, the promotion of gender hierarchies. Even though industrialization promoted strict control of discipline at workplaces, this kind of development deprived women of the same opportunities to work as those available for men (Oakes et al. 495). This is why American industrialization was one of the most evident reasons why current workplaces are still gendered prejudiced.
What were the “Knights of Labor”? What was its purpose and what helped lead to its downfall?
The conditions under which people had to work during the 1880s were rather disappointing because rich people did not want to provide their poor workers with appropriate tools, technologies, and services (Oakes et al. 551). The Knights of Labor was one of the first attempts to underline how unfair the conditions for work were and how terrible the employers’ treatment was. The main purposes set were all about the working day (8 hours) and types of labor promoted (child and convinced labor had to be stopped). Still, so many people were eager to join the organization, and with time, it became impossible to control and organize the anger inherent to the member. This is what led the organization the “Knights of Labor” to its downfall.
How do the Knights of Labor compare with the American Federation of Labor?
Even though the Knights of Labor and the American Federation of Labor tried to achieve the same purposes and improve the conditions under which people had to work, there were still several differences between them, and one of the most urgent was the nature of their reputations. The American Federation of Labor was characterized by a more conservative reputation, and in comparison to the Knights who were eager to accept all workers in need, the American Federation of Labor paid attention to skilled workers only.
What was Social Darwinism and how does it apply to late 19th American society?
Social Darwinism was one of the most popular ideologies supported by the representatives of the American Industrial Revolution in the middle of the 1880s. Its essence was about the necessity for social classes to survive under the current economical conditions as a result of which various kinds of racism were developed (Oakes et al. 525).
How did immigration and industrialization affect American cities?
Before the revolution began, the population in each American city did not reach even one million. However, the process of industrialization caused high levels of migration as a result of which the vast majority of cities were populated considerably so that it was difficult to consider new religions, traditions, manners, and demands. The vast majority of immigrants had to earn for living by a variety of methods and take work at home to get more opportunities to survive (The Urban Log Cabin).
Using the Urban Log Cabin as a reference, what were some of the differences between people living in 1870 and 1915? What do these differences tell you about change in this period?
The period between 1870 and 1915 is short, still, there are interesting aspects to be observed to underline differences between these periods (The Urban Log Cabin). The living conditions had been improved with time: proper lighting, better clothes, and more convenient furnished apartments. Still, there were the same doubts, uncertainties, and fears inherent to people and inabilities to cope with all those challenges set by a newly industrialized society. This conclusion is made due to the pictures offered and the conditions of people on them.
Works Cited
Oakes, James, McGerr, Michael, Lewis, Jan, Cullather, Nick, and Boydston, Jeanne. Of People: A History of the United States. Cary, NC: Oxford University Press, 2009. Print.
“The Urban Log Cabin.”Thirteen: New York Public Media. 2010. Web.