The New American Immigrants

Link to quiz: http://goo.gl/2C7wR

1)Which was NOT a reason why native-born Americans encouraged Americanization?

 My Answer: (B) Native-born Americans wanted the immigrants to practice their customs.

2)What were cities most like for the new immigrants coming to America? 

My Answer: (C) Immigrants would most likely have had to dodge horse manure.

3)What would best describe the cities to a new immigrant?

My Answer: (A) Pickpockets and thieves were plenty.

4)Why did immigrants move to the cities in the first place?

My Answer: (D) A & B only.

5)People moved from the farms to the cities because?

My Answer: (B) Farming technology improved.

Labor Unions Emerge

Link to reading: http://goo.gl/QOuVc

Essential Questions:

1)In its entirely, labor unions were (good/bad) and why?

Labor unions were people who joined together to improve their lives. The laborers formed together because they all worked hard in unsafe working conditions and still did not met their bills.

2)Describe the sweatshop and how 146 women died in a fire, and how it could have been prevented.

Sweatshops or workshops were in tenements. They were tedious and required few skills. 146 women died in a fire because the monopolies locked the doors because they were scared their workers would escape or steal from their business therefore, the women were not able to escape/leave during the fire. It could have been prevented if the workers had better working conditions.

3)What is a scab, and why would unionized workers not like scabs?

Scabs are what the businesses ordered to replace working people on strike. Unionized workers did not like scabs because they went along side with monopolies when laborers were fighting against monopolies for fair rights.

4)Describe the type of people who formed the IWW union.What does IWW mean?

IWW unions were formed by socialist. IWW means Industrial Workers of the World. 

-Based Upon what I have read, labor unions were people who joined together to improve their lives because they all worked hard in unsafe working conditions and still did not met their bills. The tenements was a sweatshop in which 146 seamstresses died because the monopolies locked the doors and held their workers in like a jail because they were scared their workers would escape or steal from their business therefore, the women were not able to escape/leave during the fire. The fire ladder only reached to the 6th floor when the seamstresses were on the 9th floor. These details could have been prevented if monopolies cared more about the working conditions of their workers. Monopolists did not want unions because their working people rebel against their business and their workers did not like the way they ran things in the factory/sweatshop. Union members did not like scabs because they went along side with monopolies when laborers were fighting against monopolies for fair rights. Scabs were the who the businesses ordered to replace people on strike.Many factory and sweatshop owners disliked the vision of unions like the IWW because they were socialist and socialist wanted the workers to have their needs met. If the workers had their needs met that meant that the monopolies had to spend more money on the business and their workers and the monopolies tried to spend as little money as they possibly could. IWW unions means Industrial Workers of the World.

Scabs were people who businesses replaced when their workers went on strike and scabs were paid less than their workers. (http://www.cartoonwork.com/scabs_sjpg343.jpg)

Tenements were bad condition apartments where poor working people live/work in sweatshops. (http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/d/d8/LowerEastSideTenements.JPG/220px-LowerEastSideTenements.JPG)

Hopelessly Bound to the Stake

Link to cartoon: http://goo.gl/63Y6L

-Berhard Gillam

Essential Question:

-Did the government have any responsibility for placing workers on the stake?

The government had some responsibility for placing workers on the stake because they may have contributed to the monopolies by accepting a donation from the monopolies allowing them to be in the senate room where they made laws. Monopolies contributed their thoughts which may have lead the law being made in a different perspective, a perspective that would be helpful to the monopolies but not the working people. 

Hopelessly Bound to the Stake: http://goo.gl/9Cpj4

1) "Cartoon signifies the cruel treatment by the wealthy industrialists toward their workers."

2) "The workers were overworked and underpaid."

3) "As a consequence to this unfair treatment, workers began organizing labor unions."

1)What are three pieces of information you chose?  Why did you choose the three?

I chose parts of the article because they represented the cruel treatments the monopolies gave their workers. The first part shows that monopolies were wealthy and did not treat their workers with respect. The second part reveals that workers worked too much for too little. The monopolies only cared about themselves rather than themselves and their workers. Lastly, the third part proves that workers later rebel against all the mistreatment by forming groups to go against the monopolies.

2)Were labor unions necessary? Why?

Labor unions were necessary because monopolies were taking advantage of their workers and they rebel by forming labor unions.

3)Did the government help make monopolies? How?

The government helped the monopolies when then the monopolies donated money to the legislative branch to help ensure they would have a say in the laws being made. If the monopolies had a say to the laws the government were making they would try to make laws that would better fit their businesses.  

4)How did money in politics contribute to this cartoon? How has this changed?

Money in politics contributed to this cartoon because the monopolies are the ones who are the wood, meanwhile, the working men is the one being burned. The difference between now and then is that the people with money are not fat or wear top hats any longer. Money still plays a huge part in the world.

Are The Old Bosses Still in Charge?

Link to cartoon: http://goo.gl/O82NI

1)What is the setting for the cartoon?

The setting is the senate room. The senates are one half of the legislative branch and the other half is the house of representatives.

2)What entrance is open and what entrance is closed?

The monopolists entrance is open and the peoples entrance is closed. Having the monopolists entrance open means that that have more power than the people. The people have no say in their rights that are being made because they are not allowed to make decisions or even enter the room.

3)Who do you think the large men at the back of the room represent?

The large men in the back of the room represent special interest groups.

4)Why would the large men be in the room in the first place?

The large men are in the room because they want to influence how the laws will be made to help better their own needs. Such as, business wise. 

 "Alienated nation: Americans complain of government disconnect": http://goo.gl/0Ugks

Essential Question: Whose voice is loudest in government?

-The senates and large men in the back of the room have the loudest voice is government because they have the most money.

-The people are unhappy with government because the senates have too much say in government. The senates are over paid and only attract and connect to their special interest groups.

Quote:

"American people have long been frustrated with their leaders." 

Brain Montopoli, "Alienated nation: Americans complain of government disconnect", CBS News, June 28, 2011, 12:01am

Rise of Industry and Monopolies

Reading Website: http://goo.gl/OxTi6

Essential Questions:

1)What were the three main causes of industrial growth?

-The three main causes of industrial growth were: Natural resources, government support for business, and growing urban population.

2)Trusts and monopolies during America's early industrial age created...

-Trusts and monopolies during America's early industrial age created separation, long working hours, and low wages for workers.

Industrial growth was created by natural resources, government support for business, and growing urban population. Trust and monopolies during America's early industrial age created separation and bad working conditions for workers. Companies got rich from controlling production, wages, and prices. Monopolies began in the United States because the United States was the place with natural resources which was great for business. Money is all that mattered to the business owners. John D. Rockefeller argued that it was okay for workers to get paid low wages because they donated money back into a facility for the people to find cures for diseases. Monopolies felt like they were better than others at young ages. It is not easy to create monopolies and those who were able to were sneaky, under-minding, and shady. Sherman Antitrust Act was not effective and monopolies wanted the Sherman Antitrust Act to be weak therefore their business would be strong. Monopolies are people who wanted low competition or wanted to buy out all competition.