Transcript Pol Soc Ec Change US per 1

Political, social and economic changes in the second half of the
19th century in the United States
By: Julio Avila and Matthieu Cartron
"The Great Surge"
The Great Surge
An immense wave of immigration in the United
States beginning in the 1850's.
Push factors influenced immigrants causing
them to leave their home countries.
Pull factors of the Unites States, particularly its
economy caused the immigrants to select the
country as their new place of residence.
on
expl
osio
Chinese n
and
food
shor
tage
.
Opi
um
War
Taip
ing
Reb
ellio
Immigration to The United
States
The Potato
European
Famine and
the loss of
land from the
British caused
the Irish to
leave.
The Economic
depression
and religious
intolerance
caused many
Catholic and
non-Catholic
immigrants to
War in
1849
The
Mexican
U.S.
claimed
territorie
s that
now
include
Californi
a,
Texas,
Arizona,
and
New
Mexico.
Why the United States?
Rapid industrialization increased the need for
cheap labor in the United States.
The California Gold Rush of 1848: Began when
James W. Marshall found gold at Sutter's Mill in
Coloma, California. (minor contributor)
Acquisition of the American western theatre
from the Spanish and native populations
allowed more land for The United States to
prosper from.
Legislations passed in regards to immigration
The fear of immigrants led to organized groups such as
Order of the Star Spangled Banner and the Know Nothing
Party
Americans feared immigrants as they could potentially take
their occupancies.
Exclusion act of 1875 prevented harlots and convicts from
entering the United States, reducing immigration.
There were three exclusion acts passed in 1882, all of which
essentially banned Chinese immigration. (All repealed during WWII when U.S. became an
ally with China)
Exclusion act in 1892 barred people who had any history of
contagious diseases from entering the country, reducing
immigration.
Money, Banking and
Finance
The steel industry
Steel was expensive and was only used for
small gadgets such as cutlery until 1857.
Henry Bessemer invented the Bessemer
converter in 1857.
Pig iron was then used to mass produce steel.
Allowed railroad manufacturing to increase, as
well as a trains load capacity to increase.
The Open Door Policy
Proposed by Secretary of State, John Hay in his
1899 circular notes with Great Britain, Germany,
France, Italy, Japan, and Russia. (The Imperial
Powers)
Circular notes: A document request by a bank to its
foreign correspondents.
The United states had acquired the Philippine
Islands due to the Spanish American War (Treaty
of Paris) , and therefore had an interest in eastern
Asian commerce.
Open Door Policy
continued...
The imperial nations sought "spheres of influence"
and claimed extraterritorial rights in China.
The United States, including President McKinley did
not want this as they were in deep economic relations
with China due to the Acquisition of the Philippine
Islands.
The Policy essentially requested that the Imperial
Powers each would now have equal trade
opportunities with China, and that they support the
Chinese imperialistic ideology.
The Policy was a success since each power neither
officially confirmed nor denied the request.
The Panama Canal
The man made canal cuts through the Isthmus of
Panama and allowed for a new and efficient
maritime trade.
John Hay leased this land from Columbia for 100
years and paid $10 million plus $250,000 a year
until the Canal was finished in 1914.
This allowed the United States to become an
economic super power at the time as they
controlled one of the most important waterways on
the planet
Green Backs
A negative/slang term for the United States paper dollar.
Greenbacks did not have a solid financial backing and banks
were reluctant to give customers the full value of the dollar.
(Were not backed by a gold or silver reserve only the credibility
of the government)
Replaced the demand note in 1862.
The First Legal Tender Act made these bills legal tender and
could be used as fiat currency in public and private affairs.
Evolution of the Labor
Movement
The Labor Movement
Men returned from war, allowing more women to
receive an education.
The competitions for jobs increased dramatically.
The National Labor Union was founded in 1866, and it
became the first national labor federation in the United
States.
Knights of Labor: First labor organization
Violence: People were willing to go to extreme
measures to fight for their rights.
Expansion westward with
the Railroad
The Bessemer Converter
Railroad Union's formed (Order of Railway
conductors, Brotherhood of Locomotive
Engineers)
These Unions advocated Railroad safety
and protection (insurance).
The American Federation of
Labor
Began in 1881 and was founded by Samuel
Gompers.
Was originally called Federation of Organized
Trades and Labor Unions.
Organized Strikes
Wanted: Standard salaries, proper working
conditions
Women and Child Labor
Why Child labor?
Cheap (they could be paid less than adults)
They were less likely to go on strike
Children could work in small spaces were adults
could not
Easier to control and manage
Often worked in dangerous, and unsanitary
conditions
Why did they work? To Support their families.
Child labor continued...
In 1900, 18% of all American workers were 16
years old
Many children began their working careers at
around the age of seven
12-18 hour workdays, usually six days a week
Most of the children came from poor families
The Fair Labor Standards Act was passed by
Congress in 1938. It created age requirements for
child labor.
Women in the Work force
The demand for women in factories increased greatly as the United States
became more industrialized
The needle industry
Textile manufacturing
Women did not earn as much as men
Employer discrimination toward immigrant women
The women who worked were primarily unmarried, and would withdraw from
the labor force once they were married
Married women who did work worked to support the family
Supreme Court impact
Allgeyer vs. Louisiana
1897
Unanimous Supreme Court decision struck
down state legislation prohibiting foreign
corporations from doing business in the state
(Allegeyer and co. wins)
Liberty was interpreted to also mean economic
liberty
Adair vs. United States
1908
A law passed by Congress in 1898 made it
illegal for employers to fire employees because
of their participation in labor unions.
The law was found to be unconstitutional as it
was not a legitimate exercise of congressional
authority to regulate interstate commerce
Lochner vs. New York
1904
A New York law limited the working hours of
bakers
The Supreme Court ruled (5-4 in favor of
Lochner) that the limits on the working hours
violated the due process clause in the
fourteenth amendment (interfered with the
freedom of contract).
Bibliography
"7 Fascinating Facts About the Panama Canal." History.com. A&E Television Networks, 15 Aug.
2014. Web. 30 Nov. 2014. <http://www.history.com/news/7-fascinating-facts-about-the-panamacanal>.Website
Berliner, Yvonne. History of the Americas: Course Companion. Oxford: Oxford UP, 2012.
Print.Book
"THE HISTORY OF MONEY Abraham Lincoln's Greenback Dollar." THE HISTORY OF MONEY
Abraham Lincoln's Greenback Dollar. N.p., n.d. Web. 01 Dec. 2014.
<http://www.xat.org/xat/usury.html>.Website
"LOCHNER v. NEW YORK." Lochner v. New York. N.p., n.d. Web. 28 Nov. 2014.
<http://www.oyez.org/cases/1901-1939/1904/1904_292>.Website
"Secretary of State John Hay and the Open Door in China, 1899–1900 - 1899–. - Milestones Office of the Historian." Secretary of State John Hay and the Open Door in China, 1899–1900 1899–1913 - Milestones - Office of the Historian. N.p., n.d. Web. 01 Dec. 2014.
<https://history.state.gov/milestones/1899-1913/hay-and-china>.