Notes for 1/7/09

Today we took some notes and watched a really depressing movie about the shirtwaist factory fire.
Robber Baron recap
They were both good and bad.

• Good- helped economy grow exponentially and led to innovation in technology in their respective areas. Donated large sums of money to philanthropist type charities; ie schools, libraries concert halls etc. they believed in helping the community not the individual. Believed they deserved their wealth but should give back to community.

• The Bad: they had horrible conditions for their workers. They controlled monopolies that didn't wouldn't let any type of competition in the market which hurt consumers if they raised prices.

Brief 1890's review
sports

• College football especially gained new crowds and the ivy league dominated the field.
• The general consensus about sports were that they were only for the rich.
• No one else had time because they were to busy trying to survive and have food for their family.

Racism
New thought in concept of racism.

• WASP's-(White Anglo Saxon Protestants) and germans aka the old immigrants wanted to prove they were physically superior to blacks and new immigrants.
• racial stereotyping also recieved scientific sanction and followed the idea of social darwinism.
• The basic idea was the people who were doing well deserved it and were more "fit" to be superior

Immigration

• Two groups of immigrants could be seen.

Old

• (pre civil war)- England, Ireland, Germany Scandinavia
• were mostly protestant (except irish)

New

• Italians (majority) Russians, Polish Jews, Hungarians, Slavs, Greeks and Turks
• new immigrants spoke many new languages that hadn't been heard in the U.S. before
• they were mostly greek orthodox or jewish, Italians were Roman Catholic
• Were mostly rural peasants who were not used to big cities and had little experience with democracy
• Came to work, save money and go back to old country to have better life

Other Immigrants

• in 1880 there were Japanese, Chinese, Filipino, Mexican and French Canadian immigrants
• Towards turn of the century U.S. citizens start disliking the other immigrants
• discontent is so great that Chinese exclusion act of 1882 refuses any new Chinese immigrants.
• Disputes between Japanese and San Fransisco gov causes gentlemens agreement in 1907 which bans any further male Japanese from entering U.S.
• Most Chinese and Japanese immigrants worked railway
  
• majority of immigrants were male who had come to work and eventually bring a wife or family to U.S.
  
• The exclusion acts (above) ended these hopes

Random fact

• San Fransisco gov. threw Chinese and Japanese kids out of public schools due to an argument that led to the gentlemens agreement act.
  

Immigrants and the workforce

• Most immigrants were European
• between 1900-1910 made up 70% workforce.
• took the hardest least desirable jobs
• railroad building, coal mining, steel mills, meatpacking, all were basically sweatshops
• had bad working conditions
• few states had restricted child labor laws so 25% boys and 10% girls ages 10-15 were put to work
• injuries were common
• triangle shirtwaist Co. factory burned in New York killing 146 mostly young women workers
• it didn't have any functioning fire escapes
• the doors were locked from the outside supposedly to keep out union organizers but were really to make sure the workers didn't cut their workday short
• workdays were 10 hours and workweek was 60 hours
• had poor living conditions

Corruption and Crime of big cities

• government officials who wanted to be reelected would create political machines to assure their win
• head of political machine was the "boss"
• almost all were corrupt
• Tweed boss and his inner circle was a good example
• machines used ward bosses to win loyalty of city dwellers and new immigrants for their party. usually gave food, clothes, job or house in exchange for their vote.
• contractors who wanted a city contract could pay off government officials to get contract,
• called a graft

Organized crime

• organized crime was mostly gangster activity
• they threatened small manufacturers and contractors with violence and ruin if they didn't pay for "protection"

Black Labor

• Unlike immigrants, they were predominantly rural workers

we stopped here and watched the movie, here are some key points

• March 25 1911 employees were trying to reach their quotas,
• 4:45, 15 minutes left in work day someone dropped a match or cigarette that fell on a pile of fabric on the 8th floor
  
• fire quickly erupted and spread
• the doors had been locked so their was no way to escape
• people were pushed against the doors and were crushed or died of smoke inhalation early
• others tried the fire escape.
  
• after about 10 people got on a fire escape it collapsed
  
• the 10th floor got out with the help of a nearby building
• many on lower floors made it out by elevator
• by 4:55 all elevators stopped working with 200 people trapped inside
• the fire department had a quick response time with the most advanced equipment in the country but it was useles
• the water pressure failed to put the fire out quickly and the ladders only reached the 6th floor
• people began jumping out of windows to their deaths.
  
• 146 mostly young women died
• the event was over in 30 minutes
  
• the fire department found 19 engagement rings on the floor when they checked the next day
• it took 3 days to identify all the bodies and 7 were so badly burned no one could identify them
• a special service was held for them and 120,000 people joined the procession in the rain while many others watched on the sidewalk
• it had been one of the worst industrial accidents ever
• led to strict codes for safety