Chapter 5:
An Industrial Nation
In the 60 years following the civil war, the
U.S. became the world’s leading industrial
nation. New inventions drove a second
industrial revolution, in which new systems
of transportation and communication
transformed American life. Economic
opportunity drew millions of immigrants
and the United States expanded its
territories westward.
Section 1:

Main Idea: As Native Americans
gradually lost their battle for their lands
in the West settlers brought new
enterprises-mining, ranching, and
farming.
Bell Ringer
What would you do to save your culture?
Moved from their land and their homes and
deprived of the Buffalo that were the center of their
lifestyle, Native Americans saw their traditional
cultures dying out. A note of hope came from a
Paiute shaman named Wovoka, who said he saw a
vision in which he spoke to God. Wovoka told
Native Americans that if they did not lie or steal or
go to war, and if they performed the Ghost Dance
for five days in a row, a messiah would come and
save them. The Ghost Dance gave Native
Americans hope, but for some, it led to tragedy.
Conflicts with Native Americans


Plains Indians in the mid-west thrived due to
their reliance on wild buffalo, which provided
food, clothing, tools and shelter; did not
believe land should be bought or sold.
White settlers believed that land should be
divided & claims given to people to farm or
establish businesses; if Native Americans did
not settle in one place, lands were available
for the taking
Government Policies



Before this time, U.S. Army had forcible removed
Native Americans & relocated them in the west
Current policy, Native American land was seized
and Native Americans were sent to reservations
Most Americans agreed with this policy to deal
with Native Americans
The Indian Wars


Tensions between plains indians, settlers,
and the army began to increase
Sand Creek Massacre of 1864


U.S. Army convinced a group of Cheyenne to
stop raiding farms and return to their Colorado
reservation peacefully
On their way, U.S. Army attacked killing 150
Native Americans

Battle of Little Bighorn in 1876




Government ordered all Sioux to leave North Dakota
Large group of Native Americans including Sioux,
Cheyenne, and Arapaho led by Chief Sitting Bull
gathered near the Little Bighorn River
Army General George Armstrong Custer led an attack,
Custer and his men were slaughtered
Wounded Knee Massacre of 1890


Army troops captured some of Sitting Bulls followers
Army used machine guns to kill 300 Sioux men,
women, children
Resistance Ends in then West

In 1877, Government ordered the Nez Perce to
move to a smaller reservation in Idaho



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On the way, a few angry Native Americans killed several
white settlers
Nez Perce and their leader, Chief Joseph fled toward
Canada
When they finally surrendered, Chief Joseph stated he
would resist no longer
In the Southwest, Army moved the Apache to a
reservation in Arizona

Apache leader, Geronimo fled the reservation and led
raids for years until their capture
Reading Focus Question #1

How did changing government policies lead
to conflicts with Native Americans in the
West?

As the government began to seize lands that had
been home to Native Americans and force them
onto reservations, native groups fought back.
Reservation Life

Goal of reservations: Americanization,
abandoning the traditional Native American culture
and lifestyle and forcing Native to live like white
settlers

Bureau of Indian Affairs, the government organization
that managed reservations set up schools for Native
American children



Children had to speak English and could not wear traditional
clothing
The Dawes Act of 1887 broke up some
reservations and gave land to individuals
Typically, government sold the best land and left
the rest for the Native Americans
Mining and Ranching

In 1859, prospectors found silver mines in the
Nevada Territory


Yielded $500 million worth of silver over the next
20 years
1896 was the last major gold strike at the
Canada-Alaska border

That year 100,000 Americans made the trip to the
Yukon territory in search of gold
Mining Communities




Most prospectors were men
Came from the U.S. and other countries
Started out as simple camps of tents or
shacks, but grew into towns with dirt roads,
wooden sidewalks, stores, and saloons
Eventually, schools, churches and
newspapers developed
Mining as business



At first, miners worked individually with hand tools
After surface gold was depleted machinery was
needed to mine goal
Miners then went to work for mining companies



Dug mine shafts, built tunnels, and drilled out ore
Work was dangerous with threats of cave-ins,
explosions, and floods
Workers occasionally tried to organize for better working
conditions, but mining companies resisted
Ranching on the Plains





Cattle ranching became a new industry in the great
plains
First cattle ranchers were the Spanish, then the
Mexicans
Ranchers interbred the Spanish and English cattle
to produce the Texas Longhorn which were hardy,
did not need much water, and could live on grass
alone
Spanish also brought sheep ranching to the plains
Cattle and sheep ranchers often clashed for
control of the land
Cattle Drives





Demand for beef began to increase after the civil
war due to population increase
A steer worth $4 in Texas was worth $40 in the
east so ranchers began to hire cattle herders to
move herds of cattle east to towns with railroads
where they could be shipped to meat packing
plants in places like Chicago
Major cattle trails began to develop such as the
Chisholm Trail, which ran from San Antonio to
Kansas
Cattle drives usually lasted about 3 months, cattle
travelled 10-12 miles per day
First cowboys were 12-18 year old boys
Reading Focus Question #2
How did mining and ranching influence the
development of the west?
Mining camps grew into communities;
large-scale companies provided jobs; cattle
ranching grew into big business
Farmers on the Great Plains


Initially the Great Plains were considered unfit for
habitation
In 1862 ,Congress passed the Homestead Act, which
allowed any head of household over age 21 to claim
160 acres of land



Each homesteader was required to build a house on the land,
make improvements on the land, and farm it for 5 years before
receiving full ownership
In the Pacific Railway Act government gave millions of
acres to railroad companies to build railroads and
telegraph lines
The Morrill Act, gave states land to build colleges to
teach agriculture and mechanic arts & was the 1st
federal government assistance for higher education
The Oklahoma Land Rush



In 1879m a lobbyists discovered 2 million
unclaimed acres that had not been assigned
to any one nation
In 1889, this land was opened to settlers
ON April 22, 1889 settlers lined up on the
Oklahoma border, at the signal, 50,000
people rushed into OK claiming land
The New Settlers



Why did people go to Oklahoma? Push/Pull
factors.
Push factors are reasons why people left
their homes
Pull factors are reasons why they settled in
the west

White Settlers


African American Settlers


Most left because of discrimination, Black codes, and
violence in the south
European Settlers


Most were middle class farmers or business people
who could afford supplies and transportation
Were attracted by economic opportunity
Chinese Settlers


Had relocated west for the gold rush or to work on
railroads
Laws barred Asians from owning land so most became
workers not owners
Challenges and Solutions




Climate was harsh with bitter cold weather,
high winds, and snow. Summers were hot
and water was scarce
Most families depend on wells powered by
windmills
Some settlers learned irrigation techniques
from Hispanic and North Americans
Wood for houses was scarce so homes were
initially dugout of hills, homes were eventually
built from blocks of soil



New technology included plows with sharper
edges, combine harvesters that cut wheat
and seperated grains
Large companies started bonanza farms with
expensive machinery, professional
managers, and workers
In 1890 the U.S. census bureau issued a
momentous report that declared the frontier
closed
Reading Focus Question #3

What opportunities and challenges did
farmers face on the Great Plains?

Land was available, but conditions were harsh
and water was scarce. New technologies helped,
and railroads took porduce to eastern markets
Section 2:

Main Idea: During the late 1800’s, new
technology and inventions led to the
growth of industry, the rise of big
business, and revolutions in
transportation and communication.
Bell Ringer
How did oil fuel the Second Industrial Revolution?
Seeking a new source for oil- which was refined into
kerosene to light lamps, Edwin L. Drake drilled into rock in
Pennsylvania, hit a deep crevice, and saw oil seep to the
surface. Drake had drilled the first commercial oil well.
The discovery inspired efforts to find oil in other places.
Some oil prospectors, known as wildcatters, found oil at
Spindletop Hill in Texas. That site produced 17 million
barrels of oil in 1902 before production slowed. Though
short-lived, the Texas oil boom changed the nation, giving
a start to major oil companies that would refine crude oil
into gasoline and other products and transform
transportation and industry.
Review Questions:

What was oil used for during the time that
Edwin Drake drilled the first commercial
oil well?

The discovery of oil at Spindletop Hill set
off an oil boom in which state?
Making Steel





Bessemer process made steel making
cheaper and easier in the 1850’s
By 1910 the U.S. was the world’s top
producer of steel in the world
Was used to make railroads, higher bridges,
and taller buildings
Made newer more productive machinery
Was cheap enough to make it practical for
everyday items such as nails and wire
Railroads Expand



Between 1865-1890, the miles of railroad tracks jumped
fivefold
Expansion was helped by federal grants of land and
cheap steel
Congress authorized2 companies to build railways west




For 6 years the 2 companies competed to complete the first
transcontinental railroad
Union Pacific built from Omaha, NE west while Central Pacific
built from the west coast eastward
Which group faced more challenges?
On May 10, 1869 two groups met in Utah Territory connecting
the two railroads to form one continuous rail
Effects of railroads



Promoted trade and provided jobs
Sped up the settlement of the west
Led to the adoption of standard time



Until then, people kept time according to the
position of the sun but running a railroad required
accurate timekeeping
A New York School Principal suggested Standard
Time Zones
In 1918, Congress adopted standard time zones
Reading Focus Question #1

How did industry and railroads lead to the
Second Industrial Revolution?

Factories equipped with steel could produce
more manufactured goods; railroads promoted
trade and provided jobs
The Rise of Big Business




Big Business prospered in the late 1800’s
because of entrepreneurs, people who
assume economic risks to start new
businesses
Capitalism, or free enterprise, a system in
which businesses are privately owned
Laissez-Faire Capitalism, free enterprise
system in which companies operate without
government intervention
Under this system there are huge inequalities

An attempt to explain the inequalities of
Capitalism was Social Darwinism


Based on Charles Darwin’s idea of Survival of the
fittest
Stronger members adapt to the environment and
will survive, while weaker members will gradually
die out
New Business Organizations

Corporations, businesses with the legal
statues of an individual began during this time

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Are owned by people who buy shares or stock in a
company
Board of directors makes decisions, while corporate
officers run day to day operations
Can raise money for their company by selling stock
Due to competition, some companies merged to form
a trust
When a trust gained total control over an industry, it
held a monopoly
Industrial Tycoons

Cornelius Vanderbilt


Began investing in railroads and made a fortune
John D. Rockefeller

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

Owned Standard Oil, an oil refinery
Also purchased companies that would assist his
oil business such as pipelines and railways
(vertical integration)
Also took over other competing companies
(horizontal integration)
Gave away huge amounts of money to charities

George Pullman


Made his fortune making railway cars that were
sleeper cars making travel more comfortable
Andrew Carnegie




Was a poor Scottish Immigrant who came to the
U.S. at age 12
Worked for PA Railroad
Began to invest, then began purchasing his own
steel company
Devoted his time and fortune to building public
libraries and financing education
Mass Marketing



To increase sales, manufacturers tried to
increase sales through marketing techniques,
clever names, and advertisements
This was also the start of department stores
where you could buy many different types of
products in one place instead of travelling
from store to store
In rural areas, people could purchase the
same goods from catalogs
Reading Focus Question #2

How did entrepreneurs and public attitudes
help the rise of big business in the late
1800s?

Entrepreneurs were willing to risk large sums of
money in ventures, and many felt that fierce
competition was perfectly natural
Workers Organize


Most industrial workers were making less than
$500 per year, while business owners got richer
Government began to get concerned about the
growing power of corporations, so they passed
the Sherman Antitrust Act which made it illegal
to form trusts that interfered with free trade
The American Workforce

Factory workers included Europeans, rural
Americans and children

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Worked 12 to 16 hours per day, no paid vacation, sick
leave, or compensation for injuries
1/6 of kids age 10-15 held a job
African Americans were generally hired as
household help
By late 1800’s workers began to organize
1st Labor Union: Knights of Labor in Philadelphia


Included unskilled workers, women, and African
Americans
Worked for 8 hour workday, end of child labor, and equal
pay
Reading Focus Question #3

What conditions prompted workers to
organize in the late 1800s?

Low wages, long hours, unsafe working
conditions, no benefits

The Great Railroad Strike of 1877




Railroad workers protested cuts in wages, & blocked
the movement of trains
Led to numerous deaths
Was ended by the Army
Haymarket Riot of 1886




1,500 different strikes over wage cuts
Workers gathered in Haymarket Square in Chicago
11 people died, hundreds were injured
8 union members with foreign sounding names were
blamed, tried, and 4 were hanged.
Setbacks for Organized Labor


Employers forced employees to sign papers that
they wouldn’t join unions; blacklisted union
members
In 1866 Samuel Gompers formed the American
Federation of Workers


Successfully won wage increases and shorter work
weeks
Carnegie Steel Company in Pittsburgh seized the
plant

16 people ended up dead after a 14 hour battle

Pullman Company laid off 1/3 of its workforce
& cut the wages of the rest




Workers went on strike
Government ordered union to call off the strike b/c
it interfered with delivering the mail
Federal troops responded and the strike
collapsed
Workers who took part in the strike were fired or
blacklisted
Advances in Transportation

Streetcars




By the 1830’s horsecars and streetcars were pulling
along the streets carrying large numbers of people
along established routes
Cable cars were soon developed which latched onto
a moving cable underground
By 1900, most cities had electric streetcars or trolleys
pulled by overhead electrical wires
Subways

Boston opened the 1st subway in 1897 to overcome
crowding on city streets

Automobiles



In 1893, Charles and Frank Duryea built the first
practical American Motorcar
First cars were only owned by the wealthy
Airplanes

In 1903, Frank and Orville Wright built the first
successful airplane which flew in Kittyhawk North
Carolina
A Communications Revolution

Telegraph


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
Telephone


Invented by Samuel Morse
Could send messages by tapping out patterns of long
and short signals over electric wires
Wires were strung along train tracks
Became the fastest way to send messages
Invented by Alexander Graham Bell in 1876
Typewriter



Invented in 1867 by Christopher Lantham
Could produce readable documents quickly
Opened up a major job opportunity for women
Thomas Edison




One of America’s most amazing inventors
Opened his own research laboratory in New
Jersey
Invented the first phonograph (record player),
safe electric light bulb, and a lighting system
powered by his own power plant
Later invented the motion picture camera and
projector
Reading Focus Question #3

What advances in transportation and
communication were made in the late 1800s?

Streetcars, subways, automobiles, telegraph,
telephone, and typewriter
Section 3:

Main Idea: A new wave of immigrants
came to America in the late 1800s and
settled in rapidly changing cities where
political corruption was common and
minorities faced discrimination
Bell Ringer
What was it like to move to the United States
during the turn of the century?
For millions of southern and eastern Europeans,
America meant hope for a new home and a better
life. In American cities, immigrants tended to
settle near others from their home countries, and
families from the same town sometimes moved to
the same street. Living conditions could be
difficult, but immigrants banded together to help
each other and to maintain their familiar cultural
traditions. In New York, Mulberry Street became
the center of the Italian community which still
survives today.
Review Questions:

Why did millions of Europeans move to
the United States at the turn of the
twentieth century?

Why do you think immigrants would have
wanted to maintain some of their cultural
traditions after leaving Europe?
New Immigrants



Native Americans are the only group who did not
come to the U.S. from somewhere else
“Old Immigrants” were from northern and western
Europe
Between 1880 and 1910 there were 18 million
new immigrants



By 1910, 1 of every 7 Americans was foreign born
Most came from Southern and Eastern Europe
(Greece, Italy, Poland, and Russia)
Also were diverse in religion (Catholic, Orthodox, and
Jewish
Coming to America

Reasons why immigrants came to U.S.



Jewish people cane from Russia to escape
religious persecution
Many left Southern and Eastern Europe to escape
poverty and little economic opportunity
In 1892 U.S. Government opened an
immigration station on Ellis Island in New York

Doctors scanned each immigrant for signs of
serious disease or injury

After 1910, immigrants from Asia passed through
Angel island, an immigration station in San
Francisco


Because of discrimination, many Chinese immigrants
were held in prison-like conditions for weeks or months
to await a decision whether or not they could stay
Immigrants faced many hardships



Lived in tenements and took low-paying unskilled jobs
Most settled near other immigrants from their own
countries with the same language and culture
Established churches and synagogues, formed
organizations to help other immigrants with money,
jobs, healthcare, and education
Reading Focus Question #1

Who were the new immigrants of the late
1800s and what challenges did they face?

Most from southern and eastern Europe; a few
from East Asia; faced discrimination; many took
low wage jobs and lived in crowded tenements
Prejudice against immigrants

Native-born Americans “Nativists” saw immigrants
as a threat and blamed them for social problems
like crime and poverty

Wanted all immigrants to pass a literacy test


Congress passed this bill despite Woodrow Wilson’s veto
West Coast, prejudice against Asians


CA passes laws restricting Asians from holding certain
jobs & living in certain places
In 1882 Congress passed the Chinese exclusion act

Banned immigration for 10 years and barred Chinese
immigrants from becoming citizens
Urban Life in America

As cities built up, there was less buildable
space


Architects began to build taller buildings with steel
frames
Also worried about the lack of “green space”
so city planners began to plan for parks in
cities
How different classes lived

Wealthy



Middle Class


Made their money in industry and business
Built houses that resembled castles & Italian palaces
Made up of corporate employees such as accountants,
managers, teachers, lawyers, & doctors
Working Class

Earned low wages, lived in rundown tenements, or
rundown apartments



Environment was unhealthy, (lack of ventilation and light)
Tenements had no running water or plumbing
Neightborhoods were filled with trash and raw sewage
Reading Focus Question #2

What was urban life like at the turn of the
twentieth century?

Upper class flaunted wealth, occupational
standards forming, poor lived in tenements, paid
low wages
The Settlement House Movement




In 1883 London reformers founded the first
settlement house, a place where volunteers
offered immigrants services such as Language
education, job training, clubs, and sports
Jane Addams founded the first settlement house
in the U.S. in Chicago called the Hull House
Most settlement house workers were collegeeducated women
Came out of the idea of Social Gospel, the idea
that faith should be expressed through good
works
Political Scandal and Reform


American cities had problems such as crime, bad
housing, and poor sanitation
Machine bosses won support by


giving people jobs or helping families
Using their positions to gain money, accepting bribes
in exchange for city contracts
Scandal in Government

Ulysses S. Grant became President in 1869


His presidency was marred by scandals
In 1880, Reformer James A. Garfield became
President



Was assassinated
Chester Arthur became President
Chester Arthur helped pass Pendelton Civil
Service Act, which required that promotions be
based on merit, not political connections
Reading Focus Question #3

How did political scandals lead to reform in
the late 1800s?

Political machine bosses were convicted and sent
to prison and sent to prison; Pendelton Civil
Services Act required jobs to be awarded based
on merit
Farmers Reform Movements

Times were difficult for farmers




Crop prices were falling
Farmers were in debt
Organized to persuade legislatures to regulate railroad
rates
Congress passed the Interstate Commerce Act in
1887 which called for Reasonable Railroad Rates
Silver versus gold

Farmer’s Alliance group wanted the government to
print more money



Believed farmers could charge more for goods if there
was more money in circulation
Money was originally redeemable for either gold or
silver
In 1873, Congress put the U.S. on the gold
standard meaning paper money could only be
redeemed for gold


This reduced the amount of money in circulation and
hurt farmers, farmers wanted money to be backed by
silver
Created a political party called the Populist Party
Election of 1896

Silver was an issue in the election of 1896



Republicans supported the gold standard
Democrats supported the silver standard
Business leaders contributed millions of dollars to the
Republican campaign and McKinley won the election
Legalized Discrimination

Whites tried to prevent African Americans from
voting using poll taxes and literacy tests


Most African Americans were too poor to pay the tax
and had been denied the education to pay the tax
Southern States passed Jim Crow Laws, laws to
create and enforce segregation

Examples: separate railroad cars for blacks and whites,
segregated schools and public places



In 1890 Homer Plessy, an African American, sat in
a whites only train car to test the law, He was
arrested. In Plessy v. Ferguson Supreme Court
upheld segregation and ruled that “separate but
equal” did not violate the 14th amendment
African Americans were expected to behave in a
lower social position to whites in all situations
Lynching, murder of an individual by a group or
individual

Nearly 900 African Americans were lynched
Opposing Discrimination

Booker T. Washington




Believed African Americans needed to accept racism
temporarily
African Americans cold best improve their situation
through acquiring skills
Founded the Tuskegee Institute to teach African
Americans skills
W.E.B. Dubois


Believed African Americans should strive for full rights
immediately
Founded the National Association for the Advancement
of Colored People
Other groups face discrimination

Hispanic Americans



Asian Americans



Most Mexican-Americans were farmers, many had to take low
paying jobs
Many became stuck in jobs by a system called debt peonage, in
which they could not leave their job until they paid debts they
owed their employers
Lived in segregated neighborhoods
Laws were passed that made it illegal for whites and Asian
Americans to marry
Native Americans


Had to face Americanization policies
Had few economic opportunities on reservations
Reading Focus Question #4

What types of segregation and discrimination
did African-Americans and other minorities
encounter?

Separate public facilities and schools, denied the
right to vote; strict rules of behavior towards
whites; lynching
CST Practice Questions
The development of which of the following
products led to advances in the transportation
industry in the late 1800’s and early 1900’s?
a. Oil and steel
b. Oil and cotton
c. Coal and steel
d. Cotton and steel
Answer
The development of which of the following
products led to advances in the transportation
industry in the late 1800’s and early 1900’s?
a. Oil and steel
b. Oil and cotton
c. Coal and steel
d. Cotton and steel
What effect did industrialization have
on working conditions in the United
States in the 1800’s?
a.
b.
c.
d.
Workers enjoyed income equality across
classes
Laborers worked 8 hour days in well-paying
jobs
Employers paid benefits to workers such as
vacation and sick time
Workers labored long hours in poor
conditions at low paying jobs
Answer
What effect did industrialization have on working
conditions in the United States in the 1800’s?
a. Workers enjoyed income equality across
classes
b. Laborers worked 8 hour days in well-paying
jobs
c. Employers paid benefits to workers such as
vacation and sick time
d. Workers labored long hours in poor
conditions at low paying jobs
CST Practice Questions
In the late 1800’s, the settlement house
movement grew largely out of
a. The Social Gospel
b. Social Darwinism
c. Political machines
d. Conspicuous consumption
CTS Practice Question
Unlike earlier immigrants, most immigrants who
came to the United States in the late 1800’s
and early 1900’s
a. Did not pass through Ellis Island
b. Came from Northern and Western Europe
c. Came from Southern and Eastern Europe
d. Settled in open areas where well paying jobs
were plenitful
Answer:
In the late 1800’s, the settlement house
movement grew largely out of
a. The Social Gospel
b. Social Darwinism
c. Political machines
d. Conspicuous consumption
CST Practice Question
Americanization refers to:
a. Programs designed to acculturate Native
Americans
b. Laws dissolving reservations and evicting
Native Americans
c. The policy of concentrating reservations
away from American urban centers
d. A plan to forcibly remove Native Americans
from all land held by the United States
Answer:
Americanization refers to:
a. Programs designed to acculturate Native
Americans
b. Laws dissolving reservations and evicting
Native Americans
c. The policy of concentrating reservations
away from American urban centers
d. A plan to forcibly remove Native Americans
from all land held by the United States
CST Practice Question
Corporate trusts and monopolies such as John
D. Rockefeller’s Standard Oil, were
extensions of business practices grounded in
a. Philanthropy
b. Mass marketing
c. Laissez-faire capitalism
d. Governmental regulation
Answer:
Corporate trusts and monopolies such as John
D. Rockefeller’s Standard Oil, were
extensions of business practices grounded in
a. Philanthropy
b. Mass marketing
c. Laissez-faire capitalism
d. Governmental regulation
CST Practice Question
Social Darwinists and the Social Gospel
Movement
a. Worked together to address societies
problems
b. Began as responses to the settlement house
movement
c. Held conflicting views on society’s
obligations to the poor
d. Required different forms of service in
fulfilling obligations
Answer:
Social Darwinists and the Social Gospel
Movement
a. Worked together to address societies
problems
b. Began as responses to the settlement house
movement
c. Held conflicting views on society’s
obligations to the poor
d. Required different forms of service in
fulfilling obligations