Answer Key Chapter Industrialization and the Rise of Big Business, 1870-1900

Answer Key Chapter: Industrialization and the Rise of Big Business, 1870-1900 1. Which of these was not a successful invention of the era? A. high-powered sewing machines B. movies with sound C. frozen foods D. typewriters 2. What was the major advantage of Westinghouse’s “alternating current” power invention? A. It was less prone to fire. B. It cost less to produce. C. It allowed machines to be farther from the power source. D. It was not under Edison’s control. 3. How did the burst of new inventions during this era fuel the process of urbanization? 4. Which of the following “robber barons” was notable for the exploitative way he made his fortune in railroads? A. Jay Gould B. Cornelius Vanderbilt C. Andrew Carnegie D. J. Pierpont Morgan 5. Which of the following does not represent one of the management strategies that John D. Rockefeller used in building his empire? A. horizontal integration B. vertical integration C. social Darwinism D. the holding company model 6. Why was Rockefeller’s use of horizontal integration such an effective business tool at this time? Were his choices legal? Why or why not? 7. What differentiated a “robber baron” from other “captains of industry” in late nineteenthcentury America? 8. What was one of the key goals for which striking workers fought in the late nineteenth century? A. health insurance B. disability pay C. an eight-hour workday D. women’s right to hold factory jobs 9. Which of the following was not a key goal of the Knights of Labor? A. an end to convict labor B. a graduated income tax on personal wealth C. equal pay regardless of gender D. the creation of cooperative business enterprises 10. What were the core differences in the methods and agendas of the Knights of Labor and the American Federation of Labor? 11. Which of the following did not contribute to the growth of a consumer culture in the United States at the close of the nineteenth century? A. personal credit B. advertising C. greater disposable income D. mail-order catalogs 12. Briefly explain Roland Marchand’s argument in the Parable of the Democracy of Goods. Critical Thinking Questions 13. Consider the fact that the light bulb and the telephone were invented only three years apart. Although it took many more years for such devices to find their way into common household use, they eventually wrought major changes in a relatively brief period of time. What effects did these inventions have on the lives of those who used them? Are there contemporary analogies in your lifetime of significant changes due to inventions or technological innovations? 14. Industrialization, immigration, and urbanization all took place on an unprecedented scale during this era. What were the relationships of these processes to one another? How did each process serve to catalyze and fuel the others? 15. Describe the various attempts at labor organization in this era, from the Molly Maguires to the Knights of Labor and American Federation of Labor. How were the goals, philosophies, and tactics of these groups similar and different? How did their agendas represent the concerns and grievances of their members and of workers more generally? 16. Describe the various violent clashes between labor and management that occurred during this era. What do these events reveal about how each group had come to view the other? 17. How did the new industrial order represent both new opportunities and new limitations for rural and working-class urban Americans? 18. How did the emergent consumer culture change what it meant to be “American” at the turn of the century? Answer key 1. B. movies with sound 2. A. It was less prone to fire. 3. The burst of new inventions during this era fueled urbanization by creating job opportunities in cities, attracting rural migrants seeking employment in factories and other industries. 4. A. Jay Gould 5. C. social Darwinism 6. Rockefeller's use of horizontal integration was effective because it allowed him to dominate entire industries by acquiring competing companies. His choices were often legal, although his business practices sometimes faced legal challenges due to anti-monopoly laws. 7. "Robber barons" were characterized by their ruthless business practices, exploitation of workers, and monopolistic control over industries, while "captains of industry" were seen as innovative entrepreneurs who contributed to economic growth and philanthropic endeavors. 8. C. an eight-hour workday 9. B. a graduated income tax on personal wealth 10. The Knights of Labor focused on broad social and economic reforms, such as an end to convict labor and the creation of cooperative businesses, while the American Federation of Labor focused primarily on improving wages, working conditions, and bargaining power for skilled workers through collective bargaining. 11. D. mail-order catalogs 12. Roland Marchand's argument in the Parable of the Democracy of Goods is that advertising and consumer culture played a significant role in shaping American identity and values, promoting the idea of democracy through mass consumption and material abundance. Critical Thinking Questions 13. The inventions of the light bulb and the telephone revolutionized communication and daily life, enabling people to work and socialize more efficiently and connect with others over long distances. Contemporary analogies might include the internet and smartphones, which have similarly transformed communication, information access, and social interaction. 14. Industrialization, immigration, and urbanization were interconnected processes that fueled each other's growth. Industrialization created job opportunities in cities, attracting immigrants seeking employment, which, in turn, fueled urbanization and contributed to the growth of industrial centers. 15. Labor organizations such as the Molly Maguires, Knights of Labor, and American Federation of Labor sought to address workers' grievances and improve working conditions, but they differed in their goals, tactics, and philosophies. The Molly Maguires used violence and sabotage, while the Knights of Labor advocated for broad social reforms, and the American Federation of Labor focused on skilled workers' interests through collective bargaining. 16. Violent clashes between labor and management, such as the Haymarket Riot and Homestead Strike, reflected deepening tensions over workers' rights, wages, and working conditions. These events revealed the growing distrust and antagonism between labor and management, leading to violent confrontations and repression. 17. The new industrial order offered new economic opportunities for rural and working-class Americans by providing employment in factories and industries, but it also imposed new limitations such as long hours, low wages, and unsafe working conditions. 18. The emergent consumer culture reshaped American identity by promoting materialism, individualism, and social status based on consumption. It transformed notions of citizenship and belonging by emphasizing participation in the market economy and consumption of goods as defining characteristics of American identity.