Tuesday, December 9th - Period 6 Lesson 2

Open Ended

Wednesday, December 10 - Bellringer Question:

Why is the formation of monopolies considered a bad thing for consumers? (Hint: think about the example of fast food restaurants, oil/gas companies from yesterday.)

American Social and Economic
Theory (4)
■

Laissez Faire Capitalism

–

Principle that government
should not interfere in the
workings of a free market
economy

■

Social Darwinism

–

Philosophy of survival of the
fittest with regards to money

–

Competition leads to
betterment of society

–

Opposed regulating
competition or assisting the
poor

Social Darwinism (4)

■ "The growth of a large business is merely a survival of

the fittest...the working out of a law of nature and a law
of God.“ – John D. Rockefeller

■ societal progress depended on the "fittest families"

passing down wealth and genetic traits to their
offspring, thus allegedly creating a lineage of superior
citizens.

Multiple Choice

What is the main characteristic of capitalism as an economic system?

• Government control of production

• Equal distribution of wealth

• Price control by the government

• Profit-driven private ownership

Multiple Choice

What concept from Charles Darwin's theory of evolution was applied to the economy and society during the Gilded Age?

• Extinction

• Mutation

• Natural selection

• Adaptation

American Social and Economic Theory
(4)

■

Henry George

–

Why has poverty accompanied progress?

–

Progress and Poverty (1879)

–

Addressed problems with economic
inequalities

–

Single tax on the value of land to provide social services

■

Edward Bellamy

–

Wrote Looking Backward (1888)

–

Utopian novel, described the future of the world

–

2000 – new social order where poverty and corruption in government were unknown

–

Cooperation had replaced competition

Complete Packet pg. 56

The American Labor Movement (2)

■

Knights of Labor, 1869

–

Open to all workers

–

Women, skilled/unskilled,
immigrants

■

Great Railroad Strike of 1877

–

Wage cuts for railroad workers that
spread nationwide (B&O Rail)

–

Pres. Hayes sent U.S. troops to end
the strike

■

Haymarket Square, 1886

–

Police fired into crowd of 100,000
in Chicago

–

Workers met to protest police
brutality

–

Bomb exploded, killing/injuring
many police

–

Anti-union and anti-immigrant
feelings resulted from newspaper stories

The American Labor Movement (2)

■

Homestead Strike

–

Strike at Andrew Carnegie’s
steel plant in 1892

–

Angry over pay cuts

–

300 private security guards
called

–

Left 10 dead and 60
wounded

The American Labor Movement (2)

■

Pullman Strike, 1894

–

Caused because of poor
wages & shut down of
western railroads

–

Workers at the Pullman
Palace Car Co. in Chicago
went on strike

■

Eugene Debs

–

Head of American Railway
Union

–

Leader of strike

–

Imprisoned

–

Became a socialist

–

Ran for President 5 times

The American Labor Movement (3)

■

Samuel Gompers

–

Founder of the AFL

■

American Federation of Labor (AFL),
1886

–

Union open only to skilled, white
workers

–

Sought to achieve higher wages,
minimize hours, improve working
conditions

■

Mother Jones

–

Mary Harris Jones

–

Irish American woman

–

Prominent labor organizer

–

Led several strikes

–

Cofounded the Industrial Workers
of the World (1905)

Home

Open in new tab

Copy link

Open Ended

Research a Strike using the map and answer the following tasks:

1. Employer/Business name

2. Name of Labor Union leading the Strike

3. Industry

4. List of worker demands

Complete Packet pg. 78

​Socialism/Communism Q's

Complete these 9 questions after finishing pgs. 56-57 in the packet!

Multiple Choice

No class system.

• Capitalism
• Socialism and/or Communism

Multiple Choice

Government control of industry.

• Capitalism
• Socialism and/or Communism

Multiple Choice

Production determined by supply and demand.

• Capitalism
• Socialsim and/or Communism

Multiple Choice

Government provides for the working class people.

• Capitalism
• Socialism and/or Communism

Multiple Choice

Market economy.

• Capitalism
• Socialism and/or Communism

Multiple Choice

Private ownership of industry.

• Capitalism
• Socialism and/or Communism

Multiple Choice

Equal distribution of wealth.

• Capitalism
• Socialism and/or Communism

Multiple Choice

No or limited government interference in industry.

• Capitalism
• Socialism and/or Communism

Open Ended

In your own words, describe the differences between laissez-faire capitalism and socialism/communism.

If time permits...

Go back to yesterday's assignment and complete the tasks analyzing the political cartoon.