Mr. Henry
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United States History II
September 5, 2008 About the Class: - Written notes must be taken on all assignments. - Date and title every page. - Don’t forget to do the “One American’s Story” section. - Terms and names are to be defined on a separate page. o Find out WHY - Must watch / take notes on 60 Minutes on Sundays o CBS (Channel 2) 7 pm [now in High Definition as of September 17th] o http://www.cbsnews.com/sections/60minutes/main3415.shtml after 8pm o WCBS 880 AM o Quiz on Monday - Essay Format: o Heading: Name Date Period Title o Double-Spaced o 12-point font - Grading: o Class Participation – 25% o Homework – 25% o Quizzes – 25% o Tests – 25%
“History does not repeat itself. At best, it rhymes.” – Mark Twain.
Mr. Henry
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United States History II September 5, 2008
Chapter 13 – Changes on the Western Frontier
13.4 – “Farmers and the Populist Movement” – Key Terms
Oliver Kelly – formed the largest farmer’s union known as “The Grange” o The Grange – Originally a social outlet / educational forum, is now a massive effort by the farmers to fight the railroads. Populism – “movement of the people”, circa 1892. Bimetallism – currency gives gold or silver William McKinley – Republican nominee, and president 1896-1900 William Jennings Brian – Democratic nominee, former member of Congress, gave the Cross of Gold speech. “Cross of Gold” – a “pro-silverite” speech that caught the attention of many.
13.4 – “Farmers and the Populist Movement”
I. Farmer’s issues a. Crop prices are falling b. They have to mortgage farms c. There is massive post-civil war deflation d. They are in massive debt due to various economic problems. Farmers’ solution a. They wanted more greenbacks and silver, but were denied both. Silver helps them because it’s easier to obtain (since it’s cheaper). b. Various alliances were formed, educating the farmers and pushing for their welfare. The Railroad a. The price to transport was way too high. b. The railroads owned everything, complete monopoly of land, banks, and various industries. The Populist Party a. They wanted to alleviate farmer’s problems, give them greater voice in government. Their platform included US senators by popular vote, single term presidencies, secret ballots, 8-hour workdays and a reliance on government to correct various social injustices (mostly by the railroad). Their platforms formed the core of Democratic ideals. Silver vs. Gold a. Paper money was deemed useless. Silver was “cheap money” for the working class and gold was an expensive metal only for the rich. “Cross of Gold” Speech a. William Jennings Brian delivered it. i. It favored farmers, essentially saying that farmers are essential to the economy.
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United States History II
September 6, 2008 Key Ideas: 1) Iron, steel and railroad trusts owned banks 2) Farmers demanded reform STRENGTH IN NUMBERS 3) Supplies (Farms had a surplus!) a. Oversupply causes deflation b. Undersupply causes inflation i. The farmers dumped milk, burned fields, and killed livestock in an effort to inflate prices. I. What causes low farm product prices? a. Lack of self-sufficiency in the national economy b. Overabundance of supplies (surplus) c. Crisis / War d. Communism What causes farmer debt? a. Figures i. Cornseed costs 11 cents a bushel. ii. 100 Laborers were required to plant, at a dollar a day each, for ten days iii. Harvest day required 200 Laborers What do farmers (Grange or the Farmer’s Alliance) demand in order to improve their lives? What is populism? Did it succeed, fail, or both? How so? Why did farmers, both black and white, not join forces if there is “strength in numbers”?
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United States History II September 7, 2008
60 Minutes Notes War Within – 30,000 troops being sent to Iraq. Bush ignored the general’s opinions on doing this. Bush wants to “kill to succeed.” There was a secret report sent to the White House stating that America was going to lose the war. There’s also a spec-ops operation targeting Al-Qaeda leaders. Alec Baldwin – Possibly seeking political office in the near future. During an interview, Baldwin is very frank. He has criticized Harrison Ford (because Baldwin lost the role to him). He called Dick Cheney names, pokes fun at a lawyer, and is overall a funny character and a “stellar actor.” He also screamed at his daughter on the phone, which got leaked to the media. Bluefin Tuna – Tsuskji is the fish “wall-street”. The matanza is the slaughter / harvest of the fish. The problem is they’re getting less fish. The best fish are the fatty ones, since fat has nutritional value as well as great taste. Big fishers drag them to “tuna ranches,” where they’re frozen and made cheaply available. Japan imports as much as it can, as it is essential to the sushi culture. Due to illegal fishing and too much fishing in general Bluefin are running out.
Mr. Henry
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United States History II
September 8, 2008 The Omaha Platform I. Seven Key Items a. Free and unlimited coinage of gold and silver. b. All government employees’ characters are to be strictly regulated. c. “Excess land” held by the railroads and others are to be reclaimed by the government. d. One year terms for the President and the Vice President. e. Eight-hour workdays for the working class as well. f. Adoption of fairer / more secure ballot systems. g. Government owns / operates the railroads. II. Five Things I Would Want a. Energy independence through green technologies. b. A national ban on profane rap music / videos on cable television and the radio. c. A non “trickle-down” economy. d. Revision of the various components of the college application. e. Complete removal of network proxies in schools, public or private. • Their ideas become accepted by larger society after they pass away. o 8 hour workdays o Graduated income tax The more money you have, the more taxes you pay. o The Australian ballot (secret) Before, there was lots of corruption and political machines, with vote stealing and ambushing the other voters.
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United States History II September 9, 2008
In 1892, there was no mixed race or mixed gender political parties in America, except for the Communist party. The two major political parties were the Democratic and Republican parties, as well as the Populist parties. They were all for white supremacy. Populists were regular people. No black American farmers were allowed in it. Class disclaimer: In an effort to reproduce historic reality for the following exercise, there will be no mixing of races or genders. Key ideas: When you hear, “the good old days”, you have to ask yourself; “Were they really that good?” Things are getting better every day. 100 years ago, the life expectancy was 47. People died of ulcers, and there were no antibiotics. Due to the idea of “no taxation without representation,” women demanded the right to vote. This was most prominent in the West, where women had the same jobs as men. Strength in numbers. The railroad was so powerful, they even regulated the time zones, and they had 1 mile of land radius on the railroads. The Populist Platform was presented on July 4, 1892 so that they would seem patriotic as opposed to communist.
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United States History II September 10, 2008
William Jennings Bryan
This man is most famous for his “Cross of Gold” speech.
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United States History II
September 11, 2008 Class information: Exams are largely based on political drawings / editorial cartoons. How to examine these cartoons: 1) Look at these parts in the following order: a. Title b. Foreground c. Midground d. Background 2) Examine the hands of the characters.
Bar of Destruction: No Alcohol for Women 1) Women have 30% less enzymes for alcohol. 2) Pregnant or nursing women would kill their kids doing so. 3) Women are smaller / weaker than men. 4) It isn’t considered “classy” at all.
Mr. Henry
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United States History II September 11, 2008
Samuel Gompers
Samuel Gompers, a Jewish-English immigrant, was an American labor union leader and a key man in the founding of the American Federation of Labor.
Mr. Henry
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United States History II
September 11, 2008
Carrie Nation
Carrie was a tall woman who supported Prohibition through vandalizing various bars with her axe.
Mr. Henry
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United States History II
September 11, 2008
“How the Other Half Lives”
This is a picture from the book. It shows dirt poor children huddling for warmth in the streets.
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United States History II
September 11, 2008
The American Federation of Labor (AFL)
Founded in 1886, by Samuel Gompers, this labor union is unrivaled in size for the first half of the twentieth century. In 1901, they tried to reestablish the Chinese Exclusion Act, which suspended Chinese immigration. This was probably done to secure more jobs for Americans. It didn’t really like women because they were seen as competition, strikebreakers and unskilled laborers. Their primary concerns were working conditions, pay and control over jobs. They pursued the immediate demands of workers.
Child Labor
A typical child earned three dollars a week for the year. The effects of child labor were visible in the children; their growth is stunted due to malnutrition, confinement, and lack of play. Constant physical pressure causes sickness like dyspepsia. Children would work by the thousands in various workshops. Children working with tobacco often breathed the poisonous nicotine, and as a result got skin diseases, nervousness and hysteria. Of course, the children were more prone to accidents in work environments. They were also starving, and would enjoy anything they could get.
Mr. Henry
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United States History II
September 17, 2008 CHAPTER 15 – Immigrants and Urbanization Terms (15.2) – The Problems of Urbanization - urbanization – the growth of cities in particularly rural areas - row houses – attached single-family dwellings that shared side walls with other similar houses (generally in packed cities) o packed many single many residences on a single block - dumbbell apartments – long, narrow 5 or 6 story buildings shaped like barbells [ ]==[ ] o Had a central part indented on either side to allow for an air shaft, and had outside windows for each room.
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Social Gospel movement – A reform program that preached salvation through service to the poor. They inspired people to build churches and persuaded business leaders to treat workers more fairly. Settlement houses – community centers in slum neighborhoods that provided assistance and friendship to all kinds of local people (mostly immigrants) Jane Addams – with Ellen Gate Starr, she founded Chicago’s Hull House, circa 1889, in an effort to solve neighborhood problems. She was an anti-war activist and focused on quality-of-life issues and racial justice, earning her a Nobel Peace Prize in 1931.
Notes (15.2) I. One American’s Story – Jacob Riis is a poor Danish immigrant, who overcame typical immigrant poverty to become a successful journalist and reformer. He exposed the terrible conditions in New York in a photo journal. a. The poverty was due to natural and economic disasters which affected farmers in the US and Europe. i. Industrial jobs seemed like a great opportunity to many immigrants to make money. 1. Although this revitalized the cities, it created many problems. II. Urban Opportunities – Because the promise of better life attracted many immigrants to the US, there was rapid urbanization now taking place.
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United States History II
a. Immigrants Settle in Cities – Cities were cheap to live in, so immigrants moved to cities not far from ports they landed in. The problem of overcrowding is quite noticeable. i. Figures – There were twice as many Irish in NYC than Ireland’s capital, Dublin. There were more Polish people in Chicago than in Warsaw. ii. Grouping – Immigrants tended to settle in the same area, like Irish in Boston or Polish in Chicago. This helped them learn the new country better. Soon, cities were looking like a “patchwork quilt” of races. b. Immigration from Country to City – Because of technology, fewer hands were needed on farms. Hence, they left their jobs to find whatever work they could in the city. Blacks who lost jobs and/or sought to escape racial issues moved to cities like Chicago and Detroit. c. Urban Cultural Opportunities – Because city life was filled with diverse activity, it made up for a little bit of the hardships of living there. III. Urban Problems a. Housing – Typically in packed environments which tried to conserve space as much as possible. b. Transportation – Newer modes utilized underground passageways (for space), and the demand for efficient transport increased with a bigger population. c. Water – During 1840s-1850s, people started to get water from public waterworks. To make it safer, chlorination was used in 1893, and filtration in 1908. In the early 20th century, many city folk had no safe water. d. Sanitation – Horse manure piled up, sewage flowed through gutters, and factories spewed terrible smog and more. To solve this, private contractors (scavengers) were hired to clean up, and sewer lines and sanitation departments were implemented by 1900. e. Fire – Limited water supply or wooden dwellings didn’t help. Cincinnati had the first paid fire department in 1853. By 1900, most cities had departments. Buildings now had sprinklers in 1874 and wood was used less often. f. Crime – Pickpockets and con-men flourished. New York had its first task force in 1844. IV. Reformers Mobilize – Young, educated people from the middle class who sought to improve urban life and help the poor. a. The Social Gospel Movement – Targeted poverty in immigrants, very religious group. b. The Settlement-House Movement – Houses for the poor run mostly by middleclass educated women that promoted education, culture and social services. They had English, crafts, health, drama, music, painting and offered college extension courses. Terms (15.3) – The Emergence of the Political Machine - graft – the illegal use of political influence for personal gain - political machine – describes an organized group that controlled a political party and offered services to voters and businessmen in exchange for money or votes
Mr. Henry
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United States History II
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kickback – termed used to describe money that is stolen through overcharging with a middle man Tammany Hall – NYC’s most powerful Democratic political machine, circa 1868 Tweed Ring – group of corrupt politicians who pocketed $200,000,000 through kickbacks and payoffs Thomas Nast – political cartoonist who ridiculed Tweed. His cartoon helped the Spanish find and arrest Tweed.
Notes (15.3) One American’s Story – George Washington Plunkitt, the son of Irish immigrants, I. was a corrupt dropout that became a millionaire through graft as he moved up on the political ladder. II. Political Machines Run the Cities – Rapid growth and inefficient government made way for the political machine. a. The Political Machine – Took over major cities such as Baltimore, New York, Philadelphia, Boston and San Francisco. i. What people got in return – They got city jobs, contracts, or political appointments. ii. Structure 1. Local precinct workers / captains – worked to gain voter’s support on a city block or neighborhood 2. Ward boss – ensured that all precincts in the ward (electoral district) were secured. 3. City boss – He controlled all the activities throughout the city. Together, they work to elect the candidate and guarantee success of the “machine.” iii. Role of the Political boss – He controlled municipal jobs such as police, fire and sanitation. They used their power to build solutions for the people. Using this great power and money, they could reinforce voter loyalty, win political support, and extend their influence. iv. Immigrants and the political machine – Because they needed sympathy, the machine gave it to them and easily got more votes. III. Municipal Graft and Scandal – Bosses who abused their overwhelming power. a. Election Fraud and Graft – They simply put in extra names of nonexistent people. Until 1890, the police were controlled by the bosses, so it wouldn’t matter if they were doing it. b. Tweed Ring Scandal – Tweed charged a ridiculous amount of money to build a city hall, and he was arrested, then escaped, then caught once again. Around this time, corruption was widely recognized as an issue in national politics.
Mr. Henry
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United States History II
September 17, 2008 A Dug-Out – Charlie Siringo A boy is working for money, and sent the money to his mother. Together with his horse, he moves from place to place, eventually building a dug-out on the river bank. He finds dead wolves, but they are too frozen to skin. Unfortunately for him, a bull comes by his new “mansion” and wrecks it. He plans to leave the area. Life at the Bottom – Helen Campbell Shed lodging-houses are impossibly located past a lot of filth. People there are low-lives, ignorant and dangerous scum. They are only one room, without any furniture except one bench. A slight upgrade to a mattress can be had for five cents a night. It is filled with people such as degenerate women, criminals, street girls and homeless children. They are most filled during cold or stormy nights. Cleaning the Streets of Chicago – Jane Addams Garbage boxes were one of the solutions to the inadequate garbage collection in the city. They encouraged people to clean up by telling them their children could get sick and die. These solutions showed little improvement to the death rate and overall condition. Jane tried burning garbage with fuel from the alleys and also attempted to clean the carcasses of animals in the city.
Mr. Henry
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United States History II
September 18, 2008 “Universal Suffrage” I believe this picture is a depiction of the old voting system. Compared to the one we use today, this one is much less subtle and secure. The baskets are quite open, and it seems fairly easy to switch votes, add votes, or throw out votes. The open nature of the voting system allowed everyone to see what your vote was as well. Several things in this picture reveal a very threatening mood, particularly to the man currently voting. Several very big men are glaring at him, with a “You better vote for the right person” look on their faces. Another shady looking man with glasses is leaning against the wall and smirking. The men behind the voter are either scared for him or laughing at him as well. The populists solved this problem by proposing the secret (Australian) ballot. They wanted to eliminate the spoils system, and got it. The newer voting system allows people to vote confidently, and feel that their vote matters. The Wizard of Oz – Frank C. Baum (A Populist) Silver shoes represented the means to for poor farmers (Dorothy) to be able to live (walk the yellow brick road, representing gold only available to the rich).The cowardly lion was William Jennings Brian, who had ideas, but never really spoke up. The scarecrow was the government. The heartless tin-man was industry. Dorothy represented the farmers. Plessy vs. Ferguson (1896) – Separate but equal is the law. Political parties are supposed to gain power by winning elections. Political Party Class Information / Questions - What is the geographical base of your party? o Why is that important? - What will be your party slogan? - All platforms have a preamble (statement of intent or purpose). - What is your party’s name? - What policies will you propose that will benefit your constituents? (A minimum of seven). - How will you avoid corruption? - How is your party going to make an impact in the nation’s politics? - What will your party do if anything to broaden your appeal? o How will it improve the country? - How will your party prove you’re good Americans? - Must have a flyer or a poster. Resources - http://www.rnc.org/ - http://www.dnc.org/
The Bosses of the Senate, 1889 – A political cartoon by Joseph Keppler that comments on the senate being controlled by monopolists such as steel, oil and railroad industries.
Mr. Henry 18 United States History II
September 18, 2008