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The railroads chapter5 section2 us history
Transcontinental railroad bibliography
Railroad impact in america in 1800
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In the late 1800’s and early 1900’s the invention of the automobile was still relatively new. Railways served as a primary means to transport commodities across America. However, before World War I and then again after, wealthy businessmen privately owned and controlled the operations of these railroads. The United States still recovering from the global conflict, noticed an upswing in the national economic markets, like the housing market, and needed to implement legislation to ensure railway service continued to increase commerce in America (Federal Railroad Administration, 2012). The Great Railway Strike of 1877 and the Pullman Strike of 1894 revealed nationally, the vulnerabilities of railroads systems due to stoppages relating to labor
“Industrial unions dominated the landscape of the late nineteen century U.S. labor movement.” They gathered all level workers together without discrimination of gender, race, or nationality. They declared the eight-hour workday for the first time when normal work time should be 12. Low wage of workers caused the “Great Strike of 1877”, which began with railroad workers in Pennsylvania and West Virginia. After the “Great Strike”, industrial union started to
The Transcontinental Railroad was one of the most ambitious engineering projects, economic stimulants, and efficient methods of transportation in the early United States. If completed, the United States would be truly be united from east to west. The purpose of this paper is to examine how the Transcontinental Railroad helped develop new opportunities for many aspects of American life.
“The United States emerged from a virulent, intense, and inhumane civil war and evolved into a new nation during this period. This transition was the culmination of political, economic, social, and cultural movements which transformed the nation. E Pluribus Unum - out of many United States, one nation; the United States was forged in the cauldron of these revolutions." -Arnold Toynbee, A Study of History
Although not a natural resource, railroads were considered one of the key factors in almost every widespread industry. It allowed companies to quickly send products across the entire nation without using expensive and time-consuming caravans or wagons. Cornelius Vanderbilt was a prominent leader in the railroad industry at this time. He was already in his later years by the time the Gilded Age rolled around and didn't even get to see the uprising of some of the greatest leaders of the time. The railroad companies took advantage of their necessity by constantly overcharging customers, especially farmers. This led to one of the first labor unio...
The Homestead Lockout and Strike of 1892 had an enormous impact on the labor movement of the late 19th century. This event brought up a huge debate between what workers thought they deserved and their management’s opposing views. Carnegie, for example, wanted to pay his employees according to the inflation or deflation of the price of steel. More importantly, he also wanted to do away with unions, because they didn’t agree with his terms and he refused to negotiate. This resulted in the initial lockout, which was a precursor to the strike.
On the July of 1877, thousands of railroad laborers went on strike. The rest of America watched in shock. The Great Railroad Strike was one of the first of its nature, a complete halt in railroad traffic and seizure of railroads—across the entire country. The strikers would even destroy buildings, train cars, and other rail property, and in the wake of their destruction, other laborers and sympathizers still gathered in protest for the same workingman’s cause. Allan Pinkerton would condemn the strikers, stating that they had “unlocked the floodgates of anarchy and riot.” They were certainly violent. But they had also organized in less than a month—almost spontaneously—revealing that there were serious, commonly shared concerns toward industrial
The Town of Pullman: Success or Failure? The invention of the railroad was probably the most important occurrence in the nineteenth century. The United States became a unified front and interstate travel become safe, cheap and efficient. Industries related to the railroad began to prosper, fueling much of the American economy. Entrepreneurs quickly began to take advantage of this boom and thus “American Big Business” was born. George Pullman was one of the many prominent tycoons of this “Railroad Era”. Through the use of his talented ingenuity and high organizational skills, he acquired a vast fortune and immense power. George Pullman is most notably credited for the creation of the Pullman Sleeping Car. Its invention enhanced the pleasure of railroad travel by making it more comfortable, clean and exciting. As George Pullman’s invention gained quick public approval, his company began to expand at an enormous rate. This presented a great deal of problems to Pullman. “The company wanted to increase efficiency and economy in servicing and providing cars by spreading facilities. He [Pullman] wanted several hundred acres adjacent to railroad and water transportation.” In 1868, Pullman decided on the Calumet region in southern Chicago. Pullman selected the Calumet region because it offered “cheap land, low taxes, and excellent transportation.” Few people knew his second and main intention was to build a model town adjacent to the new factory, which he hoped would improve his business enterprise. Pullman was deeply troubled by the social problems of the mid- nineteenth century. He believed that they were the root of the labor unrest his company was experiencing. “The period showed a dramatic intensification in the numbers of the urban poor, as people with little capital and few useful skills came to the cities in search for employment.” Living conditions were terrible and congestion, dirt, and poor sanitation were held responsible for diseases. Crime, prostitution and violence were blamed on poor housing while alcoholism became synonymous with the slum. Many attributed the poverty and the poor living conditions of the working class to “the lack of such virtues such as frugality, industriousness and temperateness.” It was believed that the general solution to the problem of the workingman and his family was to elevate their character. Through Pullman’s experience ...
Seavoy, Ronald E. "Railroads." An Economic History of the United States: From 1607 to the Present. New York: Routledge, 2006. 188-200. Print.
...ay to the rise of big business. Americas population was increasing, many citizens were employed and making money, and more eager to spend. Some of the businesses got too big and antitrust acts, such as the Sherman anti-trust act, were passed to control the powers of monopolies and their owners. Not only were there monopolistic companies in the corporate world, there were monopolies in the railroad business as well. The control of railroads became an issue in politics over the abuses and operations of the rail systems. Soon, the federal agencies Interstate Commerce Commission was formed as the first regulatory agency to control private businesses in the public?s interest. More and more control was placed upon Americas businesses and corporations and from this grew unions, as well as conflicts between management and labor, all of which exist today.
In 1867, George Pullman founded a car company that grew rapidly fast. Twenty years went by and it turned into one of highly ranked railroad car company in the United States. Pullman town was then created for his workers, with specific rules and limitations. But when the gilded age started to take effect, Pullman continued to charge his workers twenty five percent more for rent compared to typical neighborhoods. Men and women struggled with low wages, industrial issues, racism, inequalities and unfair laws; it was a challenge to live. They did not receive enough pay to support people who had a family nor was worth the time and labor for the low income they received. Despite the discrepancy the workers and farmers faced dealing with inequality from the government and owners, the Pullman strike was successful in awakening americans to realize that labor issues are long overdue of reform. To gain political and economic power, industrialist, men and women formed collective groups
The Pullman Strike occurred began on May 11, 1894 as a result of how George Pullman President of Pullman Palace Car Company treated his workers. When economic depression hit in 1893 Pullman degreased his workers’ wages by 25 percent; however, he did not lower the price of rent in his town where many workers lived. Consequently the workers could not pay their rent, some faced starvation, and many fell into debt to the company. At first around 3,000 Pullman workers went on a “wildcat” strike, requesting support from American Railway Union (ARU). Before long 50,000 men stopped working and joined the strike. Asked to intercede Federal Troops went to Chicago, and after much violence the strike ceased. Holding a significant role in U.S history the
In the few beginning passages of Richard White’s “Railroaded: The Transcontinentals and the Making of Modern America” he talks about how big monopolized corporations in the late nineteenth and early twenty first centuries built an overabundance of railroads adjoining the East with the West in the United States. These railroads where indefinitely built ahead demand when analyzing the fact that the country had just finished fighting the Civil War at the time. Virtually almost every railroad corporation owner(s) went bankrupt, some multiple times. Regardless of this, these owners still managed to acquire a fortune with the help of corruption and government subsidies as the back-bone
George Pullman was not always believed to be a cruel boss. George Pullman started off believing that anyone could be successful if they worked hard enough. But as his business grew, he took this belief too far, furthering his own company by working his employees hard, treating his employees like slaves. There were many factors included in how the Pullman strike started. George Pullman and the company’s treatment of employees, how the town of Pullman, Illinois reacted to their treatment, other strikes that led up to the Pullman employee unhappiness and their reaction, the Pullman Strike.
In 1952, Charles E. Wilson resigned as President of GM to become Secretary of Defense. At the confirmation he was asked if he could make a decision in the interest of the nation if it were adverse to GM. "Yes sir, I could," Wilson said. "I cannot conceive of one, because for years I thought what was good for our country was good for General Motors and vice versa. The difference does not exist."1 Yet his GM is accused of undermining the American transportation infrastructure and destroying a viable, superior streetcar network in order to sell more cars. Regardless of the validity of this conspiracy theory, the fact remains that America destroyed vast mass transit networks to make way for private and public automotive transportation. The question of whether the transfer from iron to asphalt was advisable also asks what makes a good transportation network. Both transportation systems are valid, but unique features of American cities and culture made automobiles the better choice. Conspiracies of the powerful in the USA pale compared to the tyranny of the majority. Regardless of economic or social considerations, public demand made the key decisions in building the American transportation network.
...ailed including Eugene Debs, leader of the American Railway Union who ordered the workers to stop pulling the Pullman cars. The government prioritized a strong healthy economy over a large and happy population.