Feb 23, 2024 HIST 405N Week 5 Assignment: Case Study
HIST 405N Week 5 Assignment: Case Study
HIST 405N Week 5 Assignment: Case Study
In the 25th day of March 1911, a fire broke out in a New York City clothing factory whichburned the building and killed more than a hundred workers. The factory is owned by Max Blanckand Isaac Harris – both having history of owned factory fires. The factory has poor access pointswhich made it difficult to escape during the 1911 factory fire. Moreover, numerous nonhumanitarian acts were happening in this factory – salary worth $15 per week for working 12 hoursdaily, imprisoning the workers who are striking for their policies, and bribing politicians to favorin their case (Smith, 2017). This case paved way led to a protest which called out the conditionsleading the fire incident. The factory owners were able to win against the case; however, theincident led to multiple reform events such as passage of law requiring factory to be prepared withfire incidents and the formation of a reform party for the cause of the workers.From the mentioned 1911 incident, it is clear that businessmen were already ruling theeconomy and those who are affected by it – almost all people. These ruling people can either becaptains of industry, shrewd businessmen, or robber barons.
Shrewd businessmen were people capable of assessing a situation and can turn it into their advantage (Khor, 2014). Captains of theindustry were people who uses their wealth for the cause of others and society. Robber baronswere people who monopolize an industry by overpowering and eliminating their competition(Maryville University, n.d.). For most cases, like Blanck and Harris, most business leaders can beconsidered as shrewd businessmen. These leaders always prioritize their self and wealth beforeany others. Some are even conducting programs that will cater the minority and the discriminatedor will help the needy, but these are mostly coverups of their hidden intentions or negative issues.During the American Industrial Age, leaders were usually robber barons since they wereeliminating their competitors to monopolize their industry. Sometimes, consolidation of smallerbusinesses to larger ones allowed price fixation (Moffatt, 2020). Nowadays, it is very difficult toidentify one leader as to what type of businessman he is. We do not know the real intentions ofpeople behind the big businesses.
The American Age of Industry is the second wave of industrial revolution following theGreat Britain. In this era, a big impact changed how people lived and started capitalism, newindustries, and modern cities. It also brings tycoons J.P. Morgan, Andrew Carnegie. and John D.Rockefeller into a global business leadership. Their modernist ideas made America to rise as thetop global manufacturer (Morris, 2012). During the American industrial revolution, workers weretreated like the products they were producing. The employers have forgotten that their workerswere also human. As the technology continue to advance, the humanitarian act is growingbackwards (Miller, 2004). There were four major aspects that workers were deprived during thisage: long hours of work, low wages of pay, dirty and dangerous working condition, and lack ofrights. Workers were forced to work around 12-16 hours per day, without breaks, and to enduresalaries which cannot entirely cover the basic needs. Moreover, gender discrimination is alsopresent in terms of wages – men are paid highest followed by women and children. The low salaryalso paved way for child labor in industries. Workplaces were also not safe – workers were exposedto high temperatures without proper ventilation, no multiple entry and exit points in case ofemergency, and multiple cases of incidents involving machines. Ultimately, workers were notbeing violated since there are no laws protecting them. They continue working even if they haveinjuries or sickness. This happened because there is little involvement of the government to theworking industries (History Crunch Writers, 2019).
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The government, upon assessment of multiple workers’ mistreatment, lobbied laws thatwill protect the workers against their employers’ wrongdoings. Workers started getting protectionfrom the reformers who gained political powers by opposing the maltreatment of capitalism to theworking sector. When these political personalities won government position, they were able topass laws protecting the labor sector by providing a safer workplace, limited working hours, propercompensation, and reduced discrimination (History Crunch Writer, 2016). For example, SullivanHoey Fire Prevention Law was passed in 1911 as a response to the New York factory fire. Also,Fair Labor Standards Act of 1938 was also passed as a response to set a minimum wage formaximum working hours. Moreover, children were also prohibited to work in manufacturing andmining industries (History.com Editors, 2020). Federal government started breaking monopoliesby passing some laws – Sherman Antitrust Act prohibited conspiring of businessmen to restricttrading, Clayton Antitrust Act forbid some business acts and mergers to decrease competition, andFederal Trade Commission Act created a commission preventing anti-competitive practices(Moffatt, 2020). The Federal Trade Commission (n.d.) defined monopolization as the act of onebusiness industry which eliminates competition by creation or maintenance of a monopoly. Thecommission have also grouped anticompetitive practices into agreements between competitors andmonopolization. Furthermore, acts included were fixation of price, boycott of competitor, andexclusive deals. The federal government’s monopoly regulation protects and benefits theconsumers. Consumers were able to buy quality products at the right price. Furthermore, regulationcan help starting businesses to survive the competition.
In achieving economic justice and reform for workers, government have played animportant role in passing the laws as mentioned. One of the progressive presidents, who foughtfor this, is Theodore Roosevelt. He introduced the New Nationalism which promotes workers’rights and creates market regulation agencies. Roosevelt’s presidency initiated the laws whichprotects the consumers from the continuously increasing prices of commodities. With the help ofthe Congress, he was able to form the Bureau of Corporations to check illegal business practices.Laws are continuously passed to respond to businesses monopolizing an industry. Roosevelt-ledgovernment also allowed America to profit and to help its citizens by allowing government fundsto be spent on public works. Another progressive president is Woodrow Wilson who introducedthe New Freedom. His banner targets monopoly destruction and economic opportunity formicrobusinesses. This was envisioned through banking reforms, tightening industrialcombinations, and reducing import restrictions (Weisberger et al., 2020). These progressivepresidents introduced reforms that are still protecting us.
The Industrial Revolution helped America in becoming a global leader but allowed nonhumanitarian acts to the working sectors. Reforms were only introduced when different workerrelated incidents happened at the hands of their employers. History taught us that progress leavesno one behind. At the start of the revolution, the workers were not part of the benefitting sector.As these people unite, they were able to seat personalities who fought for their rights. Thesemovements are part of the rights and benefits we are experiencing. As we move forward, morelaws are being passed to protect anyone of their rights.
References:
Federal Trade Commission. (n.d.). Enforcement: Anticompetitive practices. Author.History Crunch Writers. (2016, January 2). Labor movement in the industrial revolution.https://www.historycrunch.com/labor-movement-in-the-industrial-revolution.html#/History Crunch Writers. (2019, November 26). Working conditions in the industrial revolution.https://www.historycrunch.com/working-conditions-in-the-industrial-revolution.html#/History.com Editors. (2020, September 1). Child labor.https://www.history.com/topics/industrial-revolution/child-labor#Khor, E. (2014). From academia to entrepreneur: Lessons from the real world. Elsevier Inc.Maryville University. (n.d.). America’s gilded age: Robber barons and captains of industry.https://online.maryville.edu/business-degrees/americas-gilded-age/Miller, D.L. (2004). The industrial age 1865 to 1917. American Heritage, 55(6).https://www.americanheritage.com/industrial-age-1865-1917#1.Moffatt, M. (2020, January 27). Federal efforts to control monopoly. ThoughtCo.https://www.thoughtco.com/federal-efforts-to-control-monopoly-1147512Morris, C.R. (2012). The dawn of innovation: The first American industrial revolution. PublicAffairs.Smith, P. (2017). The Triangle disaster: How a fire a century ago at a New York clothing factorychanged U.S. labor laws. New York Times Upfront, 150(1), 11.https://chamberlainuniversity.idm.oclc.org/login?url=https://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=ehh&AN=125077563&site=eds-live&scope=siteWeisberger, B.A. (2020, September 27). United States. Encyclopædia Britannica.https://www.britannica.com/place/United-States/Theodore-Roosevelt-and-the-Progressivemovement#info-article-contributors
President Jefferson set the foundation for the Westward Expansion stating it was the answer to the survival and growth of America and its freedom.
The Missouri Compromise was proposed as a way to keep a balance in Congress between slave states and free states. It was signed in 1820 and brought with it the addition of Missouri as a slave state and Maine as a free state. By now the expansion was in full force and people were landing in the Oregon Territory as well as the Mexican Territories of California, New Mexico, and Texas. In 1837 the Texas settlers won their independence from Mexico and filed papers to join the United States of America as a slave state. It would take approximately 7 years, 4 presidents later and one war before Texas would be entered in as a state.
In February 1846, President Polk was working on the annexation of Texas from Mexico, but negotiations were not going well. We had troops stationed in the disputed land territory (between Nueces and the Rio Grande.) Polk sent congress a message to initiate war as the Mexican Army had invaded our land and killed many of our people – this may not have been a complete truth, but did lead to the Mexican War of 1846-1848 (Openstax, 2020). Many Americans realized this war was orchestrated as a way to expand our country, but also to add slavery to more states. The War ended in 1848 with the signing of the Treaty of Guadeloupe Hidalgo and with it brought more than 525,000 square miles of land to the United States (that land today is known as, Arizona, California, Colorado, Nevada, New Mexico, Utah, and Wyoming.) Additionally, Mexico gave up Texas and the Rio Grande to the United States (History.com, 2009).
“Manifest Destiny” was a phrase used by journalist, John O’Sullivan when discussing the belief that the United States should expand from the east coast to the Pacific ocean. He stated, “to carry the great experiment of liberty to the edge of the continent to overspread and possess the whole of the land which Providence has given us” (History.com, 2010). It was implied to accomplish this by whatever means necessary. Take, for example, the war with Mexico that was started presumably under false pretense and resulted in an extremely large acquisition of land. The Missouri Compromise, while seemingly a check and balance process would eventually lead the Civil War.
Society, N. (n.d.). Westward Expansion. Retrieved September 15, 2020, from https://www.nationalgeographic.org/topics/resource-library-westward-expansion/?q=
History.com Editors. (2010, April 05). Manifest Destiny. Retrieved September 15, 2020, from https://www.history.com/topics/westward-expansion/manifest-destinyLinks to an external site.
History.com Editors. (2009, November 09). Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo. Retrieved September 15, 2020, from https://www.history.com/topics/mexican-american-war/treaty-of-guadalupe-hidalgo
11.4 The Mexican-American War, 1846–1848 – U.S. History. (n.d.). Retrieved September 15, 2020, from https://openstax.org/books/us-history/pages/11-4-the-mexican-american-war-1846-1848
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