Chapter 6 Flashcards
(68 cards)
What has been the most important effect of the frontier in American history?
The promotion of democracy
The frontier fosters individualism and a primitive organization based on the family.
How does the frontier influence American individualism?
It produces traits such as:
* Antipathy to control
* Restless nervous energy
* Dominant individualism
These traits are seen as characteristics of the American intellect.
What historical period closed with the end of the frontier?
The first period of American history
This marks a significant transition in the nation’s development.
What economic philosophy dominated the post-Civil War economy in the United States?
Laissez-faire
This philosophy emphasized free competition, individual enterprise, and minimal state interference.
What interlinked ideas were associated with laissez-faire?
Social Darwinism
This applied Darwin’s theory of evolution to commercial competition.
Who was the most prominent American theorist of Social Darwinism?
William Graham Sumner
He viewed millionaires as the naturally selected agents of society.
What was the general attitude of leading churchmen towards laissez-faire?
They argued that ‘Godliness is in league with riches’
This view supported the idea that wealth was a sign of moral virtue.
What did laissez-faire allow individuals in terms of fortune?
An equal right to succeed or fail
This reinforced the idea of meritocracy in the economy.
What was a key term that refers to an economic philosophy emphasizing minimal regulation?
Laissez-faire
Originated in France and Britain in the eighteenth century.
Define Social Darwinism.
A term that applies natural selection to social and economic theory
Invented by Herbert Spencer.
What were the learning objectives of the chapter?
Key topics included:
* Importance of laissez-faire
* Consequences and reactions against it
* End of the moving frontier
* Situation of the USA in 1890
What was the key question posed in the chapter?
In what ways did the economy and society of the USA change and develop?
What was the dominant tendency in the economy during the Gilded Age?
The consolidation of competing enterprises into large scale units which rapidly became monopolies.
How did big businesses limit competition?
By merging with rivals and driving small firms out of business.
Who was Cornelius Vanderbilt?
A businessman known for consolidating the New York Central and Hudson River Railroad into a monopolistic network.
What did John D. Rockefeller admit about his business practices?
He wanted only the big businesses that proved they could do a big business, implying that others would have to die.
True or False: The markets created by industrial giants were genuinely free.
False.
What did big businesses depend on from the government?
Government support for business, including favorable tariffs and approval of schemes.
What was the title of Andrew Carnegie’s book?
The Triumph of Democracy: Sixty Years’ March of the Republic.
What did critics of laissez-faire capitalism denounce?
Materialism, uncontrolled speculation, corruption, and trampling over the little man.
What was the Knights of Labor?
A nationwide trade union organization formed in 1869 with over 100,000 members by the mid-1880s.
What was the Granger movement?
A movement by small farmers pushing for regulation of railroads and firms controlling storage and distribution.
What major event occurred at Haymarket Square in Chicago in May 1886?
A peaceful Knights of Labor demonstration turned into a major riot when bombs were thrown.
