What’s a What’s a Government to Do?Government to Do?

Laissez FaireLaissez Faire Economic PolicyEconomic Policy Businesses should make their own Businesses should make their own

decisionsdecisions Government regulation is not Government regulation is not

needed and may even be harmfulneeded and may even be harmful

Unions Fight for Unions Fight for Workers’ RightsWorkers’ Rights

Haymarket Riot Haymarket Riot Chicago Chicago 18661866 Labor rally turned violent Labor rally turned violent

when a bomb exploded.when a bomb exploded.

Unions Make StridesUnions Make Strides

Collective bargaining – Collective bargaining – representatives for the representatives for the workers and for the workers and for the management work together management work together to agree on pay, working to agree on pay, working conditions, benefits…conditions, benefits…

Mediation – Mediation – a third party a third party helps workers and helps workers and management agree on a management agree on a contractcontract

Populist PartyPopulist Party Power to the PeoplePower to the People

-coinage of silver-coinage of silver-income tax-income tax-railroad regulation-railroad regulation-direct election of senators-direct election of senators

Farmers and the Populist Farmers and the Populist MovementMovement

Why had farming Why had farming become become unprofitable during unprofitable during this period?this period? Falling prices Falling prices

(surplus of crops(surplus of crops High transportation High transportation

costs (railroads were costs (railroads were very powerful)very powerful)

Scarcity of good land Scarcity of good land (poor weather/ (poor weather/ drought)drought)

High Interest RatesHigh Interest Rates

Why did farmers Why did farmers support free coinage of support free coinage of SilverSilver To cause inflation To cause inflation

“cheap money“cheap money They hoped that if more They hoped that if more

money was available money was available they would get more of itthey would get more of it

They felt the gold They felt the gold standard favored big standard favored big industriesindustries

Solutions for FarmersSolutions for Farmers

Free silver – Free silver – more coins means more more coins means more money for farmersmoney for farmers

The GrangeThe Grange – farmers demand gov. control – farmers demand gov. control of railroads (so they can transport crops of railroads (so they can transport crops cheaply)cheaply)

Solutions for FarmersSolutions for Farmers

Free Silver Free Silver

Interstate Interstate Commerce ActCommerce Act Gov. regulates Gov. regulates

trade between trade between statesstates

BIG BusinessBIG Business Corporation – stockholders share profits but Corporation – stockholders share profits but

are not personally responsible for debtsare not personally responsible for debts Monopoly – One company controls the sale Monopoly – One company controls the sale

and distribution of a product of serviceand distribution of a product of service

I owe my soul to the company I owe my soul to the company store…store…

Company town – community where a Company town – community where a corporation owns the factory, corporation owns the factory, housing, and shoppinghousing, and shopping

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QxGp1p2zVeQ

Sherman Anti-Trust ActSherman Anti-Trust Act 18901890 Banned monopoliesBanned monopolies Companies had to allow competition Companies had to allow competition

and could not form unfair trustsand could not form unfair trusts

What the Rich Told What the Rich Told ThemselvesThemselves

Gospel of Wealth – the rich give back Gospel of Wealth – the rich give back by building hospitals, libraries, by building hospitals, libraries, colleges, museums, and churchescolleges, museums, and churches

Social Darwinism – The rich were rich Social Darwinism – The rich were rich because of their good genes. If poor because of their good genes. If poor people suffer and die, it might be for people suffer and die, it might be for their own good because they’re their own good because they’re simply not simply not fit to survive.fit to survive.

What the Rich Called What the Rich Called ThemselvesThemselves

Entrepreneur – someone who takes Entrepreneur – someone who takes risks and invests money into starting risks and invests money into starting a businessa business

What Other People Called the What Other People Called the Uber RichUber Rich

Robber Barons – business leaders who used Robber Barons – business leaders who used didhonest methods to grow richdidhonest methods to grow rich

Bring Your Poor and Bring Your Poor and Huddled Masses….Huddled Masses….

Tenements – poorly Tenements – poorly built apartments in citiesbuilt apartments in cities

Ghetto – usually poor Ghetto – usually poor neighborhood where neighborhood where recent immigrants lived recent immigrants lived togethertogether

Bring Us Your Poor and Bring Us Your Poor and Huddled MassesHuddled Masses

Settlement house – community center where Settlement house – community center where poor immigrants could go for education and poor immigrants could go for education and social servicessocial services

Bring Us Your Poor and Bring Us Your Poor and Huddled Masses….Huddled Masses….

PluralismPluralism People of all races People of all races

and ethnicities are and ethnicities are distinct but have distinct but have equal social standingequal social standing

AssimilationAssimilation One cultural group is One cultural group is

absorbed into absorbed into anotheranother

Bring Us Your Poor and Huddled Bring Us Your Poor and Huddled MassesMasses

Nativism – a policy of favoring native-born Nativism – a policy of favoring native-born individuals over foreign-born onesindividuals over foreign-born ones

Bring Us Your Poor and Huddled Bring Us Your Poor and Huddled Masses….Masses….

Political machine – system in urban areas Political machine – system in urban areas where political party “Bosses” controlled where political party “Bosses” controlled neighborhood governmentneighborhood government

What About the First AmericansWhat About the First Americans

Dawes ActDawes Act 18871887 Removed land from Removed land from

tribal possession and tribal possession and distributed it among distributed it among individual Indian individual Indian familiesfamilies

Broke down tribesBroke down tribes Promote individualismPromote individualism

What the Charts Say…What the Charts Say…

What the Charts Say…What the Charts Say…

What the Charts SayWhat the Charts Say