THE AGE OF RAILROADS. 1. What problems did employees of the railroad companies face? Life...

THE AGE OF

RAILROADS

1. What problems did employees of the railroad

companies face?•Life threatening conditions

•Low pay•Discrimination by race or nationality

2. What was it like to live as a Pullman employee in the town

of Pullman?

•Very Clean & Very Safe•Too controlling; Residents

had no say in town rules

Pullman, Illinois

• Pullman

Sixteen Tons

Tennessee Ernie Ford

3. Who was involved in Cre’dit Mobilier, and what was the purpose of this company

• Railroad Bosses & Union Pacific Stockholders• To skim profits from large contracts

4. In what ways did the railroad companies use their

power to hurt farmers?•Sold land grants to businesses instead of settlers

•Fixed prices to keep farmers in debt

•Race discrimination

5. Why didn’t the decision in the Munn v. Illinois case

succeed in checking the power of the railroads?

•Supreme Court overturns the decision

•“States cannot set rates on interstate commerce”

6. Why didn’t the interstate commerce Act immediately

limit the power of the railroads?•Long Legal processes

•Resistance of the RR•Supreme Court rules against maximum rates