UNIT 9 AMERICA EMERGES AS A WORLD POWER

UNIT 9: AMERICA EMERGES AS A WORLD POWER (1870 -1914) 3 Major Themes: 1. Rise of “Big Business” and the “Robber Barons” of the “Gilded Age” 2. The American Labor Movement: workers fight for rights 3. U. S. expands its influence beyond its shores

Theme #1: Big Biz in the “Gilded Age” 3 ingredients that turned the nation into the world’s leading economy: Ingredient #1: Abundant and available natural resources: for example… a) Coal fields of the Appalachians (PA, WV, KY) b) Iron ore in The Great Lakes region c) Petroleum (PA, TX, WY, OK, etc. )

Ingredient #2: Huge labor pool: 2 Sources A) Immigration: 1. 1840 -90, most from northern Europe (UK, Germany, Scand. ) 2. 1890 -1920, most from southern OR eastern Europe (Italy, Poland, Russia)

Cheap Labor (cont. ) B) Migration from the deep south (poor southern whites and former slaves left the rural south and went to large cities in the north). Many found work as unskilled laborers in mines, factories, and mills.

Ingredient #3: Strong Business Leadership: Ø Most talented young men went into business, not politics or professional careers (doctor, lawyer, etc. ). Ø Many built large corporations that controlled entire industries. Ø Some became very wealthy at the same time the avg. worker struggled to survive.

A Few of the “Robber Barons”: § § § § John D. Rockefeller: Started Standard Oil (now Exxon-Mobil). Andrew Carnegie: Built U. S. Steel Corp. Charles Pillsbury: You know, the doughboy! Andrew Mellon & JP Morgan: Banking Cornelius Vanderbilt: Railroads and Shipping John Jacob Astor & James B. Duke: Tobacco Phillip Armour & Gustavus Swift: meatpacking

How They Lived:

How did they dominate their particular industry? Vertical and Horizontal Integration. 1. Vertical: Control production from top to bottom (raw materials to finished product). ex. Carnegie: owned mining co. s (iron and coal owned rail lines and freight ships owned steel mills (finished products). 2. Horizontal: Buying out your competitors

Theme #2: The Labor Movement The effects of Industrialization: ● Workers became machine operators, skilled at one aspect of production, not craftsmen who knew every step (job satisfaction lost). ● Factories took away personal freedom ● $ gap grew between workers and employers

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Workers joined unions Unions established in many industries for example: - International Cigar Makers Union - American Railway Union - United Mine Workers

The Labor Movement Labors Main Goals: 1. Higher wages 2. Better working conditions 3. Shorter hours Labors main tactics to achieve goals: 1. Negotiation & bargaining 2. Work slowdown 3. Strikes 4. Violence

The Labor Movement: Managements Main Weapons to Break Unions: 1. “Yellow Dog” contracts 2. Lockouts 3. “Scab” labor 4. Strikebreakers (armed thugs)

Labor Strikes and Violence: There had been a # of localized strikes before 1870, but in 1877 there was the first nationwide strike… The Great Strike of 1877: -wages for workers on Baltimore & Ohio RR were cut 2 nd time in 2 months go on strike.

The Great Strike of 1877, cont. Result: 1. Work stoppage stalled nations RR as strike spread to other lines. 2. President Rutherford B. Hayes ordered federal troops in to run the RR. (US Constitution gives fed gov’t the right to regulate interstate commerce). -The strike was broken soon thereafter.

More Conflict The Haymarket Affair (1886): (details…take notes!)

More Strikes and Violence… 1. Homestead Steel Strike (1892): Homestead, PA. Iron and Steel Workers vs. Carnegie Steel Co.

Gov’t, Business, and Labor Gov’t generally supportive of big business from 1870 -1890 (“laissez faire” capitalism). Teddy Roosevelt earned national reputation as a “trust buster”. . . Break up monopolies Sherman Anti-Trust Act (1890): made monopolies illegal.

UNIT 9: The Rise of American Imperialism Hawaii, Asia, and Latin America

Anti-Imperial Sentiment From the Civil War until the 1890 s, most Americans had little interest beyond our shores… Imperial rule seemed inconsistent with America's democratic principles.

Acquisition of Alaska The exception to the rule was Alaska: 1867, Sec. of State William Seward bought it from Russia for $7 million

European Imperialism By mid-1890 s, a changing American attitude toward expansion. Why? Reason 1: 1870 - 1900, the European powers seized 10 million square miles of territory in Africa and Asia. About 150 million people were subjected to colonial rule.

Reason 2: Dependence on Foreign Trade By the 1890 s, the American economy was increasingly dependent on foreign trade. 1/4 of the nation's farm products and 1/2 its petroleum was sold overseas.

Reason 3: The “White Man’s Burden” During the late 19 th century, the idea that the U. S. had a special mission to uplift "backward" people around the world also commanded growing support.

Reason 4: A Desire for Sea Power Alfred Thayer Mahan, a naval strategist and the author of The Influence of Sea Power Upon History, argued that national prosperity and power depended on control of the world's sea-lanes. "Whoever rules the waves rules the world, " Mahan wrote.

Result: A New Assertiveness During the late 1880 s, American foreign policy makers began to display a new assertiveness. The U. S. came close to declaring war on Germany, Chile, and Great Britain.

The Annexation of Hawaii 1893: small group of sugar and pineapple-growing American businessmen (incl. JB Dole) backed by the U. S. military, overthrew Hawaii's Queen Liliuokalani seized 1. 75 million acres of land conspired for U. S. annexation of the islands, which was achieved in 1898.

The Spanish-American War (1898) Cuban nationalists began a revolt against Spanish rule.

The USS Maine The US, which had many businessmen with investment interests in Cuba, became concerned and dispatched the USS Maine to rescue US citizens who might be endangered by the conflict.

The Effects of Yellow Journalism On February 15, 1898 the Maine mysteriously blew up and the US blamed a Spanish mine. When the American public was stirred into an anti-Spain frenzy by the yellow journalism of men like William Randolph Hearst and Joseph Pulitzer

The Spanish-American War (1898) The U. S. fought Spain in Cuba and in the Philippine Islands. The 144 -day war resulted in the US taking control of the Philippines, Puerto Rico, and Guam.

Relations w/China By 1899, many countries had economic interests in China (England, Germany, etc. ) U. S. wanted in… Sec. of State John Hay issued the Open Door Notes which called for China’s ports to remain open to all nations

The Boxer Rebellion Secret society in China…the Boxers Wanted all western countries OUT Rebellion broke out…put down by troops from many western nations John Hay issues 2 nd Open Door Note warning against further European colonization in China

The U. S. and Latin America Mc. Kinley assassinated 1901…T. Roosevelt became Prez…con’t. American imperialist policy Driving force behind Panama Canal (to get the Canal built, U. S. helped Panama win independence from Colombia)

The Roosevelt Corollary Monroe Doctrine (1823): The U. S. will not allow European influence in Western Hemisphere TR: Roosevelt asserted US right to use military in Latin American to protect American interests

Summary U. S. emerged as a world power by 1900 Possessions in the Pacific Influence in Latin American affairs Growing influence in China Had world’s 3 rd strongest Navy Ready to be a player in world politics